Given the debilitating and painful burden of shingles, shooting real patients was not an option. Therefore, we cast people who matched the demographics of our target audience and used prosthetics and makeup to obtain a medically accurate shingles rash. Several photos of patients were used as reference to get the exact size, form, density, and colour of the blisters. Medical data and social listening were cross-referenced to portray the most frequent and relatable location of the rash. The back and lower back turned out to be the best area to land our creative device: the calendar.

Approval process:

1) Review by GSK Canada Commercial Lead, medical and legal reviewers.

2) Review by the Canadian advertising industry’s non-profit self-regulating body Ad Standards.

3) Final review by GSK Canada Commercial Lead and quality control team for final approval.

Following the pandemic, adults started getting more conscious about routine vaccinations to protect from infections and viruses that come from the outside along with the seasons. But they failed to see that the risk of shingles comes from a virus that comes from within, and it can reactivate at any time, no matter the season.

Commercial, medical, legal and compliance review from GSK Canada; Non-government body review; Ad Standards (ASC).

Consumer-directed campaign to raise awareness of the risk of shingles for the 50+ population. Often wrongfully thought of as a seasonal campaign, corresponding with the flu season, shingles happens year-round. The campaign intended to break this insight and entice vaccination year-round.

Our target audience lives and feels healthy, so it’s hard to make them realize they are at risk of shingles. On the other hand, they are used to other routine vaccines such as flu and COVID-19. The difference is that these “seasonal” diseases tend to strike at a specific time of the year, probably driven by exterior factors like the change of weather. But shingles is a disease that comes from within. 90% of adults over fifty already have the virus that causes shingles inside them, and it can strike at any time.

This visually impactful initiative is designed to raise awareness about the year-round threat of shingles among individuals aged 50 and above. Launched strategically ahead of the 2023 flu season, this campaign showcases a powerful visual representation of the shingles rash spanning multiple months, urging Canadians to recognize the urgency of shingles vaccination despite how healthy they feel.

We intentionally decided to show people without clothes to portray the vulnerability that comes with the risk of shingles. As a result, the rash over the skin became our protagonist. The solid background was another intentional choice to express that shingles represents a risk that comes from within, totally independent of time or location. As a branded piece, it was crucial to leverage the SHINGRIX brand colours and adhere to the brand book of GSK. Nevertheless, the font choice and the white letters stand out on the piece and suit our communication objective beautifully.