OZURDEX Campaigns
Ozurdex is a prescription medicine that is an implant injected into the eye (vitreous) and used to treat adults with diabetic macular edema, and also used to treat adults with noninfectious inflammation of the uvea (uveitis) affecting the back segment of the eye. These are diseases that can lead
to blindness.
Ozurdex is the most used steroid on the market for DME but
is used as a second line therapy behind first line treatment of anti-VEGFs or anti vascular endothelial growth factor. These drugs work by stopping a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) produced by cells in the retina from working. New blood vessel growth is a major problem which occurs in a number of eye conditions.
One major reason Ozurdex is used second line is it's safety profile. Ozurdex can cause cataracts in some patients; therefore, physicians tend to use it as a second line therapy behind a line of drugs called anti-VEGFs. Anti-VEGFs work for a short time, but not long term. This is when the need for Ozurdex comes in, to prevent patients facing serious issues such as blindness.
One major challenge in marketing Ozurdex was making room for the lengthy safety profile information mandated by the FDA on sales and marketing materials.
Building a brand
2013
2015
2018
2013 Campaign
I inherited this campaign which visually was based off an M.C. Escher idea with the headline "see DME differently." The call to action was for phyicians to see a different perspective to treating DME and change their approach.
2015 Campaign
New data from a 3-year study showed that Ozurdex sustained clinically significant vision improvements where the anti-VEGF products plateaued and stopped increasing visual acuity in their patients. A new marketing campaign was created to communicate this message.
The initial concept that was selected by the client and went into testing lacked depth and the visual acuity story. It wasn't resonating with physicians in testing.
I took over the brand and co-led a team of 7 to develop this new marketing strategy and campaign to re-brand the retina eye care brand.
With a CGI team and a well-known photographer we created a visual that now resonated with the physicians and the client.
The result - growing marketshare from a -1.4% in sales to a 10.4% growth. The new campaign drove demand and net revenues in 2017 increasing 15.8% from the prior year to $24.9 million.
Before
After
Look and Design considerations
The re-branding of the campaign extended into updated colors, typography, tables, charts and graphs. The new design approach included straightforward linear design in the tables, charts and graphs. The primary campaign imagery was used on each page, reinforcing the brand message.
Infographics were designed and used to create more visual interest throughout the sales aid.
Before
After
Before
After
2018 Campaign
With Ozurdex going generic in two years and with sales increasing, it was time for a brand refresh.
Across all three indications, the marketing message was to rescue your patients from stalled vision. The standard course of therapy has always been 3 rounds of an anti-VEGF. Ozurdex would be the 4th and possibly the last regimen needed to rescue patients.
After two failed rounds of creative pitches trying to make the creative leap that Ozurdex second line was your partner
in crime, I was enlisted with my copy partner for round 3.
We hit a home-run. With the tagline of "treat early with Ozurdex," supported by calling on a hero to rescue, the connection was made. We took the approach of branding the sales call. The 3 red doors represented inflammation
and failed courses of therapy by anti-VEGFs. Door number
4 revealed the hero, a branded Ozurdex firetruck.
This campaign is a huge success for the client and it's
sales force.
