Communicating functional benefits in OTC Pharma communication usually leads to rather cluttered ads: lifestyle images combined with scientific detail images. We wanted to avoid this, instead making the functional message emotionally engaging and meaningful at first glance. Chinese consumers tend to be rather fact driven and literal. Hence clarity and simplicity were additional parameters for the design.

We uncovered that there is a Chinese character that means “MOVE” and that it can be formed by person - as long as that person is very fit, agile and flexible! We collaborated with a Shaolin Monk to form the character and later enhanced it only slightly in postproduction - creating an impactful, striking and meaningful key visual: human calligraphy. At one glance it expresses the ability to move, says “move”, and links it to an OTC (over the counter) product that allows you to keep moving - despite joint pain.

Difficult to pin-point merely as an effect of the ad: Overall the ongoing multichannel campaign for Panadol Joint in Hong Kong and other regional countries has created an uplift in sales in an overall declining market.