Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards - 2024

Campaign: Shine a Light on Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Agency/Firm: Rise & Run, an IPG Health Company and IPG PR
Client: Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a relatively common skin disease, affecting as many as 1 percent of people worldwide. But it is rarely talked about and understood by patients and non-patients alike, and therefore rarely diagnosed.

In order to spread awareness of HS and encourage those with symptoms to see doctors, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and agency Rise & Run launched a campaign across numerous touchpoints all driving to a microsite, where people could learn more about HS, take a quiz and quickly find a dermatologist if deemed necessary. The effort, dubbed “Shine A Light on Hidradenitis Suppurativa,” is the gold winner of Integrated Campaign of the Year, Suppliers/Vendors/Pharmaceutical Companies.

“Shine A Light” activated placements on all major social media platforms, as well as several streaming destinations. But perhaps its deepest impact came from the campaign’s many testimonials, including from influencers at an organized summit and patients featured in a docuseries called “The Beacons.”

The overall effort garnered significant attention in the media, as well as drove 4 million unique visitors to the microsite, the agency said. Most importantly, it helped diagnose 5,000 patients with HS within six months — a necessary first step on the path to effective treatment.