Situation: Herpes zoster (HZ), commonly known as shingles, is often underestimated by the people of Argentina and perceived as nothing more than a minor rash. However, shingles can cause excruciating pain and lead to debilitating complications, and the virus that causes shingles lies dormant in 90% of us!

Brief: To challenge the widespread apathy to shingles within Argentina, we needed to show the public how unpredictable, severe, and disruptive the shingles virus can be. This would encourage them to speak to their HCP about protecting themselves against the virus.

Objectives: GET: Argentina’s population WHO: feel apathetic and despondent to shingles risk and effect TO: care about the risk and impact of shingles, find out more about the shingles virus and talk to their HCP about protection BY: increasing awareness of the impact and severity of shingles

What better way to bring people face-to-face with a disease that’s unpredictable than by giving them a disease awareness campaign that’s just as unpredictable too. The hZ_90 disease awareness campaign resembled a menacing, spoof digital virus which, like shingles, disrupts people’s lives when they least expect it.

- Targeting the Argentinian population to inform and stir urgency for vaccination, the hZ_90 campaign reached a variety of demographics within the country. And more specifically the +50 by choosing the 2 biggest stars over 50 in Argentina.

- Combining DOOH, social media, TV, and radio simultaneously, we created a widespread ‘hacking’ that mimicked the disruptive effect of shingles.

The integrated campaign had two phases: a teaser and a reveal.

Teaser: Sending menacing HZ_90 messages across DOOH billboards in train stations, shopping malls and on main streets, we stirred curiosity and intrigue on social media, radio and TV. Bolstered by another supposed hack from big Argentine celebrities: with hacked reels and posts, we disrupted the city of Argentina in the same sudden disruptive behaviour as shingles.

Reveal: At the height of engagement, the influencers disclosed the campaign’s intent, detailing critical information on shingles which encouraged the public to learn more about.

Timeline: From 14th to 29 of September 2023

Placements: All the digital screens on 9 de Julio, Cerrito & Pellegrini (11 screens) / 12 in Malls / 28 in metro stations. 21 Influencers partnered with GSK (2 Macro, 19 Micro and Nano Influencers). Banner ads on Meta and YouTube. 11 TV programs and 13 Radio Stations.

- 37.3M impressions during the campaign

- 18.2M people reached via the campaign, which accounts to approximately 40% of the population!

- Over 2M views of influencer reels

- Over 100k interactions on social media

- 43 PR mentions

- Over 250k web visits

- 167k people sought more information

- We cut through the apathy, got Argentinians engaged and talking about Shingles