The Campaign

The 2 minute drama employs a narrative based on two market insights; that Japanese patients are uncomfortable taking up their GPs time with their complaints, and that Japanese GPs worry they are not doing enough to help their patients. The doctor protagonist is an idealist and feels that one of his patients may not be getting the best healthcare. He’s unable to pinpoint his concerns until a conversation with his daughter - a junior pharmacist. She tells him about a customer with diabetes who has awful pain in his knees but is unwilling to burden his doctor with complaints. The doctor connects this story with his patient’s pain and he makes sure to question him at the next visit. Sure enough, the doctor finds the patient has pain in his knees and is able to prescribe him Celecox. Supporting data is introduced throughout the story to reinforce the message.

Creative Execution

Instead of the typical data-driven video, we developed & produced a short drama to inspire doctors to improve their pain treatment. The video was placed on Pfizer’s member-only site for doctors along. It was placed at the top of the Celecox page, so doctors could view the video and then get more information on prescribing Celecox and how to better treat patients who exhibit symptoms of chronic pain. The video has been online since July 1, 2016. The video is also shown at promotional seminars held by Pfizer for target doctors throughout the country.

Both doctors and Pfizer appreciated having interesting content that was different the standard data-driven promotion and that reached people at an emotional level. The video successfully reached doctors online and provided a dramatic start to local promotional seminars. The video supported Celecox’s leading position in the NSAID market with sales growing during the campaign. Over 15% of doctors viewing the video stated that it led to an increased intention to prescribe Celecox, a successful result for the brand and client.

Our Celecox video takes patient and physician insights and employs a television drama-like narrative so that target physicians can recognize their own practice in that of the physician protagonist. This work is important as it seeks to reach the target physicians at an emotional level, in addition to the standard approach of data-driven promotion.

Based on survey data showing 48% of patients don’t want to bother their doctors with too many complaints and 40% of patients saying treatment decisions should be left to doctors, our video encourages doctors to initiate the discussion with their patients about possible issues with pain and treatment options leading to increased prescriptions of the brand.