The Say Communications Award for Excellence in Product Communications

Summary of work

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) tasked OgilvyHealth PR with maximising the impact of the European approval of Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) to ensure that customers around the world realised the treatment’s true potential, enabling people living with atrial fibrillation (AF) to benefit from this innovative product.

The launch story: overhauling the current model of care and closing a 60-year gap in therapeutic innovation. A comprehensive media campaign was launched, targeting potential prescribers, involving 16 country affiliates, and a high-profile European launch press event prior to local roll out. The embargoed event attracted 55 EU journalists, with coverage reaching in excess of nine million people on the first day alone.

Judges comments

In a short space of time, this team achieved a lot against high expectations. The campaign achieved enormous output in terms of coverage through strong creative ideas.

Stakeholder comments

Associate director: Global projects, which bring numerous countries together, can be notoriously difficult, given individual country aims and launch timelines. This approach succeeded in mobilising our colleagues to deliver the widespread coverage befitting the positive shift in care, which dabigatran etexilate provides to healthcare professional and patients alike.