It’s two simple steps that could save a life – that’s the straightforward message Pfizer Canada wants to convey in a new educational ad campaign for EpiPen auto-injectors, used for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.
Narrated by a young girl, the ad by Ogilvy CommonHealth Toronto shows a range of people demonstrating how easy the product is to use. The spot, running in print and digitally too, features on-screen graphics illustrating how the medical device works.
Food allergy is a growing public health issue in Canada with approximately 2.5 million people affected by at least one food allergy.
According to Manon Genin, manager of corporate communications at Pfizer, the medical firm is committed to educating Canadians about anaphylaxis and its EpiPen product.
“The objective of this campaign is to highlight the ‘2 simple steps’ of EpiPen to help all Canadians be more comfortable in the event they ever need to use it on themselves or someone else,” she said.
Pfizer’s main competitor in the Canadian market for this product is Sanofi. The two companies are now battling it out to be the go-to epinephrine injector for food allergies.
Awareness around the issue has increased hugely since 2005 when Sabrina’s Law legislation was introduced, named after an Ontario girl who died in 2003 after accidentally eating food that contained dairy.
Industry research shows many people still aren’t aware how to use auto-injectors properly – likely why the firms are competing to make their product the easiest to use. Sanofi last year launched a voice-activated product called Allerject, marketing it as the “first and only talking auto-injector” that guides patients and caregivers through the injection process “step-by-step, calmly and efficiently.”
Sanofi Canada also joined Anaphalaxis Canada’s corporate partners program last year, of which Pfizer is also a member.
This is not the first time Pfizer Canada has executed a national direct-to-consumer campaign to assist in this mission. The firm carried out a national campaign in both 2012 and 2013 with a different creative execution, but the same message – being prepared if a reaction occurs.
Pfizer is also sponsoring race car driver Alex Tagliani’s car in the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series for the second year running. Tagliani, who has a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, works with Pfizer and Anaphylaxis Canada to raise awareness about the issue through a program called the “Summer of TAG (Treating Allergies with Genuine care),” also in its second year.
As part of the initiative, Tagliani is set to visit school students in Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton to talk to students about anaphylaxis management. Dates of those visits will be announced soon on summeroftag.com.
