Our client has developed an extremely effective treatment for a crippling disease — Multiple Sclerosis. But the medication itself can be deadly. So the people who take this medication (called Tysabri) share a remarkable mindset. Each of them has something worth living for. And they have the unbelievable courage to wake up each day fighting to keep it, regardless of the risks. In short, they’re too busy living to be afraid of dying.

We created these films not to tout the efficacy claims of a pharmaceutical product, but to inspire people with MS to fight the disease any way they can.

Tysabri is the only brand in the category with such a polarized efficacy/safety profile. The Fighter campaign embraces that — making no attempt to disguise the risks, but using them to make the stories even more powerful. This approach is unprecedented in the MS category, and possibly in the entire pharmaceutical industry. The campaign was launched in a coordinated effort, backed by a front-loaded media buy. The films were hosted on a microsite, which served as the hub of the campaign. 60-second video promos, print ads, and collateral all drove to the site, which was shareable using Facebook — a real coup for a stringently regulated black-box pharmaceutical brand. We also created a customized deck of playing cards that patients shared during their treatments, not only facilitating word-of-mouth advertising, but actually helping patients with manual dexterity and cognitive function. Interactive installations even allowed patients to create their own “shadow” at live events.

The statistical response to the campaign has been overwhelming. In the first quarter alone, the site saw over 75,000 visits. The video pages saw video engagement that was 78% higher than industry benchmarks, and bounce rates that were 49% lower. All adding up to a 9.6:1 return on investment. But even more overwhelming has been the emotional response to the campaign. When it was shown to a group of over 200 MS patients, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. As far as we’re concerned, that alone has been well worth the effort.