Organon is putting on its tinfoil hat to promote steroid-free atopic dermatitis and plaque psoriasis cream Vtama in a science fiction-themed education campaign aimed at healthcare practitioners.
With the tagline “it’s not science fiction, it's Skin Science,” Organon leans on the drug’s first-in-class clinical profile to make a memorable impression on HCPs and stand out in the dense medical dermatology market.
“Marketing for products that treat chronic skin conditions so often focuses on freedom from those conditions, so we wanted to break that mold with bold, unexpected creative that would capture attention while reinforcing Vtama’s distinct clinical profile,” Organon’s head of U.S. dermatology marketing Ryan Billings explained to Fierce over email.
To go with the tagline and the science fiction theme splayed across Organon’s Vtama webpage for HCPs, the company ran three video spots that feature a crew of aliens desperate to get their three-fingered hands on some Vtama.
In “Beam Me Up,” patrons of a Nebraskan late-night diner are shaken up by the arrival of a UFO, which declares it has “detected an anomaly here on Earth,” suggesting a “substance of great interest to us.”
“We arrive in search of this innovative science,” the UFO announces, making it clear the object of its desire is one diner patron’s Vtama. Two aliens sitting inside the UFO hold out a two-finger peace sign, doubling as a ‘V’ sign as they chant “V-TAAA-MA!” in high-pitched alien voices.
The aliens and the UFO leave in peace after collecting the man’s Vtama, leaving him confused and Vtama-less. A voiceover listing the drug’s labeling details comes out slightly grainy, as if playing through a plane (or UFO) loudspeaker. Meanwhile, the UFO is orbiting outer space as the aircraft’s display screen analyzes a tube of Vtama.
Similar science fiction tropes play out in the other two spots. In “Late Night Visitor,” a doctor working late in a dark office hears a noise, prompting her and a janitor to seek out the source of the shuffle with flashlights. They discover a chirping alien rifling through cabinets in search of Vtama, which the doctor hands over, agreeing that “the science, it’s fascinating."
After showing the satisfied alien checking over the Vtama in his UFO, the ad ends with a humorous shot of the janitor sighing as he picks up the mess the curious creature left behind.
In “Arrivals,” a police officer pulls up to a crowded scene, dotted with news vans and fascinated onlookers. No one can decipher the alien’s communication until a woman in a lab coat pushes to the front.
“Is this what you came for?” she shouts at the sky, holding out a tube of Vtama. An alien emerges from the UFO, confirming that yes, this is what it came for.
Like the rest of the spots, “Arrivals” ends with the familiar swell of a science fiction-esque soundtrack and a bright Vtama logo drawn across the scene in a cinematic fashion.
In creating the alien itself, Organon wanted to make the extraterrestrial appear “curious, a little innocent and completely fascinated by Vtama,” Billings said. The final result is a tiny, greenish creature with huge, sparkling eyes and a smiling appearance. If it’s sounding a bit like director Steven Spielberg, that’s by design—the team was looking to evoke the “tactile, slightly imperfect feeling of nostalgic sci-fi movies,” Billings noted.
The campaign first launched at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, debuting with an “immersive booth presence” and a “first-in-industry, distinctive crop circle visuals,” Billings said. Organon is going with a multi-channel paid media approach including social-first video, interactive experiences and in-office education as well as through digital channels such as email, print, social media and other advertising avenues.
“We know from market insights that healthcare professionals are actively seeking more engaging and culturally relevant content,” Billings said. “By leveraging science-forward storytelling, this campaign is designed to break through the noise of a crowded environment to make complex science more memorable.”
The company met with ten advisory boards with over 120 dermatologists and allergists to gauge those insights, revealing a “strong appetite for differentiated, science-led education,” he added.
“Ultimately, this approach is about bridging the education gap,” Billings explained. “We want to capture attention, spark curiosity, and help clinicians see where Vtama could fit into their treatment decisions.”
Organon, a Merck spin-out that primarily focuses on women’s health and was bought out by Indian generics giant Sun Pharma earlier this year, took on Vtama in 2024 through its $1.2 billion Dermavant acquisition. The topical aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist first hit the market in 2022 for plaque psoriasis, adding an atopic dermatitis indication in late 2024.
Last year, the medicine picked up $128 million in total sales. The drug has so far fallen short of its initial blockbuster ambitions and didn’t reach its $150 million sales target last year, but has a significant eligible patient population to crack in the U.S. with its latest atopic dermatitis nod including adults and children two years of age and older.