Hard backbreaking work

 
Pharma The Swiss Advertising Agency is presenting Sandoz mineral products in a new light with a new campaign.  
Many people in Switzerland suffer from calcium and magnesium deficiency and are not even aware of it. Sandoz's current advertising campaign, created by the Zurich advertising agency, is intended to draw attention to this problem throughout Switzerland. "Not with a warning finger and not in the usual way for pharmaceutical advertising", as strategist Reto Dürrenberger explains.the advertising agency's communication is based on three phases. First, strategically with a TV commercial. It could just as easily be a scene from "The Mummy" or "Indiana Jones". And perhaps quite cleverly, because the latter is currently in theaters with a new film. In any case, the story in the commercial has interesting echoes: A pair of explorers are on a treasure hunt. The scene shows how the scientist and adventurer, accompanied by his assistant, steps into an old burial chamber. Here he has finally arrived at the destination of his dreams. A golden sarcophagus lies before them. However, the explorers are startled out of it by a skeleton that has come to life. Fortunately for the adventurers, however, the skeleton suffers from a calcium deficiency: the bone structure crumbles to dust before it can become really dangerous.
This cinematic parody "quite courageously" shows what the consequences of calcium deficiency have been since ancient times, namely brittle bones.
 
 

Michael Steiner was recruited to realize this elaborate production by Peek GmbH. The director of feature films such as "Grounding" and "Mein Name ist Eugen" has his office just one floor above the advertising agency's offices. While this may have saved a little on travel expenses for the PPM, the film was otherwise made with a rather elaborate trowel. For over a week, a burial chamber was set up in the studio in Uster that looked like a large movie theater. Filming took two to three days. In addition, sophisticated animations were created in London's Elephant Studios.
The film is followed by a tactical level in the campaign. Here, the individual product benefits of Sandoz mineral products are highlighted with the usual clarity, honesty and focus on "The Product is the Hero". To this end, the team led by CD Sarah Hiltebrand designed market segment-specific advertisements and internet banners. These are aimed specifically at people who suffer most from calcium and magnesium deficiency. In a third level, the evidence is finally provided on the specially created website with a calcium and magnesium test. This automatically takes you to the relevant information pages
The Sandoz range is also communicated in an integrated manner at the POS. The mineral products have only been part of the Sandoz range since January 2008. Before that, the mineral products were still part of Novartis. The advertising agency has been working for Sandoz for three years. In the first campaigns, the advertisers "paid into the branding account", as Dürrenberger says. This work in a style that was previously unfamiliar and unconventional for pharmaceuticals has now helped Sandoz to achieve market leadership in the generics market, as Robin Koenig, Head of Marketing & Branding at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, is pleased to report. The advertising agency was also delighted to win the Marketing Trophy this year with its ideas for Sandoz. As a result of this success, the Swiss advertising agency has now also been asked for adaptations in other Sandoz countries. However, Dürrenberger and Hiltebrand have certainly turned down an offer for China.
 
 
Andreas Panzeri