The campaign is based on a vision of expanding the knowledge and perception of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) through an initiative that includes both cinematic experiments, online tools and a scientific study.

Insulin helps millions of people stabilize their blood sugar levels. However, insulin treatments can also cause low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia can lead to neurological damage*, nonsocial behavior** and, in the worst cases, death***.

As the world’s leading insulin manufacturer, Novo Nordisk is committed to create awareness about the occurrence of hypoglycemia and its consequences, and what people with diabetes can do to avoid hypoglycemia.

In order to do so, we had to help people with diabetes and their families open up to each other and talk about hypoglycemia.

In order to give story news value we needed to gather new data. And to make the findings interesting, we needed to show the real people behind the numbers.

So we decided to repeat the study in a filmed experiment.

We interviewed people with diabetes and their families in adjacent rooms separated by a removable wall. In the end we showed them each other’s answers to demonstrate the discrepancies in their respective perceptions of the problem, their general understanding of hypoglycemia and how it affects their lives.

The families participating in the experiment were not informed or prepared in any way ahead of the experiment and the interviews were filmed without a film crew present.

After having seen each other’s answers we removed the wall between the people with diabetes and their family members. Their reactions were overwhelming.

THE STUDY

The scientific study was based on statements from 4.300 family members of people with diabetes from the US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Spain and Denmark. The study was done in cooperation with professor, doctor and research scientist in diabetes Dr. Stewart B. Harris and the data collection was done by Ipsos through an online questionaire.

THE EXPERIMENT

On top of the study, we conducted an experiment where we interviewed people with diabetes and their families in adjacent rooms separated by a removable wall. In the end we showed them each other’s answers to demonstrate the discrepancies in their respective perceptions of the problem, their general understanding of hypoglycemia and how it affects their lives.

The families participating in the experiment were not informed or prepared in any way ahead of the experiment and the interviews were filmed without a film crew present.

The initiative mobilised both HCPs, patient organisations, people with diabetes and their family members.

The study was peer reviewed and published in the scientific journal Diabetes Therapy to create a scientific backbone for the campaign and change the perception of specialists.

The findings of the study and the film were launched at the main stage at the World’s largest diabetes congress EASD.

Patient organisations from around the world wrote about the study in their own channels and showed the film at their websites and SoMe pages.

Not only did the initiative shed light on an important side effect of insulin treatment. It also helped people start conversations that could ultimately help solve the problems that come with hypoglycemia.

Within two weeks, more than 200 news stories were published in both medical and lay media reaching a total online readership of 185 million people.

The film went viral within the first two weeks with more than 30 million views** and 40.000 shares** on social media.

The film had an average view time of 38 seconds which is 4 times the average view time on social media.

The engagement rate of the films was at 1,01 % and they yielded 90.588 reactions. 99,8 % of these were positive**.

The campaign showed that hypoglycemia significantly affects the family members of people with diabetes and that simply talking about it can help. But more importantly, the campaign helped start a conversation between people with diabetes and their families.

As a result, conversations about hypoglycemia on social media grew with 186 %* during the campaign.

*Coveragebook

**Monitored by Facebook

***Monitored by Quid