Abbvie Back Yourself

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients often spend years fighting for a diagnosis and even longer cycling through treatment options. Eventually, many give up. They settle for “good enough” symptom control. They stop pushing. They stop asking.

AbbVie wanted to break that pattern and get patients re-engaged in their own care.

The challenge? Reach an apathetic, fatigued audience and spark real behavioural change.

By the time patients are diagnosed with AS, they’re exhausted emotionally and physically. They’ve fought to be heard and validated for so long that once they are, they don’t want to rock the boat again.

But without speaking up and advocating for themselves, better outcomes aren’t possible.

What patients needed wasn’t more technical content or product detail. They needed permission to expect more from life, and a little inspiration to take back control.

Give patients the confidence to demand better from their bodies, their treatment plans, and their doctors.

Build an integrated communications journey that meets patients where they are, and slowly moves them from passive acceptance to empowered action.

Every channel. Every touchpoint. Designed to push one powerful message: Back Yourself.

Back Yourself, a patient-first platform that redefined what it means to live with AS.
We used real patient stories, expert-backed tools, and practical conversation guides to shift mindsets and spark better consultations with an owned microsite and omnichannel campaign that guided patients across three key phases:

Priming – to spark initial awareness
Nurturing – to deepen engagement with video content, a campaign microsite, and expert articles
Conversion –  to retarget and encourage doctor visits using bespoke materials and social proof

• 62% of surveyed patients felt more confident speaking to their doctor
• 2 in 3 said they now intend to book a consultation
• Campaign exceeded every KPI against industry benchmarks
• Built a new, qualified AS audience for AbbVie plus a replicable comms model for future use

We turned passive patients into active participants in their care, proving that with the right message at the right time, even the most disengaged audience can take action.

Sometimes, the biggest breakthrough isn’t just a new treatment. It’s a new conversation.

Work completed as an employee and part of the team at We. Communications.