Campaign Concept
Concept Breakdown
Website
Journal Ad
— PROJECT NAME
Suspect PMM
— PROJECT TYPE
Multi-channel Unbranded Disease Education Campaign
— ROLE
Group Copy Supervisor
— CLIENT
Reneo Pharmaceuticals
— DATE
August 2023
The Problem
Primary Mitochondrial Myopathies (PMM) are rare, inherited disorders that impair muscle function and cause life-altering symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and cardiac issues. Patients often endure years without a diagnosis—bounced from specialist to specialist, misdiagnosed repeatedly, and left without answers or proper treatment.
The challenge: Educate healthcare professionals (HCPs) on when to suspect PMM, so they can identify potential cases earlier and reduce the diagnostic odyssey for patients.
The Strategy
Turn the patient diagnostic journey into an unmistakable, visual metaphor that would immediately resonate with HCPs and evoke empathy. The creative needed to balance two key elements:
- 1) The chaos and frustration patients face during the diagnostic process.
- 2) The specific logistics of how and why PMM is overlooked, making the issue tangible to providers.
Based on market research, emotional resonance was critical—especially for non-mitochondrial specialists less familiar with PMM’s complexities. The chosen concept needed to humanize the struggle while clearly communicating when to suspect the disease.
The Idea
Mitochondrial Mayhem—a pinball machine designed in the shape of a mitochondrion—brought the PMM diagnostic odyssey to life. Each “mini world” in the game represented a key obstacle: misleading symptoms, specialist referrals, misdiagnoses, and years of uncertainty. The ball—symbolizing the patient—bounced endlessly between these barriers, perfectly illustrating the exhausting loop many face before receiving an accurate diagnosis.
The Execution
- Hero Visual: A vibrant, comic-inspired pinball machine populated with realistic illustrations of PMM patients, conveying both the human impact and the chaotic nature of their journeys.
- Component Design: Mini worlds depicted hallmark PMM symptoms (fatigue, weakness, cardiac issues) alongside the medical specialties patients are shuffled through.
- Website Experience: An interactive, animated scrolling journey that mirrored the pinball game, letting HCPs “bounce” from symptom education to diagnostic guidance in an engaging, non-linear way.
- Accessibility Considerations: Built with high accessibility scores to ensure that, while aimed at HCPs, the site could also inform patients and caregivers.
- Emotional + Educational Balance: Leveraged bold colors and relatable imagery to catch attention, then layered in specific, actionable diagnostic cues for medical professionals.