Speaking to chemotherapy patients requires empathy, honesty and above all, authenticity. So when the Ortho-Biotech division of Johnson &Johnson asked us to launch Procrit, a drug that helps chemotherapy patients overcome the extreme fatigue from chemo-induced anemia, the challenge was to create a compelling voice that would motivate the target to have a the right conversation with their oncologists.

“From the Heart” was revolutionary. It was one of the first TV commercials to use the voice and perspective of a cancer patient, not a physician. Shot by legendary director Leslie Dektor, it was produced with the kind of production values that at the time were reserved only for mainstream advertising.

Results: A classic that has influenced hundreds of DTC campaigns, this launch work helped build Procrit into Johnson & Johnson’s largest-selling prescription drug, winning the J&J Bellringer Award for best campaign.

The launch of Centocor/Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade was big news. A first-of-its-kind biologic drug for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Remicade treated the underlying cause of this autoimmune condition and made real remission possible.

In developing Remicade’s first DTC campaign for RA, we needed to find a unique way to connect with patients everywhere. Our campaign, with compelling insights gleaned from ethnographic research, reflected a deep understanding of the progressive nature of RA, and how patients viewed the timeline of this disease as a constant series of tradeoffs.

Results: The campaign was so successful that by the end of the brand’s launch year, Remicade had won the J&J’s coveted Bellringer award for sales and creative excellence.