The situation
The marketplace for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis treatment is a crowded one. As the ninth biologic to reach the market, the ILUMYA campaign needed to break through the sea of sameness and grab people’s attention. We needed to take a very different approach than all of the competing brands, so we showed empathy.
The insight
We conducted a survey asking hundreds of patients with psoriasis how their disease has impacted their lives. We discovered that the condition affects all aspects of their lives, from diet to dating, from working out to work life. While proper medication is an important part of the equation, our research showed us that patients will go to extreme measures to find relief. They often turn to online sources for all sorts of off-the-wall tips, tricks, and advice.
The solution
Inspired by what we learned, we created a Facebook video series called PsoriasTips to help patients face their symptoms with confidence. Infused with a humorous and down-to-earth tone, these short-form, social-first videos offer suggestions on how to live more comfortably—showing that a head-scratcher of an idea actually may be able to tame that itch.
Our goal here was to connect with patients no matter where they were on their journey with ILUMYA. We wanted to show that we were there to support them in ways that they didn’t think possible by offering up “psoriasis hacks.”
The results
ILUMYA is the only brand to have built a meaningful online community of psoriasis sufferers, sharing tips for managing flares, conveying how they cope with stress, responding to questions and concerns of other community members, and revealing their ILUMYA success stories. We successfully launched the first Facebook page in the market, allowing users to share their stories and successes and to find the support they need for a clearer tomorrow.