Rooted in the insight that workplace migraines are more prevalent than many other illnesses, Excedrin uncovered that there is still a lack of understanding among non-sufferers via proprietary brand research. It is one thing to tell someone about your migraine, but what if you could show them? Enter Excedrin Works—a campaign designed to shine a light on the impact of migraines at work and help sufferers start a conversation about a migraine’s debilitating pain and emotional impact. Through the use of real people, real stories and immersive 360° video technology, Excedrin fostered a deeper understanding of migraines by enabling non-suffering coworkers to walk in the shoes of a migraine sufferer.

The Excedrin Works integrated campaign made it possible for sufferers to share a glimpse of their migraine experiences with others. The conversation was amplified with the help of NASCAR driver and migraine sufferer Danica Patrick, who shared stories about her personal and professional experiences with migraines. In addition, Dr. Elizabeth Seng, a clinical psychologist and headpain expert, was available to discuss the science behind migraines, triggers and potential solutions.

Our 360° video, accessible to anyone with a smartphone, allowed non-suffers to experience a migraine’s visual and sound-related symptoms first-hand. The videos, which featured real life depictions of an EMT and a pastry chef, provided a unique first person account of what sufferers experience when struck by a migraine. We also invited GSK employees, online and in Town Hall meetings, to interact with the 360 video and gain a better understanding of what these sufferers experience.

Tier 1:

Excedrin Works earned coverage from Sports Illustrated to People.com, driving nearly 400M earned media impressions. The hero video landed at #6 on AdAge’s viral video chart and received 15.6M views.

This resulted in a substantial conversation lift: 300% increase in mentions of Excedrin and head pain. The following week, the YouTube Masthead garnered 300M impressions, and a 13% engagement rate. Branded Excedrin searches were up 38% vs. the prior two-week period and overall migraine searches spiked 20%.

Tier 2:

The campaign saw a 41% lift in brand favorability among its target audience, exceeding Nielsen’s favorability benchmarks in three categories (Pain reliever/Pharma/Health-OTC). Nearly 40% of video views were driven consumer-sharing and earned coverage, further demonstrating that Excedrin Works successfully inspired conversation around better understanding of workplace migraines.

Tier 3:

Two weeks post-launch, Excedrin hit its highest share, up more than 22% in sales (with category growth at 1%).