Category: Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages
Advertiser: PFIZER
Product/Service: VIAGRA
Agency: RAPP
Chief Creative Officer: Marty Cooke (RAPP)
Group Creative Director: Bryan Gaffin (RAPP)
Group Planning Director: Matt Baker (RAPP)
Client Partner: Alex Davison (RAPP)
Director: Michael Epstein (Skunk Partners)
Senior Producer: Tira Grey (Skunk Partners)
Group Account Director: Sam Henning (RAPP)
Content Strategist: Jennifer Machiaverna (RAPP)
Executive Producer: Roshan Shah (RAPP)
Flash Developer: Lance Massey (RAPP)
Senior Producer: Joseph Murphey (RAPP)
Creative Director - Experience Design: Chris Worley (RAPP)
Flash Developer: Corey Brown (RAPP)
Copywriter: Elie Yudewitz (RAPP)
Associate Creative Director: Elaine Park (RAPP)
Media placement: YouTube Site - Online - August 2011
Describe the brief/objective of the direct campaign.
Viagra is the most counterfeited drug in America, and counterfeit pills are sold online by thousands of websites posing as legitimate pharmacies. Most people who buy from these sites often have no idea they’re buying potentially dangerous fakes. Pfizer’s objective was to change their behaviour — to get men who are looking to purchase Viagra online to buy from safe, accredited pharmacies.
The strategy was threefold:
1) Intercept – Be present where men are looking to buy
2) Enlighten – Show them that so-called online ‘pharmacies’ aren’t always what they seem
3) Redirect – Send them to legitimate purchase channels
Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective with reference to the projected response rates and desired outcome.
To raise awareness of this problem, Pfizer partnered with an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker to expose the truth about illegitimate manufacturers and fake pharmacies — criminals who run them, potentially dangerous ingredients they use and investigators who help take them down. Through videos and a series of interactive experiences, men get glimpses into an underground network of illegal counterfeiting. The desired response was engagement and consumption of the video and interactive content to combat the lack of awareness of counterfeit medications. The goal was to drive online buyers to view or interact with the content instead of that of counterfeiters’.
Explain why the creative execution was relevant to the product or service.
This kind of business problem usually leads to a public service announcement — a generic message by a doctor or public official warning people about the dangers of counterfeit medicines. But PSAs are often ignored because they don’t create personal relevance. So the idea was to shift the perspective. Rather than a PSA, a documentary telling a straight, hard-hitting story could create genuine intrigue and engage the audience. This content and creative approach embodies the Viagra brand platform — ‘The Age of Taking Action’. It speaks to men who are confident, genuine and tell it like it is.
Describe the results in as much detail as possible with particular reference to the RESPONSE of the target audience including deliverability statistics, response rates, click throughs, sales cost per response, relationships built and overall return on investment.
To date, the campaign has far exceeded its goals for traffic and consumption of video content. In the first 4 months, the campaign was mentioned on hundreds of local and national news outlets, reaching an estimated 200+m views; the YouTube channel received over 1m channel views (400% above goal); and the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) website saw a 69% increase in traffic. Additionally, a campaign intercept survey revealed sharp positive changes in awareness of illegitimate online pharmacies and their potential dangers.