Abbott: Real-life stories put the spotlight on health

A new 360-degree campaign by drug maker Abbott features television and radio ads urging people to live each day fully

A year ago, Abbott India ran a television commercial (TVC) where a grey-haired woman was seen pedalling away on a bicycle belying the fears of her grandchild. The role reversal - with the kid acting mature and pleading with his childlike granny to prevent any mishap - was meant to spell out Abbott's motto "Life. To the fullest".

Now, the pharmaceutical company has raised the ante by launching a 360-degree campaign this month that includes a global TVC and radio spots as well as digital videos of "patient impact stories". The minute-long TVC is an anthemic film showing people from all walks of life and across communities running on a street to symbolise breaking the shackles. On the other hand, the radio spots and accompanying videos feature three Indians - a heart attack survivor shooting the rapids, a diabetic attempting paragliding and a retired army man running a half-marathon in the heights of the Himalayas.

Subhash Kamath, CEO and managing partner of BBH India, says the agency's Indian arm gave inputs while working with the US team that created the TVC titled "Race of Life". "The idea of 'living life to the fullest' is a universal insight that can easily be made relevant to India." Therefore, the TVC includes amongst the crowd an Indian couple in their wedding finery and young young engineers running with the robots they've created.

While the TVC set the tone for the campaign, Kamath adds, Abbott India wanted to localise the central idea and chose radio as one of its key mediums. The agency came up with the idea of utilising radio for the power of sound and getting real-life patients to tell their tales. And to capture the sounds of adventure, Oscar-winning sound designer and editor Resul Pookutty was roped in.

The six week-long radio campaign is on air in Mumbai and Delhi. And, to emphasise authenticity, digital videos were included as extended versions of the radio spots. Josh Grace, regional marketing office, Abbott, explains, "It all stems from our purpose, which is to help people live their lives to the fullest. Many of us take our health for granted when we have it, and we really feel that no matter where you are in your life you have to take the opportunity to live each day fully."

He adds that telling inspirational stories is "true to our DNA" and that the 128-year-old company's founder, Dr. Wallace Calvin Abbott, himself started off by encouraging people similarly.

"Although that kind of DNA existed, no one here told the story about Abbott itself. People know us well for some of our key products like Digene and PediaSure, but no one knows about the business that goes behind those great products. So, we feel like it's a moment in time we start telling about Abbott's heritage, of telling people to live fully," Grace says.

India is the third largest country (behind the US and China) for Abbott, with an annual turnover of about $1.1 billion. It is present in four areas - branded generic drugs, medical devices, diagnostic assays and nutrition.