As COPD patients become more breathless, their world shrinks. Trelegy is a drug that improves breathlessness and so expands their world again. This was the single-minded message we needed to convey to GSK’s global sales team attending the global launch event.

Being a product launch, we were without patients who could demonstrate the drug’s efficacy. Our idea was to create three fictional patients with detailed back-stories and expand on their lives across multi-media channels including a live event, telling in their own words their emotional stories, so that sales reps could understand the impact of COPD and the positive benefits of Trelegy.

Over four days, emails were sent under the guise of three fictional patients to GSK’s global sales team, giving the first glimpse into their lives as an artist, a travel blogger and a father, living with COPD.

The recipients were driven to bespoke websites where they began to immerse themselves in the patients’ lives. Over six days, the websites were updated giving the impression our patients were living active lives as their worlds expanded, thanks to Trelegy.

At the two-day launch event, we turned fiction into reality turning a Grade 1 listed building into an art gallery where we exhibited our patients’ paintings, photographs and video journal. Themed breakout rooms allowed delegates to learn more about the patients’ lives, as well as become familiar with a range of campaign material, including digital sales aid, print and films – all the tools needed to sell the benefits of Trelegy to HCPs.

- 500 Global attendees to the meeting, with positive feedback from those in attendance.

- 5 of the launch markets have adapted the assets to enhance their local launch activities.

- Website stats: Juliet’s website: 322 Users, 540 sessions, 6.35min duration; Stephanie’s website: 228 Users, 395 sessions, 5.50min duration; Alexander’s website: 271 Users, 428 sessions, 3.01min duration

- Positive feedback from attendees:

The meeting was an enormous success and the engagement of the attendees prior to and during the event, was clearly visible. The team brought the Trelegy patients to life in a very engaging way; the audience was able to fully immerse themselves in our patients’ world. Based on the positive feedback we received from the various teams, we feel very confident that the teams will take the content and develop it successfully in our local markets worldwide - Ruxandra Nastasa (Global marketing director, Trelegy)