Contrave, a medication for treating obesity, needed to carve out a presence in a market where well-established and more widely recognized players prevailed among health care professionals, at a time when obesity had just been classified as a chronic disease by Health Canada.

In order to increase the product’s visibility, we had to encourage health care professionals to rethink their prescribing habits, raise awareness among individuals affected by obesity and challenge deep-rooted prejudices. All of this had to be done while complying with the strict rules governing drug advertising, which prohibit associating the condition or illness with the drug.

The success of the first message of the campaign (2022) relies on its intriguing nature, an effective way to capture people’s attention. With a compassionate and empathetic tone, the scene presents a patient in a medical consultation who breaks the fourth wall to invite us to talk to our doctor about Contrave.

Since the first execution of the campaign, the context surrounding weight loss has changed significantly. Discussions are now much more open, and treatment options are better known by the general public. By using a lighter tone, the new campaign (2024) aligns with this reality while preserving its conceptual approach, which relies on intrigue to promote the solution.

During and after airing, a clear increase in prescriptions was recorded, underlining the positive effect of the campaign.