We were tasked by muscular dystrophy charity Duchenne UK to launch a new prototype suit for children living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the UK.
We wanted to give broadcasters a story that would have: strong visuals to shoot, powerful case studies to interview and a human interest angle that would move audiences.
We took the campaign from just having a CEO spokesperson to having the CEO, a parent and number of children who live with muscular dystrophy.
Our first goal was to get the SMART Suit over to the UK – a prototype that costs tens of thousands of pounds was now being put on a flight for us so that our case studies could try it out and we got to film it. These visuals were our ‘sell’ to broadcasters and to get them to see first-hand just how much it would improve the quality of life of children with the condition, who currently struggle to carry out simple, everyday tasks.
From there we set up a pre-launch filming day which allowed us to create a bespoke video package for news agencies including Reuters News, and secure a raft of national broadcasters across the UK.
Our campaign captured the attention and hearts of audiences around the world. The story was featured by over 80 broadcasters globally and the organic social content generated 10 million views online with coverage secured on BBC Breakfast, Sky News, ITV News, Reuters, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5Live. The story was the most watched video on BBC News online.
100% of all interviews featured People’s Postcode Lottery and made clear that the SMART suit was developed as a result of their funding.
Crucially, our campaign also sparked a discussion in Parliament pushing for a review of the Government’s rare disease policy.
Best of all, our campaign trended on social media with #GetEliToGlastonbury. This social conversation ultimately led to our case study Eli, a young boy with DMD, fulfilling his dream of performing at Glastonbury.