Think the organizing fad with its attention to detail isn’t for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? Takeda Pharmaceuticals wants to prove that wrong with a new branded DTC campaign.
Its new “V is for Vyvanse” campaign shows what adults with ADHD can achieve, such as focusing well enough to organize clothes by color.
Playing on the acronym aspect of ADHD, the effort uses letters of the alphabet to describe symptom control in a positive fashion. With simple visuals and upbeat music, the ads invite people to “Rethink ADHD.”
Videos on Facebook and Instagram show how Vyvanse helps with core ADHD symptoms. For instance, inattention is addressed with “F is for better focused” with a rainbow organizer. Impulsivity is countered by “I for less impulsive,” which shows a man calmly and thoughtfully setting a table for dinner.
RELATED: Takeda whittles away costs—and assets—to keep its debt-cutting promises
The campaign is rooted in Takeda research with 1,200 patients. That work yielded a key insight—that people with ADHD shut down or disengage when they’re reminded how the condition affects their lives, said Kristie Whitehouse, Takeda’s director of consumer marketing for its neurodevelopment franchise, in an email interview.
“We set out to tell a different kind of story that empowered patients to see their symptoms in a more positive light,” she said.
While people often equate ADHD as a condition in children, Takeda is targeting adult patients with this campaign.
“Although ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral conditions among children in the U.S., it is not as widely recognized in adults. As a result, an estimated 6 million adults in the U.S. with ADHD go undiagnosed and therefore, do not receive the support they need,” Whitehouse said.
RELATED: FDA clears its first prescription video game treatment for ADHD
Another common ADHD symptom, hyperactivity, is addressed in a pre-roll ad running on websites including YouTube, WebMD and ADDitude. It includes a voiceover and speaking parts by actors portraying “the focused woman” and the “less impulsive man,” along with a studious-looking “less hyper” woman who says: “Tuesdays are great, because I have my two favorite seminars back to back.”
Vyvanse was approved to treat ADHD in adolescents in 2007 and in adults in 2008 under Shire, which merged with Takeda last year. It was also approved to treat moderate to severe binge eating disorder in adults in 2015. Through patent extension grants, Vyvanse remains protected from generic competition until 2023.
