Strength in Numbers

Date

2013–2016

Client

EMD Serono Rebif

Service

AOR

The Problem

By 2013, Rebif was the veteran brand in a category being disrupted by new oral competitors. After ten years of sliding sales, the industry's post-mortem was already being written.

The Strategy

We realized the problem wasn't the drug — it was the language. Back then, "Multiple Sclerosis" was a scary, clinical mouthful. "MS" wasn't the household shorthand it is today; it was taboo and foreign. We were the first to lead with the "MS" terminology, demystifying the disease and making it something people could actually talk about.

The Solution

The goal was to tell the brand story through ambassadors and their personal fights against MS, highlighting their strength as both individuals and a community. Using the power of storytelling, Rebif reignited interest through its patient support Facebook page, putting social media at the heart of the campaign. We let our brand ambassadors lead the way, proving that when one person is brave enough to tell a difficult, messy, honest story, others follow. The community showed up, and this campaign essentially paved the way for the vernacular that every competitor in the category uses today.

The Result

01 | Defining the Language

We moved "MS" from a clinical term to a relatable identity.

02 | The Social Catalyst

We turned the MSLL page into a "town square," fostering a massive show of trust.

03 | The Engagement

1,400 raw, public comments in one year — unprecedented for a highly regulated category.

04 | The Payoff

We didn't just stop the bleed; we reversed a decade-long sales decline. With 248,000 unique monthly visitors, we proved that when you're the first to tell a difficult truth, you don't just win the market — you define it.

From conversation to conversion: Reclaiming the market by saying "MS"

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