CHRIS STRONG | DIRECTION | CREATIVE DIRECTION
OAB, like many other health conditions, encroaches steadily on people, insidiously becoming ‘part of life’ or ‘something to live with’, rather than a condition worth investigating. However, unlike many other conditions, it is not a matter of life and death.
Myself and the team at The Good Ideas Group wanted to change attitudes with a creative campaign that unmistakably showed the ‘absurdity’ of lifestyle adaptions, conforming and accepting the restrictions OAB places on life, ultimately encouraging people to push for better.
We developed a creative film using humour as a means of cutting through people's ‘acclimatised’ mindsets and encouraging behaviour change. The film followed a day in the life of a professional woman with a novel, surreal, way to deal with her OAB; everywhere she goes, a portable toilet follows her, towed by a genial porter. Each vignette reflected genuine moments of OAB urgency; commuting, presenting at work, walking in the park etc. The film’s narrative was used throughout the campaign, which includes tactics such as Google display ads, Google search ads, Facebook ads, out-of-home posters in service stations and All4 static pause ads.
To avoid audience fatigue, we refreshed our digital ad content four times within a period of 6 months, building on previous learnings to optimise our content and ensure engagement was always prioritised. To reach the full spectrum of patients, individual ads focused on each of the key OAB symptoms. We implemented targeting by age, location, topics of interest and frequently searched keywords, throughout our campaign. Our dissemination tactics, including the creatives and copy, were fine-tuned and updated throughout the campaign with insights from previous learnings.
Shoot challenges included a schedule that required; a shoot in the UK in January (cold, dark, wet); manufacturing a mobile Portaloo; filming nine locations in two days with six hours of usable light. Crew and cast were briefed carefully to ensure their flexibility and goodwill, which proved valuable when production was shifted back a week with two days’ notice to avoid a forecasted snowstorm.
Innovation on a production level for this project was old-school. We created the central prop by purchasing and assembling a real Portaloo, stripping out all unnecessary parts (including the loo), and experimenting with multiple means of conveyance, a palette jack proving the most effective, in tandem with Velcro-tape and cable ties. Testing was extensive so the shoot could be conducted safely and to schedule. Despite a limited budget, key scenes of movement were rehearsed ahead of time to ensure no time was lost on the shoot.
In this way, an expansive, ambitious shoot was completed on schedule.
It was received to great success and went on to win many awards…
2 x GOLD PM Society Awards, and 1 x SILVER PM Society Award, as well as an Audience Honour at the Shorty’s in the USA.
Client: Astellas
Agency: The Good Ideas Group
Director: Chris Strong
DOP: Oliver Schofield
Writer, Producer at The Good Ideas Group: Tim Gomersall
Producer at The Good Ideas Group: Robin Whitten
Producer & Casting at The Good Ideas Group: Salena Katiyar
Camera at The Good Ideas Group: Jake Humbles
Campaign Signatory at Astellas Pharma: Cathie Barnes
Medical Signatory at Astellas Pharma: Rory Buchan
Pharmacovigilance Manger at Astellas Pharma: Ana Jorge
Legal Lead at Astellas Pharma: Rosie Janaway
Legal Manager at Astellas Pharma: Loriane Colombo O'Brien
Campaign Manager at Astellas Pharma: Sarah Baker
Campaign Lead at Astellas Pharma: Hugh Adams
Director at Anthem PR: Charlotte Maule
Senior Account Manager at Anthem PR: Ellie Duncombe
Senior Account Manager at Anthem PR: Jack Panton
Account Executive at Anthem PR: Sarah Woodburn
Social Media Lead at Anthem PR: Louis De Rivoire