Asthma is a sub-optimally managed condition in Australia. We needed to change the way asthma was managed to improve the lives of patients all over the country.

There was three issues GSK wanted us to address.

1. Almost 50% of people with treated asthma don't have their asthma under control.

2. 9/10 patients don’t use their device properly.

3. Those using twice daily treatments only filled 4.5 scripts out of 12.

GHG Sydney and GREY Sydney were presented with the challenge of mobilising asthma patients to do something about their non-compliance. We wanted to encourage patients to review their asthma management with their physician and determine which asthma treatment suited them best.

GSK were hoping that 10% of people with asthma would visit their doctor, in fact 42.2% of those exposed to the TV ad actually discussed asthma with their doctor as a result of the campaign.

GHG Sydney and Grey Sydney combined consumer knowledge and healthcare knowledge to create an engaging and effective campaign. Our Asthma Awareness campaign used humorous analogies and dramatised every day excuses patients make to justify their behaviour. The campaign featured a guy half shaving his face, a woman putting clothes in a dishwasher, and a woman running with only one shoe. These campaign images were underpinned with the common sense tagline: “If you’re not doing it properly, it’s not working properly” and directed people to their doctor for a treatment review.

The Asthma Awareness campaign featured on TV, in various print publications, across multiple digital platforms, as well as across various marketing collateral. Asthma patients from all over Australia were targeted when they were most receptive to the message - in their home, their cars, on their computers, and in the doctor's surgery.