Fortunately, times have evolved, but oncologists used to judge the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs purely on the severity of their side effects.

 

Gemzar had all the potential to be a market leader but was coming second, despite having the best survival data in its class, because it was well tolerated. Physicians were ignoring the fact that Gemzar allowed patients to enjoy a better quality of life for longer.

 

Part of the brand's overall communication strategy was to encourage primary care physicians to refer more of their patients with possible cancer to an oncologist for specialist opinion. Historically, many had resisted doing so because of the side effects associated with earlier, harsher forms of chemotherapy—and because it so seldom changed the outcome.

 

This advertisment helped to both increase market share and demonstrate Gemzar’s commitment to its oncologist customer base.

The therapy was able to deliver on its promise, however, and Gemzar achieved market leadership in South Africa five months after this campaign broke. I'm proud to say I had a hand in it. (Seriously, that is actually my hand in the ad).