Pfizer ($PFE) is enlisting the power of pictures for its next chapter in its metastatic breast cancer (MBC) awareness campaign.
For "Story Half Told," the pharma has hired 5 prominent Instagram photographers to chronicle the everyday lives of women living with MBC.
"Pfizer's purpose is to innovate to bring new therapies to women with breast cancer that significantly improve their lives," Pfizer spokesperson Sally Beatty wrote in an email interview. "In addition to developing innovative treatment options for women with MBC, we are also working to address the broader unmet needs of women living with this disease. … This initiative aims to create a memorable and far-reaching platform through which women with MBC can tell their stories, combat stigma and dispel misperceptions about this disease."
A "Story Half Told" image--Courtesy of Pfizer |
The "Story Half Told" campaign first launched in 2014 after Pfizer research showed that 60% of Americans knew little to nothing about MBC. Pfizer cites figures that MBC affects 150,000 to 250,000 women in the U.S. It has partnered with 5 breast cancer organizations: BreastCancer.org, Cancer Support Community, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Metastatic Breast Cancer Network and Young Survival Coalition for the effort.
In this next phase of the campaign, 5 women with MBC are chronicled, shown at work and playing with their children, families and pets to highlight the everyday-ness of their lives, sharing both their joys as well as the realities of the disease. The photographs started posting on Sept. 30 on the Instagram account @StoryHalfTold, as well as its Facebook and Twitter accounts, and they use the hashtag #StoryHalfTold. A traveling exhibit with photos from the effort will be displayed at various fundraising race and advocacy events around the country.
"So far, we have received great responses from various members of the breast cancer community, including patients, HCPs and advocates," Beatty said. "Several patients have authored blog posts on the initiative, and we have seen social media engagement from various stakeholders. As of this week, the initiative Facebook page has over 2,000 likes."
Holley Kitchen, who participated in the program, said in a news release, "Story Half Told continues my dream as a lifer to help educate the nation about metastatic breast cancer. Through photography, this program depicts the unique challenges we face daily--and expresses that our lives continue as normally as possible despite our disease."
Pfizer's breast-cancer fighter, Ibrance, won accelerated approval earlier this year and is already seeing rapid uptake this year, with the drug eventually pegged to top $3 billion to $5 billion in peak sales. It is the first in the new CD4/6 inhibitor class of cancer drugs to hit the market.
- see Pfizer's release
Special Report: The top 15 pharma companies by 2014 revenue - Pfizer