The I Design campaign targeted those directly impacted by HIV, including those infected with the virus and their caregivers. Special attention centered on those disproportionately affected by the disease, including the LGBT and African American communities, and women. As such, our spokespeople are a reflection of these communities.

The pharmaceutical industry in the U.S. is highly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which put strict parameters on branded and unbranded communications to consumers and health care professionals. As a result, all campaign materials are reviewed by the sponsoring company via a multidisciplinary committee that is made up of legal, compliance, regulatory, medical representatives.

Whether music, fashion, or photography, an artist’s creation is as distinct to him or her as the brushstrokes of a painting. In the world obsessed with big-data, stories about HIV often boil down to facts and figures. Merck used the notion of “artistic self-expression” to “vocalize” the importance of individualized HIV treatment to inspire fresh media coverage.

In its third year, the I Design campaign centered on the unique talents of HIV activists and artists – music industry promoter Maria Davis, fashion designer Mondo Guerra (winner of Project Runway), and acclaimed photographer Duane Cramer. Each spoke about HIV treatment through their own unique artistic expressions, such as the first-ever mash-up music video made by the HIV community including those at the United States Conference on AIDS.

In 2014, the campaign platform saw a click-through growth rate of 300% and 30-fold increase in downloads of HIV treatment education materials.

• Redirect the traditional “facts and figures” HIV media stories to focus on individualized HIV treatment, each as distinct to the patient as an artist’s design or vision.

• Increase distribution/downloads of HIV treatment information, centering on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LBGT) audiences, with a particular focus on African American and Latino communities, and women.

Tap HIV activists and artists – music industry promoter Maria Davis, fashion designer Mondo Guerra, and acclaimed photographer Duane Cramer – to make up the I Design campaign team, specifically aimed at LGBT, African American and Latino communities, and women.

Invite audiences at the United States Conference on AIDS in San Diego and AIDS walks around the country (e.g., New York, Louisville, Houston) to contribute to the first-ever HIV community mash-up video by asking them to sing a verse created by Maria Davis. The individual voices reinforced each person’s self-expression and uniqueness.

Leverage the media power of Maria, Mondo, and Duane to shift the HIV conversation from dire stats and facts to the more “life empowering” discussion about personalize HIV treatment.

“Vocalize” the importance of individualized HIV treatment with media, influencers and the public in multidimensional forms, including music videos, chorus and soloist performances, and poetry.

• The I Design campaign platform saw a click-through growth rate of 300% during 2014.

• There was a 30-fold increase in downloads of the HIV treatment education materials and tools including the “My Health Matters” HIV mobile and desktop apps, videos, and the patient-doctor conversation checklist.

• Generated 65 original media placements in both national and target-audience publications – including six feature editorials – for a total of 126M+ impressions.

• An impressive 94% of the stories placed featured specific messaging about individualized HIV treatments.

• The campaign also permeated more than 200 U.S. markets via extensive broadcast placements.

Merck used the notion of “artistic self-expression” as a metaphor for how we are all “designed” differently and therefore require distinct treatments specific to our own “expression” of HIV. We leverage the works and voices of HIV activists and noted artists in music, fashion and photography to inspire a deeper discussion about individualized HIV treatments.

The I Design campaign introduced the topic of personalized HIV treatment through each artist’s engaging work, their “media voice” and their artistic self-expression. We shifted the topic from left-brain statistics and fearmongering to the healing and emotional power of music, art and self-expression.

We aimed to ignite media attention and inspire patients by showcasing high-profile people successfully living with HIV in their own unique way to encourage others to “vocalize” the same.

In a world obsessed with big-data, stories about HIV boil down to facts and figures, leaving little room for discussion about individualized treatment. Consequently, media is focused on well-worn HIV/AIDS statistics but rarely speak about treatments.

Ironically, the one statistic media seem to miss is that an estimated 600,000 people remain in the dark about the importance of individualized HIV treatment, a sobering and even dangerous fact. Merck wanted to change that. The company used “artistic self-expression” as a metaphor for how we are all “designed” differently and therefore require distinct treatments specific to our own “expression” of HIV.