Johnson & Johnson's Centocor
biopharmaceutical unit has developed a documentary film to serve as the centerpiece
of a national campaign and an alternative to the 30-second spot.
Michael
Parks, director of PR for Centocor, developed the idea and is credited as an executive
producer of the film, "Innerstate," which centers on three patients
living with chronic diseases like Crohn's disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis
- ailments for which Centocor markets treatments. Centocor's drugs aren't mentioned
in the movie, however.
Promotional
poster for 'Innerstate.' |
Parks said a key goal of the
documentary is to highlight the benefits and risks of advanced therapy for chronic
conditions. "It's a very powerful message to hear it through the voice of
the patients," he told O'Dwyer's. "These diseases are quite complex
and not easily explained in a 30- or 60-second second ad. We wanted to find something
that would give us enough real estate to have a discussion."
The
project's development began a year and a half ago. Parks declined to provide a
budget figure but said the cost was less than a full-scale DTC campaign. New York
production company Creative Group handled the logistics and making the film.
Healthcare
PR firm Dorland is working on the PR and public affairs campaign for the film,
which is slated to debut to media and the public next week at the Directors Guild
of America Theatre in New York. Dorland is pitching the campaign as the first
time a major pharmaceutical company has developed an unscripted, high-def movie
as an alternative to a 30-second spot.
A website supports the campaign
at www.myinnerstate.com,
and screenings are planned in 14 U.S. cities. Local medical experts and support
groups, along with the film's patients, are slated to be on hand for the screenings. |