THE CHALLENGE

Generally speaking, it is impossible to know what’s it’s like to have AD unless you have the condition. We created the next best thing – an experience that would create a real-world simulation of what someone living with AD lives through, day in and day out. We built The World’s Most Uncomfortable Bed based on the real-life experience of Canadians living with AD, and their accounts of what a night for them feels like. The multi-sensory sleep experience included pillows and linens created out of very uncomfortable material (burlap), a specially constructed mattress complete with heat controls and bumps and divots, and finally, a device that interrupted REM sleep with intermittent hot flashes.

THE STRATEGY

We created and executed a “multi-touchpoint strategy” to reach our audiences through shareable, multimedia content across several platforms (housed on an existing website, as well as Facebook and YouTube), in addition to an earned media campaign. Having multiple touchpoints, allowed for more opportunities to increase the conversation around AD, while positioning Sanofi as a leader with a new treatment option in the Canadian AD market. We also worked closely with patient advocacy groups to ensure relevancy for our target audiences.

THE EXECUTION

We placed our bed in a specially designed room at the Gladstone Hotel, one of Toronto’s top boutique hotels. Everything about the room was meant to encourage itching, from the framed photographs on the wall showing close-ups of individuals with rashes to the custom-made sisal lampshades. Then, for an entire month, we invited those closest to Atopic Dermatitis sufferers as well as a select group of influencers to spend a night. Each individual’s entire experience was documented with night vision cameras, enabling us to share the results with the general public.

THE OUTCOME