SMG's New Otrivine Campaign Might Gross You Out

Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) has today announced that it has been appointed by Novartis Consumer Health to handle the launch of its latest innovation Otrivine Congestion Relief through a fully digital campaign titled #stopmessingabout.

SMG has been tasked with raising awareness of the nasal spray brand by using engaging content, delivered via video in a completely digital media plan, to drive as much earned media as possible. The campaign will follow on from Otrivine’s successful #snotwhatisaid campaign which SMG created and executed earlier this year.

The content for #stopmessingabout will be produced and delivered by LiquidThread, SMG’s centre of excellence for branded content. Breaking with a YouTube Homepage Takeover – a true first for Novartis – together with a heavyweight YouTube TrueView media buy, the 60 second video will then be contextually targeted to Twitter users based on search terms related to feeling poorly delivered alongside a personalised message.

#stopmessingabout will launch on 11th December 2014 and activity will continue through to 30th April 2015.

Gareth Coady, Brand Manager, Novartis Otrivine comments: “We had such great success with #snotwhatisaid so I’m pleased that we are now able to follow this with something braver and even more distinctive. Given the category norm of big budget TV campaigns during peak cold and flu season, as a challenger brand in order to be noticed we have to behave differently. We needed a striking piece of creative to drive talkability that could be deployed flexibly across channels able to react to changing incidence levels. With SMG’s first class media planning and Liquid Thread’s ‘Kenneth’ concept, this has all been made possible.  All this has been created to encourage the UK public to take a moment and consider whether in fact there is a better way to treat nasal congestion than rubbing menthol onto their chests.” 

Duff Borer, Business Director, Starcom MediaVest Group said: “This is a game changing move for Novartis. We wanted to build on the success of Otrivine’s #snotwhatisaid campaign on Twitter, which was highly commended at the Media Campaign Awards, and drive business results, through engaging content, across all of Otrivine’s digital channels. It’s a bold statement from Novartis to move from TV only and into a 100% digital plan, and we believe it will help to transform their marketing moving forward.”