The Say Communications Award for Excellence in Integrated Product/Brand Communications

Summary of work

Respimat is the only inhaler to use mist, which helps medication to penetrate the lungs. Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) sought to raise awareness of Respimat among physicians and people living with asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by promoting mist’s unique, health-giving properties.

The campaign had to overcome the perception of inhalers as commodities. Creating a passionate fan base in a saturated market would require careful thought.

A creative concept was developed around powerful properties of mist. The team discovered that mist has an important role in sustaining life in nature. Three examples stood out: redwood trees absorb mist from their canopies; Golden Orb-weaver spiders use mist to strengthen their webs; and Tok Tokkie beetles need mist to survive in the desert.

Three videos - selected to appeal to Respimat’s 40+ audiences - were produced using striking imagery and soothing music. The concept was designed into GIFs, Flipagrams and stills for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Paid activity helped to amplify reach.

940,000 users watched the videos in target geographic markets, while 220,000 views were achieved over Facebook and 2,300 over YouTube. Additionally, BI saw a 46% rise in share of voice on Twitter, 3,000 engagements and a 14% spike in global conversations about mist.

Judges' comments

This submission showed genuine insight that was applied to every element of the programme, which included strong feedback from stakeholders and interesting, thoughtful content. It exceeded what it set out to do and did so in such a way as to effectively dissolve the apathy too often associated with asthma.