Won't Sit Still

When you’re a treatment that has been on the market for over 10 years, how do you continue to reach those who need you the most? You keep moving forward.

When it launched over 10 years ago, HUMIRA for Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) was a landmark treatment for a terrible and debilitating condition. At the time, most patients relied heavily on their physician to do condition research and provide recommendations for a treatment path. Over time, however, treatment seekers became far more likely to gather their own information before bringing what they found to their doctor—with treatment preferences.

So, when AbbVie approached us to empower a whole new generation of people living with HS, we got moving.

Our first step was to create an architecture of information, from first symptoms, to diagnosis, to talking to a physician, to what to expect from treatment with HUMIRA, and beyond. This ensured that everything a person might need to know was accounted for and organized in a way that made it easy to find and easy to digest.

Next, we recruited real patients who were treating with HUMIRA to help shape our content, each one selected for their unique story of strength and discovery. We conducted highly informative interviews, capturing every moment in video and with still photos.

We then restructured the website to better accommodate self-guided research on the condition, from first symptoms through treatment with HUMIRA. We updated the design and content to reflect the brand’s mission of optimism, progress, empowerment, and control over the disease.

We next developed a series of helpful emails that highlight crucial considerations around talking to one’s doctor, what to expect from treatment, and how to afford care, providing nuanced insight directly to recipients’ inboxes. To incentivize subscription, we created an illustrated activity book, intermingling inspiration, information, and space for physician questions and tracking progress through treatment.

We also launched Facebook and Instagram channels, bringing quick hitting insight information to the places where those seeking treatment for their HS most often go to consult their peers.

Finally, we created two nationally-launched broadcast spots, both featuring custom music, and both shot using single, uncut takes for maximum flow. In both, we dialed up the confidence and optimism that HUMIRA can offer.

The “Making Strides” campaign and brand refresh took almost 21 months to fully develop. Once launched, it dramatically increased traffic to brand-owned properties, and led to a significant increase in HUMIRA-focused conversations with prescribing physicians. But most importantly, it empowered countless HS sufferers to finally move on with their lives.