Title | If That Was You Then |
Agency | Grey New York |
Campaign | If That Was You Then |
Advertiser | Genentech, Inc. |
Brand | Genentech |
Posted | May 2023 |
Business Sector | Health & Pharmaceutical Products |
Story | Lung cancer is so deadly, it’s responsible for 25% of all cancer deaths in the US. Early screening can prevent death in 90% of cases, but screening rates are stuck below 10%. All because of a social stigma: after decades of our culture blaming and judging people who smoke–telling them that “smoking was a choice”–people at risk were too afraid and ashamed to get scanned. But in the 70s and 80s, when many of our 50+ year old target began smoking, the habit was just a part of culture. To smoke or not smoke was never a question; it was just something everyone did. The reality was, the shame our target felt was misplaced: they were not to blame, the culture of the time was. |
Philosophy | So we created a PSA that used this insight to break the shame cycle and encourage testing. We used nostalgic imagery and powerful language to remind our target that smoking was simply a pervasive part of life back then and it was not their fault. We placed the blame on times they lived and, in doing so, gave them the permission they needed to feel okay about getting tested now. With a goal of driving awareness, our communication strategy was simple: get as many outlets as possible to support the message and maximize the amount of people exposed to the campaign. The PSA was so well-received, it got over $30 million in donated media in just six months, particularly in the tobacco belt with a focus on states with a high incidence of lung cancer, but low screening rates. In a short amount of time, we reached over 400M impressions, which led to more lives saved. |
Media Type | Television |
Length | |
Advertising Manager | Sherry Chen |
Advertising Manager | Nicki Franzen |
Advertising Manager | Julie Reynolds |
Advertising Manager | Shilpa Panth Venkat |
Media Agency | Boom Broadcast & Media Relations |
Media GM | Joan Winkler |
Media GM | Barbara Gutjahr |
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | Amber Guild |
Worldwide Chief Creative Officer | Javier Campopiano |
Chief Creative Officer | Justine Armour |
Group Creative Director | Brent Singer |
Associate Creative Director | Michelle Liuzzo |
Associate Creative Director | Talia Rapp |
Graphic Designer | Juliano Domingues |
Print Producer | Debbie Joyce |
Head of Production | James McPherson |
Executive Agency Producer | Lori Bullock |
Agency Producer | Ryan Cunningham |
Music Producer | Kurt Stienke |
Project Manager | Adam Taverniti |
Chief Strategy Officer | Jonathan Lee |
Brand Strategist | Ryan Miller |
Account Executive | Rebecca Golden |
Account Director | Hope St. Clair |
VP, Head of Talent | Natasha Howell |
VP, Graphics Services | Debbie Joyce |
President, Global Health & Wellness | Jason Kahner |
Production Company | Morton Jankel Zander (MJZ) |
Director | Fredirik Bond |
Executive Producer | David Zander |
Line Producer | Line Postmyr |
Cinematography | Nicholas Bupp |
Post Production | Union Editorial |
Editor | Patric Ryan |
Assistant Editor | Craig Stoneham |
Colorist | Sofie Borup |
Colorization | Company 3 |