Finalist
Flo.
Summary of work
One in three women in the UK experience heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), yet it remains a taboo topic and something that women are often told to put up with, even though medical treatments exist. Research conducted by Bayer, the manufacturer of Mirena IUD, revealed that the condition was having a serious impact on women’s lives, so it was time to open up the conversation and ultimately persuade sufferers to go see their GP for help.
Having thoroughly researched the target audience and understood how to best reach out to them, Virgo Health presented a ‘social media pharma first’ with the creation of Flo., a magazine-style publisher on Facebook. Virgo’s digital team produced a breakthrough video, The Period Trifle, which used a compelling blend of humour and empathy, to launch the campaign to raise awareness of HMB. A series of additional content followed and the social media results were phenomenal for an unknown publisher – surpassing all industry benchmarks – and the engagement levels were beyond all expectation for such a taboo topic.
Flo. is bold and brave. While pharma is traditionally cautious when it comes to social media, this campaign proves that a well-thought-out risk can most certainly pay off.
Judges’ comments
Virgo and Bayer’s Flo project is a taboo-busting campaign that grabbed the attention of its audience through well-executed social media.
