Stada
Production of a Rectovenal TV commercial and launch campaign

For Progressive, the greatest challenge in communicating the Rectovenal Acute campaign was the need to initiate a dialogue about an extremely common, yet sensitive, health issue. Although haemorrhoids affect a significant proportion of the adult population, the subject remains a taboo and is difficult to accept even in an advertising context. We had to educate the target audience about the causes and symptoms of haemorrhoids whilst simultaneously building trust in a new product. A key challenge was for the brand to present the benefits of Rectovenal Acute in a credible way without the communication becoming overly clinical or off-putting.

For the market launch of Rectovenal Acute, Progressive developed a comprehensive integrated campaign, the central element of which was a new creative platform – unique within the category – and a television advert based on it. During the strategic and creative planning phase, we deliberately moved away from the usual tropes of haemorrhoid communication, which typically focus on symptoms, pain or the clinical problem. Instead, we opted for a people-centred, emotionally driven approach that placed the impact of haemorrhoids on everyday life at the heart of the campaign.

The core idea behind the new creative platform was that haemorrhoids do not merely cause physical discomfort, but can also deprive us of everyday activities that we take for granted. We translated this insight into an easily understandable yet emotionally powerful creative concept: those affected are forced to ‘say goodbye’ to their favourite places to sit, because the pain and unpleasant symptoms make sitting difficult. Unusually for this category, we focused not on the problem itself but on its consequences, thereby managing to present this sensitive topic in a socially acceptable manner, with subtle humour and through relatable human situations.

Progressive coordinated the entire development and production of the television advert, which was built around the creative platform. The film’s narrative deliberately builds on contrasts: the opening scenes, set in a melancholic mood, depict the moments of ‘saying goodbye’ to one’s favourite armchair or office chair, whilst using exaggeration to convey the difficulties caused by haemorrhoids. At the end of the story, the relief and sense of liberation brought about by using Rectovenal Acute ease the tension, providing a positive emotional conclusion to the brand message.

The film draws on emotion, humour and product benefits in equal measure. This creative approach enabled Rectovenal Acute, as a new entrant to the market, to stand out clearly from its competitors, whilst presenting the product’s key features and the innovative benefits of the hydrogel format in a clear and memorable way.

The result was a distinctive brand launch which, by breaking away from the category’s communication norms, generated attention and relevance for the target audience. The campaign successfully launched the Rectovenal Acute brand on the domestic market, whilst communicating about a sensitive health issue in an eye-catching and distinctive way. The creative approach and easily understandable message of the television advert effectively reached the target audience, proving that there is a place for emotional storytelling even within this category. The brand has established a clearly distinguishable position compared to its competitors and has successfully drawn attention to the product’s benefits.