Short Film
Campaign Poster
— PROJECT NAME
Get to Know Monroe
— PROJECT TYPE
Branded HCP Awareness Documentary
— ROLE
Copy Supervisor
— CLIENT
Merck & Co. Inc.
— DATE
January 2020
The Problem
Clinical trial data can be powerful, but too often it feels abstract—numbers without context, results without a human connection. This distance makes it harder for physicians to emotionally engage with the real-world impact behind the statistics. In the case of the Monroe Study on VAQTA, Merck’s hepatitis A vaccine with 100% protection, the challenge was to get HCPs to see the numbers in a more compelling, memorable way—and to reinforce the importance of completing the two-dose regimen.
The Strategy
Bring the Monroe Study to life by telling the story not just of the data, but of the community behind it. By anchoring the vaccine’s success to a real place—Monroe, New York—and its people, we could humanize the numbers, spark physician interest, and elevate VAQTA’s perceived value in preventing hepatitis A.
The Idea
Get to Know Monroe—a short documentary-style film capturing the texture, rhythm, and faces of the Hasidic community where the Monroe Study took place. Through cinematic visuals, personal details, and a sense of place, we reframed the trial results as a human story of prevention and protection. The film invited physicians to “meet” Monroe and, in doing so, see VAQTA not just as a statistic, but as a vaccine that changes real lives.
The Execution
- Mini-Documentary Format: Shot in Monroe, NY, blending documentary cinematography with narrative storytelling to immerse viewers in the setting.
- Human-Centric Approach: Focused on the daily life of the Hasidic community, connecting vaccine efficacy data to real people.
- Multi-Channel Distribution: Delivered through targeted HCP channels, ensuring high engagement and relevance.
- Core Message Reinforcement: Emphasized the importance of administering two full doses of VAQTA to achieve maximum protection.
The Impact
- • Achieved 3X industry-average viewer engagement
- • Majority of physicians watched the full core content of the video
- • Strengthened physician connection to VAQTA’s trial data through a human-centered narrative, increasing recall and message retention