OPTIVE® Fusion Campaign

The Challenge

OPTIVE® is an eye-care product known for its unique and superior lubrication - stemming from its carboxyl methylcellulose sodium (CMC) polymer and osmoprotection technology – that has been widely successful in achieving market leadership. However, there is another polymer, hyaluronic acid (HA), which is used in competitors’ products that have also gained widespread use in key markets.

 To continue to drive advancement in the dry eye marketplace, Allergan set out to find a method to combine these two key ingredients. The problem? The two polymers appeared to be completely incompatible. It took 7 years of dedication to formulate a successful union of the CMC and HA polymers. Allergen viewed the success as akin to a true love story. A very long courtship followed by a beautiful marriage of these two market-leading polymers. The key component was Allegan’s use of a bridged matrix that allowed the two to exist and work in unison. This unique scientific breakthrough — this marriage — was dubbed OPTIVE FUSION™. Our challenge was to herald the creation of this revolutionary product using Allergan’s heritage as an innovative leader, and to facilitate maximum interest and trial.

The Objectives
Ophthalmologists heavily influence treatment decisions, but they lack treatment precision in the current behavior of broad sampling. Now, with Allergan’s best-of-both polymers addition to the OPTIVE® Family of eye care, we needed to focus ophthalmologists on OPTIVE® as the go-to solution for most types of dry eye problems, and then direct them to OPTIVE FUSION™ for the more challenging dry eye problems in aqueous-deficient patients.

The Solution
Create an eye-opening campaign to announce the marriage of the CMC and HA polymers, and the arrival of OPTIVE FUSION™.

By leveraging our successful creative equity in the OPTIVE® Dry Eye Crew (a team of characters representing the most common symptoms of dry eyes – dryness, burning, stinging – and an additional character, Clear Eye Guy, who presents as a radiant, healthy eyeball after using the appropriate OPTIVE® product), we created a campaign to announce the arrival of OPTIVE FUSION™. We built upon our previous campaign that showed how products in the OPTIVE® Family were a complete solution for patients to say, “Goodbye, dry eyes.” Our first ad created a buzz in the marketplace with a “coming soon” teaser ad, which has the Dry Eye Crew peering into a mysterious glowing box. Next, we lifted the curtain to the ophthalmology community, revealing OPTIVE FUSION™ as the newest member of the OPTIVE® Family. To illustrate the union of the CMC and HA polymers and the dedication it took to combine them into one product, a green and blue stream of liquid formed two sides of a heart. Our final submission is a video detailing the range of creative used in promoting OPTIVE FUSION™.

The launch of OPTIVE FUSION® was accompanied by a compelling new package design not only for this breakthrough product, but for the entire OPTIVE family. Viewed in progression, the campaign shows the dedication and commitment Allergan has for driving advancement in the dry eye marketplace.