How Netmeds Celebrated Courage With the Story of the Girl in Red Lipstick

Grey Group India positions Netmeds as a trustworthy provider of healing medicines and “an empathetic intermediary between the care receiver and the care giver”, brought to life by the true story of cancer fighter Anchal Sharma, says the agency’s managing director and CCO Sandipan Bhattacharyya.

In India, one in nine people are likely to develop a form of cancer in his or her lifetime, with lung and breast cancers being the top causes in males and females respectively. The incidence of cancer cases is expected to rise by 12.8% in 2025, according to an article published in The Indian Journal of Medical Research. These statistics indicate the importance of public education in cancer prevention and management.

Cutting across the clutter in an industry that typically focuses on the scientific aspects of pharmaceuticals and the efficacy of drugs, the campaign underlines the role of healthcare and the act of caring for cancer patients. “By doing this, the brand wanted to spread, in its own small way, hope and optimism across the nation. Netmeds is, after all, “India ki Pharmacy” (India’s own pharmacy),” shares Sandipan.

Additionally, in celebration of World Cancer Day, the campaign reframes perceptions of cancer to focus on ‘fighting’ rather than ‘surviving’ and to ignite the spark of hope and resilience in both patients and caregivers with the call to #SilenceCancerNotTheFight. According to Sandipan, Grey saw “an interesting juxtaposition of this philosophy with a day that marks the urgent need to not only understand cancer as an ailment, but to also change our perspective towards it”. 

“Sensitivity and empathy are of utmost importance when we talk about cancer and that’s where a true story is far more credible, relatable and inspiring. That was the beginning of our search for a real story that was simple and emotional, yet one with a surprise element that would make for a compelling film,” he adds.

 


Grey Group India's managing director and CCO Sandipan Bhattacharyya

LBB> How was Anchal Sharma discovered and what made her the ideal face and story to be told?

Sandipan> With #SilenceCancerNotTheFight, the idea was to spread hope, courage and resilience across patients and caregivers who are fighting this ailment. Swati Balani, the Creative Director behind this campaign, discovered the true story of Anchal Sharma and we saw her use the red lipstick as a powerful metaphor for her indomitable spirit and her zest for life.  In her, we had the perfect real-life inspiration, with a story of sheer grit, positivity and the willpower to want to live life on her own terms through positivity and healing. This was a story that needed to be told to millions of cancer fighters who are looking for positivity.

 
LBB> How was the creative approach conceptualised and developed?

Sandipan> From concept to script, the narrative technique we used was honest and linear, with the character of a disapproving hospital manager added to bring out the all-important moment of realisation – one that changes our perspective towards those battling cancer. While enough has been said about the seriousness of this disease, we wanted to shift focus to the fight against it. Saluting the human spirit that refuses to bow down to it. Anchal’s red lipstick was a symbol of that inspiring attitude.

LBB> What was the creative brief given to the director in shooting the commercial? 

Sandipan> The brief was to have a treatment that’s not over-dramatic and a cadence that’s progressive to keep the viewer guessing. Over extensive discussions with the director, we decided to keep the performances understated yet on point, stringing together a series of hospital visits seamlessly with an emotive song. The production design had to be authentic and believable, while not giving away the meaningful twist in the end.

LBB> What were the highlights and challenges of the production process?

Sandipan> Filming this story around a real-life cancer fighter needed a detailed and meticulous approach. From identifying a bold, courageous and positive actor to play Anchal, to recreating her look during her chemotherapy days was all very challenging. 

The casting for the hospital manager as an antagonist, who is opinionated and biased, was also an elaborate process with many video tests to determine the right degree of his harshness. Anchal herself was very supportive throughout this process, giving valuable input on the finer nuances of treatment, personal anecdotes and also agreeing to do a cameo in the finale.

LBB> What were the integrated channels and platforms utilised and how did each component perform in their objectives? 

 Sandipan> We released the film on digital platforms, mainly YouTube and amplified the film on other socials including IG, FB and TW with a teaser campaign around the film and multiple other cancer-awareness posts in the 1st week of February, leading up to World Cancer Day on February 4. 

The campaign #SilenceCancerNotTheFight had a very positive response and had great traction on YouTube with over three million views within a week and was also rated as one of the best campaign launches by various publications.

For Netmeds, it has garnered one of the highest engagements ever on its social platforms. Since the campaigns are active and running until the end of this month, numbers specific to the social media engagement will be shared by end of February.

LBB> What kind of traction did the campaign garner from its #SilenceCancerNotTheFight message?

Sandipan> Campaigns were run on social pages of Netmeds in collaboration with Anchal Sharma. It led to high-level page engagement on IG and the film led to many others sharing their journeys with Netmeds. We extended brand awareness by reposting the film on popular Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor's IG Handle.

LBB> What were the considerations and challenges of advertising in the pharmaceuticals category?

Sandipan> Key considerations include not recommending any specific healthcare company or endorsing drugs / medicines from a specific brand; not counselling any particular therapy or any form of medicines; and not forcing patients to consider a specific form of treatment, unless it is advised by a medical practitioner.