FACT FASHION -TAKE OFF THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, WEAR THE HIDDEN FACTS.-

Short List
TitleFACT FASHION -TAKE OFF THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, WEAR THE HIDDEN FACTS.-
BrandJANSSEN PHARMACEUTIACAL K.K.
Product / ServiceFACT FASHION
CategoryE03. Disease Awareness & Understanding
EntrantOZMA PR Chiyoda, JAPAN
Idea Creation OZMA PR Chiyoda, JAPAN
PR OZMA PR Chiyoda, JAPAN
Production OZMA PR Chiyoda, JAPAN
Production 2 ZEAL ASSOCIATE CORP Tokyo, JAPAN
Production 3 MIGHTY MYT, INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Production 4 SHIFTBRAIN Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Koshiro Nomura OZMA PR Inc. executive Producer / Senior PR Director
Yui Hidaka OZMA PR Inc. PR Director
Takumi Igarashi OZMA PR Inc. PR Director
Miku Aono OZMA PR Inc. PR Planner
Yuko Tsushima OZMA PR Inc. PR Planner
Haruka Fujisawa REBIRTH PROJECT Co.Ltd. Product Director
Katsuki Shimizu REBIRTH PROJECT Co.Ltd. Product Director
Masahiro Onaka brains Inc. Designer
Yu Kisami free-lance Producer
Takahiko Watanabe free-lance Director
Fumiya Ota ZEAL Associate Corp Producer
Miyuu Hirota ZEAL Associate Corp Producer
Hidetoshi Ninomiya ZEAL Associate Corp Event Director
Rei Koizumi ZEAL Associate Corp Art Design & Art Production
Haruka Yamamoto BESPOKE JAM Stage Director
Takashi Hino BESPOKE JAM Stage Director
Kazuhisa Tsukada RADIX Corporation Technical Director
Yumi Yamashita MAD TUNE DESIGN Graphic Designer
Yu Zeniya free-lance Copywriter

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Despite the dramatic advances in treatments, many psoriasis patients fail to take them. We found that mental worries and stress are barriers to receiving, and about 70% of patients have worries about their clothes in their daily lives. We developed a brand that solves the physical and mental problems of patients with an apparel brand. We aim to make the patient more positive about treatment by easing their concerns about clothing, and also to create a society where patients can live comfortably by spreading the correct recognition and understanding of psoriasis through a familiar fashion to everyone.

Describe any restrictions or regulations regarding Healthcare/RX/Pharma communications in your country/region including:

It is prohibited to advertise prescription treatment of pharmaceutical brands except for medical journals which publish medical or pharmaceutical articles meant for HCPs.

Describe the target audience and why your work is relevant to them.

We targeted to engage and educate the general public. Our project increased media and public understanding of psoriasis and created immersive experiences to help the public visualize and empathize with its devastating impact.

Background

Japan is where stigma of PSORIASIS, a skin condition that causes painful raised plaques, is one of the most critical in the world. Those affected commonly experience discrimination due to the misconception that psoriasis is a cosmetic and contagious condition. The latter is reinforced by the Japanese word for psoriasis (kansen), which also means contagious. This social stigma has a devastating impact on the mental wellbeing of those affected, leading many to isolate themselves and avoid social interactions. It also limits patients to seek support, as only 7% of them are in optimal treatment. In paying particular attention to patients’ emotional burden as barriers to treatment, it was revealed that 70% of them had troubles around clothing. Janssen identified an opportunity to not only fulfill these unmet needs but also to change the way psoriasis is perceived and demonstrate its leadership to engage and educate the general public.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

FACT FASHION is the world’s first clothing line developed by a pharmaceutical company. To ensure that our clothes were both fashionable and fulfilled the unmet needs of patients, we convened an expert steering group consisting of a fashion brand, patient group INSPIRE JAPAN and the Japanese Society for Psoriasis Research. We launched the FACT FASHION label under the comms platform ‘Take off the misunderstandings, wear the hidden facts’, to help dispel common psoriasis myths. The clothes were showcased at a specially designed ‘FACT FASHION Laboratory’, where patients and media were invited to try the clothes, provide feedback to fine-tune design, and find out more about psoriasis. This project also involved a trend-setting fashion magazine VOGUE, normalizing “the inclusion of people with sensitive skin” as the latest movement in the fashion industry with its influencers.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

FACT FASHION was based on deep insights that patients bear a significant physical and emotional burden due to a lack of availability of fashionable clothing that are comfortable, functional and do not aggravate physical psoriasis symptoms. Many viewed clothes simply as a way to hide their symptoms, and not an enjoyable form of self-expression. Published research amongst psoriasis patients in Japan also revealed: ・71% of patients get stressed when people stare at their skin, meaning many styles are unappealing to them (e.g. short sleeves) ・45% worry about stains on their clothes from oil-based skin medications ・39% are upset by limited clothing options We targeted to empower patients and increase their self-esteem by partnering with a fashion brand to develop a clothing line designed by patients for patients, leveraging it as a platform to reveal the hidden facts about the disease and dispel stigma.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

We organized the framework of the project to appeal the merits of participation beyond the barriers of different industries, negotiated with fashion brands for development and sales, and built consensus within Janssen across other departments globally over a period of two years in order to clear the regulations surrounding pharmaceutical companies. Under the guidance of the FACT FASHION steering group, interviews and discussions were held with patient groups and dermatologists throughout Japan collecting FACTs, and prototypes were developed and commercialized with psoriasis-friendly features including oil-resistant materials, loose, comfortable fits, and non-itchy textures. We collaborated with VOGUE, an influential magazine in the fashion industry, and held a "FACT FASHION" launch event. The event was attended by models and designers who sympathized with the project. On the same day, the fashion brand started to sell the products online. They were also available at Tsutaya, a cultural concept store.

List the results (30% of vote)

・Broadcast, print and digital media reached over 100 million people with educational disease messages about psoriasis ・By involving a fashion brand, the topic of psoriasis has spread through fashion and lifestyle media reaching general consumers, which were previously unreachable. ・90% of psoriasis patients sympathize with the developed product. An online community of patients has emerged from this product, and it has become a place for patients to actively discuss and share treatment information. ・Patients’ concerns (FACTs) collected through the project are now used as data for the common issue of sensitive skin. A new collection of products is scheduled to be launched next spring at Japan's largest fashion company that is popular among young people. ・Achieved the No.1 share of new patient acquisition (biologics) by gaining positive evaluations from doctors and patients that led to sales. (Market growth: approx. 115% vs. 2019)

Links

Website URL   |   Website URL