Background

Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare, potentially deadly skin condition. Within two hours, GPP can cause pustules to erupt all over a patient’s body and require urgent hospitalization. Because it’s so rare, dermatologists are not familiar with its consequences and are not used to managing such a severe condition. The full extent of how this harrowing disease affects patients is vastly misunderstood.

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) was preparing to launch a treatment for GPP, but the company is new to dermatology. It’s critical to educate dermatologists about this deadly disease and build empathy for suffering patients. BI needed an eye-catching and thought-provoking integrated campaign.

Recognizing that dermatologists are aesthetic in nature and beauty is inherent to their work, we created a campaign that blends health and high fashion, but with a gut-punching twist. The Unwearable Collection brings heart-wrenching patient experiences to life via haute couture to teach dermatologists in an unforgettable way.

Idea

“A clothing line no one would dare to wear, but those with GPP have no choice.”

Boehringer Ingelheimpartnered with internationally renowned fashion designerBart Hess, whose roster of work includes designs for Lady Gaga, to educate dermatologists about the devastating nature of GPP.  The Unwearable Collection: a fashion gallery inspired by real patients’ experiences with GPP.

Bart translated the painful words of real patients into four uncomfortable outfits using unconventional materials. To convey the pain of isolation, he used shards of broken plexiglass and mirrors, representing social isolation and shattered identity. For the life-threatening nature of the disease, he bolted together hundreds of knives and over 2,000 razor blades to resemble a deadly snake suffocating the wearer. To represent the intensity of a flare, he twisted and melted red charred foil, reflecting a sudden flare overtaking the body. And for physical pain, he cut over 10,000 razor sharp pieces of paper.

Strategy

Through research with dermatologists, we collected insights about their level of knowledge and attitudes about GPP. We found there was very low understanding of the disease. Most dermatologists treat GPP like other more common, but less severe forms of psoriasis. However, those treatments are very ineffective for people with GPP and patients continue to suffer. 

We needed dermatologists to fully understand that GPP is a unique disease that’s very different from other types of psoriasis both in terms of the potentially deadly consequences and the way it affects nearly every aspect of their life. 

We created an experience around fashion that appeals to dermatologists’ inherent inclination for aesthetics and beauty. We knew simply delivering medical information would not break through the noise. The fashion gallery lured visitors in with beautiful designs and then educates them about the experiences of GPP patients through haute couture they can’t look away from. 

Execution

The Unwearable Collection premiered March 2022 at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, theworld’s biggest dermatology convention. Prior to the event, a teaser film was sent to attendees. The exhibition was a couture fashion gallery that stood in stark contrast to the surrounding, more clinical booths. The gallery proudly displayed Bart’s four creations along with information about the disease, a brief description of each piece, and the real patient quote on which it’s based. 

The full film was featured, which documented the creation of the Unwearable Collection, as well as the experiences of patients who inspired the designs. Visitors were invited to view each outfit up close and engage live with Bart Hess. 

QR codes within the event drove visitors to a disease education website that gives more information about GPP.

A limited-edition pictorial look-book with photos by fashion photographer Juliana Rocha was created to commemorate the collection. 

The website was launched to make the collection viewable by anyone, anywhere.

Outcome

The Unwearable Collection was a success at AAD in Boston. Boehringer Ingelheim’s booth was the most visited at the convention, with long lines to enter and experience the event. 

The campaign is generating media interest and helping Boehringer Ingelheim to be seen as an innovator in dermatology. Surface Magazine, an art and fashion trade magazine outside the healthcare space, featured the collection and called it “avant-garde” work. Fierce Pharma, a website covering pharma and healthcare, called it “bold.”

Of 7,000 dermatologists who attended the convention, 2,500 registered at the booth, providing new, qualified leads that were added to the company’s CRM database. This represented a 185% increase over the goals that were set at the outset of the project. The booth and collateral materials utilized QR codes to drive attendees to the company’s disease education website to learn more, which experienced a 325% increase in web traffic.