Highly commended
Code Red: Switch Up on Sickle
by Novartis with support from Havas Life Medicom
Summary of work
Primarily affecting people from African and/or Caribbean backgrounds, approximately 15,000 people live with sickle cell disorder (SCD) in the UK today. Yet despite being extremely painful and life-limiting, as well as one of the fastest growing genetic conditions in the country, SCD has been consistently under-researched with a lack of new treatment options. Patients also report a high degree of stigma stemming from the use of opioid pain medication, leading to those presenting at A&E sometimes being incorrectly labelled as ‘drug seeking.’
Our challenge was to launch an influential campaign that would resonate with a hard-to-reach patient community, in a rare disease area, that lack trust in the healthcare system while at the same time educating the wider public about a condition that has a low profile.
After decades of neglect, giving a voice to this underserved patient-community and building trust between patients and the health service became central to our strategic thinking. By placing our patient ambassadors centre stage through powerful portrait photography, accompanied by inspirational, real-life accounts, we share unique insights into the reality of living with SCD.
Judges’ comments
The Code Red Switch Up on Sickle was a powerful entry. It had strong evidence of how deep insights are gathered, with strong measurements of success. Robust strategy and execution, good quantifiable data, and a very positive response.
