In 2024, the pharmaceutical landscape in Ukraine changed dramatically. Economic uncertainty and ongoing stress reshaped how people approached their health — many stopped focusing on prevention and began using medication only after illness struck. As the market evolved, Gripp-Heel needed a new narrative — one that positioned preventive care as a daily habit rather than a one-time action.
Gripp-Heel is an over-the-counter medicine by Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH (Heel) used to treat flu-like symptoms and support the body’s immune response.
Our campaign helped audiences see prevention as part of everyday life. Our goal was to raise awareness, build trust, and strengthen the emotional connection with the target audience — ultimately driving seasonal sales. Here’s how we made it happen.
Strategic Approach and Objectives
The core strategy was to strengthen brand visibility during the peak flu season. We built the marketing campaign narrative on a balance of emotional storytelling and rational benefits — while ensuring every asset stayed fully compliant with pharma advertising standards.
Campaign objectives:
- Increase brand awareness during the competitive season
- Reframe Gripp-Heel from a symptom-relief product to a daily well-being solution
- Encourage prevention as an everyday habit
- Build trust and emotional resonance to strengthen brand affinity
- Drive measurable sales impact during the peak period
Our creative idea centered around the metaphor of a “health puzzle,” where each piece symbolized a small act of daily care that contributes to overall well-being. This concept became the foundation of the brand’s long-term communication strategy.
Media Mix and Implementation
The campaign ran in two seasonal waves — early autumn and winter — aligning with typical peaks of cold and flu activity.
Media channels used:
- YouTube & OTT platforms. We told emotional stories through 30-second videos and 6-second bumpers, tailoring each creative to audience behavior.
- Banner ads via DV360 and Fusify. This helped us reach relevant audiences through contextual and behavioral targeting.
- Health and family websites. By being present on leading dedicated platforms, the campaign connected naturally with audiences who had already shown interest in treatment and prevention.
- Social Media (Meta). We provided precision targeting using verified audience segments based on health-related interests and behavior.
Throughout the campaign, we closely monitored ad frequency and audience response, regularly updating creatives and messaging to sustain engagement and performance.
Creative Execution
We brought the strategy to life through:
- Seamlessly integrated brand communication without overt advertising
- Warm, empathy-driven visuals with expressive gestures and authentic eye contact
- A strictly positive tone — avoiding scenes of illness or product consumption
- A minimalist production style that focused on story and insight over effects
The “health puzzle” metaphor unified every touchpoint — video, banners, and social media ads — creating a cohesive, recognizable campaign that scaled seamlessly across both periods.
Results
We achieved both brand and business objectives:
- Increased brand awareness. 15.1M video views (70% from long-form formats) proved strong engagement and interest.
- Reframed brand perception. CTR exceeded industry benchmarks by 15%, highlighting message relevance and targeting accuracy.
- Strengthened brand trust. High volumes of positive interaction — comments, shares, saves — reflected a genuine emotional response.
- Drove seasonal demand. Sales rose 6% in the 2024 season (vs. 2023) and 40% in Jan–Feb 2025 (vs. the same period in 2024).
- Delivered on-target reach. The campaign reached over 2.6 million unique users within defined segments, minimizing waste and overlap.
Key Takeaway
We proved that smart strategy and strong creativity matter more than big budgets.
By combining insight, consistency, and empathy, we created a cohesive and effective campaign that felt natural to the audience — and delivered real business results.
Let’s build a solution that drives growth — from strategy to analytics.
