Regeneron and Sanofi are back with another push to show how Dupixent can help people with asthma “Du More.” The fourth generation of the campaign dials up the humor to try to connect with patients on the No. 1 driver of visits to the doctor: breathing.
Marketers at Regeneron and Sanofi hit on the message that Dupixent helps patients “Du More” early in the rollout of the medicine, running their first ad in the campaign the year after winning FDA approval in asthma. The partners have continued to tweak the formula and are now focused on telling patients that “if you can breathe better, everything is better.”
That message is central to new 30- and 60-second ads. Pauline Benkov, director, consumer marketing, respiratory at Regeneron, and Amy Keneally, director of consumer marketing, asthma at Sanofi, said the TV spots use “humor and engaging vignettes of when better breathing is possible, to ensure our message sticks with patients struggling with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma.”
The 60-second ad opens at a wedding, where a man with asthma is part of a group of people lifting the groom in celebration. Other scenes show a woman lifting heavy luggage, a man singing exuberantly in the shower and a father teaching his daughter to drive. All of the activities are physically demanding or stressful but the people manage because they “can breathe better.”
Seeking to elicit emotional connections, earlier ads in the “Du More” campaign showed people running for buses and engaging in other activities that are hard for people with poorly controlled asthma. Benkov and Keneally moved breathing and humor to the fore for the latest TV spots in the belief the focus can get patients closer to speaking with a doctor about Dupixent.
“The need to breathe better is the number one reason that our patients go to their doctor. Therefore, we leaned into the power of breath in humorous settings to show the joys of life—both big and small—that unfortunately many people living with asthma may miss out on, whether it’s teaching your daughter to drive, celebrating your friend at their wedding reception or just singing in the shower,” the pair said.
The concept was the highest tested to date among moderate-to-severe asthma patients, a Regeneron spokesperson said, with the higher information and entertainment value resulting in an ad that patients want to see again and that motivates people to talk to their doctors.
Regeneron and Sanofi began running the TV spots Monday on network TV, cable channels, and digital and streaming platforms. An in-language Spanish spot is scheduled to start running in the coming weeks as the companies seek to reach the diverse audience affected by asthma. The partners are also updating their asthma website, digital banners and emails to reflect imagery and scenes from the new ads.