In Greece, women do not take the pill (4% rate of oral contraceptive usage, as opposed to 23% for the European norm). This leads to a very high abortion rate (12%) with profound consequences. Young women leave their reproductive health and lives largely to chance. The key, therefore, is education.

At the request of the 1st Obstetrics & Gynaecology Clinic of Athens University and Bayer Women’s Healthcare Division, the Agency created an educational campaign, 'Chance or Choice', to encourage women to take responsibility for their bodies, reproductive health and lives.

The campaign launched an interactive web portal, www.your-life.gr, with information by medical experts on all issues dealing with contraception and sexuality, including talking points for parents and teachers. It also created a dedicated Facebook page, a YouTube Channel with viral videos, print ads and articles, press releases and various events. A team of “Scientific Ambassadors” and university gynecology professors were key in helping turn perceptions by embracing the campaign on all fronts and giving their endorsement on morning shows, in magazine interviews and at educational events. Myths around contraception and in particular oral contraception were successfully battled. On Worldwide Contraception Day (WCD), the campaign culminated in a press conference with the scientific ambassadors and a concert featuring three celebrity ambassadors. This event achieved nationwide coverage through traditional media, the campaign’s and the celebrity ambassadors’ social media and digital platforms.

The campaign got results fast: 1,599,074 video views, 68,000 portal visits in one month and 40,000,000 total earned impressions.

The PR campaign ran 26 April – 26 September, 2012 under the call-to-action 'Chance or Choice'. An interactive educational portal (www.your-life.gr) was launched featuring content on sex and contraception written by healthcare professionals, with an open-dialogue section where users’ questions were answered by doctors and a section containing important information and talking points for parents and teachers. Search-engine marketing and optimization drove traffic to the portal. In parallel, a dedicated Facebook page and application were created, and a series of viral videos were uploaded on a dedicated YouTube channel

. A team of Healthcare/scientific professionals embraced and validated the healthcare campaign through broadcast, print and online media. Brand ambassadors were also recruited for their proven ability to reach and influence young women via social media. Events at summer camps and beach parties took place where thousands of educational material leaflets were distributed. The healthcare campaign culminated in a concert and press conference on World Contraception Day with nationwide coverage.

Output/awareness: The healthcare campaign achieved an unprecedented response from the target audience and their influencers (friends, family, teachers and healthcare professionals), reaching a total of 40.000.000 impressions in 6 months. 129 publicity items were generated on broadcast, digital and social media, with ambassador interviews hosted across all media. 10,500 brochures were distributed to events, pharmacies and OBGYN clinics, and 1,000 people attended the WCD concert.

The website attracted 68,000 visits in one month alone, while the viral videos had a total of 1,599,074 views. The Contraception YouTube Channel won Bayer’s 'Most Viewed YouTube Channel Award' for 2012 - globally. It was also a Finalist at the Bayer Excellence-in-Communications Award 2012.