This was an internal campaign aimed at Gilenya European team

Gilenya, a multiple sclerosis (MS) drug, was reaching an important patient milestone in Europe.

To help inspire the wider MS team and help them understand more about MS, we were asked by Novartis to create an email series.

We instead suggested creating a platform of inspiration, led by an amazing individual – MS Paralympian Stephanie Millward.

Our aim was to educate and inspire the entire European network (>20 countries), helping them to understand more about the MS patient. The campaign was called Inspiring Change. We launched Inspiring Change internally using teaser/launch emails, campaign wristbands and a moving video featuring our inspirational leader – directing affiliates to a central microsite.

Once there, they could ask Stephanie questions about her journey; share inspirational MS pictures/videos; see how many patients they had helped with Gilenya; and show solidarity through wristband selfies.

The campaign inspired Europe whilst also reaching our patient milestone.

Our target audience was the internal European multiple sclerosis (MS) team. Because of their busy lifestyles, the campaign needed to be relevant and interesting for them to engage with it. Furthermore, with English being a second language for most of our audience the campaign had to show unity in a visual way and it would need to be launched in a format that would support easy localisation.

Our campaign objectives:

• Inspire, motivate and educate the European-wide MS team about MS

• Unite the European-wide MS team

• Reach our patient milestone

Each locality had their own Inspiring Change leader who launched the campaign internally. Html emails allowed for simple localisation.

An email from Stephanie launched the campaign with her video at its heart; directing users to our centralised microsite.

Over six months, engagement was maintained through regular emails, further inspirational videos and notifications of website updates.

Website updates:

• Inspirational content sharing – user generated

• Wristband selfies – user generated

• Stephanie Q&A – periodical

• Patient leaderboard – monthly

We ambitiously decided to unite the whole of Europe on one website – something Novartis has never done before. With Stephanie’s story at the campaign’s heart it allowed us to inspire, engage, educate and motivate.

The creative utilised Stephanie’s world. From video-based swimming website backgrounds, water sounds and a logo inspired by swimming lanes, Stephanie’s story touched every part of this successful multiple sclerosis awareness campaign.

A campaign of this size required immense planning. We had to decide how the campaign would be launched across multiple markets and how to maintain engagement. We also considered content localisation and how to unite Europe through visual tactics.

The creative was executed with simple copy and the art direction was centred on bringing Stephanie’s world to life. From a microsite background with video footage of Stephanie swimming and swimming lane inspired logo, all creative was influenced by our target and Stephanie’s story.

We increased awareness of multiple sclerosis and inspired them to achieve more, by reaching our patient milestone.

Novartis wanted their European-wide Multiple Sclerosis (MS) team (>20 countries) to understand more about MS and to unite as one team against the condition. As Novartis was nearing an important milestone with Gilenya, they wanted to capitalise on this and use it as a stimulus for patient-based discussion and inspiration.

This led to an opportunity to educate their MS team, helping them to better identify with patients with MS.