Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease in which communication between nerves and muscles is disrupted, causing muscles to not always work properly resulting in chronic, fluctuating muscle weakness.
The effects of MG can be life-altering, physically debilitating, and emotionally draining, even impacting what some may consider small everyday tasks. For a person living with MG trying to practice self-care and feel their best, just holding a hairbrush for an extended amount of time can be difficult.
Alexion brought together people living with MG and partnered them with a professional hairstylist and a makeup artist. Each advocate shared their personal experiences with the stylists, detailing how their symptoms affect their daily routines as a person living with MG. Together, the advocates and stylists shared techniques and tools to help others within the MG community feel empowered and proud to be themselves—little things that can make a big impact. By filming their discussions, we had the goal of capturing:
(1) Common and relatable ways that MG can make self-care activities challenging for those living with the disease
(2) How little changes in daily routines can make a big difference in improving self-confidence and the feeling of self-empowerment
Because each person who is affected by MG experiences the disease differently, it was crucial to partner with a variety of advocates representing different backgrounds, genders, and experiences. It was also important to feature people who felt passionate about the More Than MG mission in their own unique way to ensure the video series was truly authentic.
To execute a successful video series, we took the following approach:
To inspire, encourage, and support others affected by MG, Alexion launched the More Than MG Campaign YouTube channel to showcase this unique series, entitled “Embracing Self-Care.” Episodes were released via YouTube and were promoted on Instagram and Facebook to drive incremental awareness and engagement.
The final videos produced as part of this unique “Embracing Self-Care” series are the first of their kind in the MG space—displaying a powerful representation of how truly impactful it can be to feel confident in your skin while living with MG.
Most importantly, once the video series launched on the More Than MG YouTube channel and social media channels in September 2023, it was clear that this creative approach was highly valued among the MG community, resulting in:
Overall, it was incredible to see how this creatively distinguished campaign made such an impact in driving support and awareness within the rare disease community and beyond.
