Each film begins with one person at a turning point. We can tell from their environments that life has not been easy. The presence of smoking cues hint at the reason they have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – and the guilt that follows them. But now their COPD symptoms have pushed them to the limit; they’re ready to make a stand. Inspired by a TRELEGY ad they’ve just seen, each hero stands defiantly and makes a decisive change, leaving behind past choices they’ve made (smoking) and embracing a new fight for better breathing. As we follow them on their “new day” – now on TRELEGY – each hero goes about a symbolic task that has them up and moving and re-engaging with life, a stark change from their couch-bound existence before TRELEGY was prescribed.

The COPD category is awash not with realism but the polished veneer of idealism. To truly reach our audience and communicate “we get you; we’re here for you,” we had to show it. It all comes down to authenticity.

Authenticity is nothing without art direction. The 40-year-old ashtray symbolizing decades of struggle and strife. The tattered magazines on the coffee table. The exact make and model of coffee table – the one your aunt and uncle probably had. The color palette, ashen and dull and stained by years of smoke. Every aspect had to look, feel and smell authentic.

The smallest details were curated to create psychological connections – touchstones of the familiar that transform a TV screen into a mirror, reflecting our audience’s lives back to them, saying “This is you.” And in that reflection…hope.

In the United States, all pharmaceutical product advertisements must present the product benefits and risks in a balanced fashion.

These are people who spend on average 11 hours a day sitting down, watching TV. Many of the COPD ads they’re served show unrealistic portrayals of life with COPD. Our work aims to show them that we understand how hard COPD can be, and encourage them to make a stand.