Nephrologists care deeply about the kidney, but when it comes to safeguarding the organ from elevated uric acid and gout – and the damage those two conditions can cause all throughout the body—they defer to rheumatologists.

Our brief and objective was to spark empathy and urgency to compel nephrologists to treat these complications themselves.

We created an integrated campaign to change this behavior for doctors.

Nephrologists care deeply about the kidney, but often do not treat elevated uric acid, even though it contributes to gout and kidney disease.

Down and Out Kidney takes an integrated approach to change this behavior.

The campaign features a dark, cautionary tale that shows the devastation that befalls the entire body when the relationship between Kidney and Uric Acid turns toxic.

Ads, rep-delivered brochures, and banners were used to drive nephrologists to the dontfailkidney site to watch the film and to learn more.

Kidney had his own social presence on Twitter so he could engage and educate doctors about uric acid.

Doctors were also sent Kidney plushies—with the healthy Kidney on one side and the sick Kidney (pocked with uric acid crystals) on the other.

Nephrologists are kidney doctors who don’t typically treat gout. Down and Out Kidney explicitly shows us why they should.

The integrated effort kicked off with an animated cautionary tale taking nephrologists inside the relationship between the kidney and uric acid, and the devastation that befalls the entire body when it turns bad.

The campaign extensions included a microsite, a social platform, and sales-rep materials to educate nephrologists about the toxic nature of uric acid.

By using an anthropomorphized kidney, we created empathy for the kidney, and convinced nephrologists that preventing uric acid from overtaking the kidney and the entire body is their responsibility.

The campaign began with the cautionary animated tale to seed the drama and emotion of the medical consequences of elevated uric acid.

The film was supported by a microsite that communicated the science and clinical insights behind the film. The integrated effort was further supported by banners and social media.

Direct-mail pieces and sales-rep materials “spoke” to doctors in the voice of the besieged Kidney.

Over an 18-month period, these multiple touchpoints clinically and emotionally compelled nephrologists to reconsider how they protect the organ that protects the body.

Our campaign reached over 2,300 nephrologists across the country.

Nephrologists engaged via Kidney’s Twitter presence and visited the site.

14% click through rate on banners driving to the site.

Nephrologists spent on average more than nine-and-a-half minutes on the site. Double the norm.

Since this was an unbranded effort, there are no sales results.