Biohaven's latest Nurtec campaign helps people migraine-proof their Twitter feeds

Biohaven wants to help people take control of their migraines by taking control of their Twitter feeds.

The maker of migraine drug Nurtec ODT ushered in migraine awareness month in June with an interactive Twitter ad that invites people to “#Relieve Your Feed” of migraine triggers. 

Viewers can swipe on the ad to find their migraine triggers and then tap “to find relief” by customizing their Twitter settings.

Sensitive to light or need a good night's sleep? A tap shows you where you can adjust the brightness of your screen or silence notifications. If you’re triggered by stress, tapping that section of the ad directs you to a page where you can mute distressing words so they no longer show up in your feed.

“Nurtec ODT is a brand that really speaks to the value of personal control,” said Graham Goodrich, Biohaven’s senior vice president of brand marketing. “So the little ways in which you can control your Twitter experience connected very nicely to the value proposition of Nurtec ODT.”

That value proposition, played up in all of Nurtec’s marketing, is its “all in one” advantage, according to Goodrich. The orally dissolving pill is the only FDA-approved migraine drug people can take not just to stop an attack, but ahead of anticipated triggers to prevent the next one. 

“And with ‘Relieve Your Feed’ we wanted to elevate some of those common triggers like stress or light or sound,” he added. The campaign launched June 7 as a “Twitter Takeover” ad, meaning it showed up on every feed in the U.S. as the first promoted post that day. 

The New Haven, Connecticut-based drugmaker has leaned heavily on social media marketing since launching its CGRP drug Nurtec in 2020, as it held its own against deep-pocketed Big Pharma competitors like AbbVie and Eli Lilly in the highly competitive space. Its strategy has included celebrity and real patient Instagram posts, YouTube videos and even a presence on TikTok. 

Biohaven leveraged its close relationship with Twitter and the social media giant's internal creative team to produce the latest campaign, Goodrich said.

“They came to us with these insights about how users modify the user experience and saw a connection to our brand strategy,” he said, which includes “having deep empathy for people with migraine.”

“It’s all about being empathetic and authentic and trying to service them, not sell to them,” he added.

Goodrich called the ad “one of our most successful ever on Twitter" and said Biohaven is looking to roll out similar campaigns with its other social media partners.

Selling the drug will soon fall to pharma giant Pfizer, however, which is acquiring Biohaven’s migraine franchise in a $11.6 billion deal expected to close in early 2023.