MSD's new campaign adopts choose-a-storyline approach to redefine men's role in HPV prevention

Biopharmaceutical company MSD has partnered with creative agency Narrow Door to launch an innovative video campaign, to define a much more proactive role for younger men in HPV prevention by emphasising what is truly at stake for them.

Featuring local boy band MIRROR’s Keung To, as well as actresses Mandy Tam and Hazel Lam, the campaign re-articulates young men’s personal relationships as a series of pivotal decisions that could have major health implications not only for their partners but for themselves.

Launched from 11 June until the end of the year, the campaign comprises a video series with an innovative open-ended format. In the opening episode, Keung meets two attractive young women in a café. At the end of the episode, the viewer gets to decide which girl Keung develops a relationship with, by choosing from two alternative versions for the next episode, which in turn branches into two more follow-up episodes. 

11 episodes, each with a different plot and humorous subplot, were produced for the series, leading to six different endings. But even though the contrasting personalities of the two young female protagonists evolve into very different storylines, the intricately plotted episodes all build up to the same inescapable conclusion: young men need to act carefully and responsibly in their personal lives to protect not only their partners but themselves from the threats of HPV and head and neck cancers (HNC), which has a much higher incidence among males than females.

A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on YouTube that the video has recorded over 100,000 views since its launch on 11 June. While some netizens said the innovative video format was interesting, some said they looked forward to the development of the different plot after they watched the opening episode.

Apart from the YouTube series, the campaign has also launched other creative assets including an HPV or HNC educational leaflet, to be made available at every clinic in Hong Kong; a key visual featuring Keung to be displayed on bus shelters, bus bodies and MTR stations, including a full complement of station domination executions at Admiralty station; an interactive social media campaign and an HPV awareness website.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Terry Tsang, director of Narrow Door, said that a 30-second TVC will be launched revolving around the campaign, which will also be shown on SOGO TV screen. "We want to target young males in Hong Kong of Keung's age. Besides, the focus is not only on Keung, with a combination of other young talents like Mandy Tam and Hazel Lam, we believe this never-seen before combo will bring surprises and excitement to our audiences," he said.

Moreover, a PR event was launched at The Mills on 11 June to engage with a wider audience, with Keung and fellow cast members Tam and KaKi Sham taking centre stage, followed by the premiere of the YouTube video series and the rollout of all the other creative assets. Tsang said a phase two campaign is also in the making. 

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Yammie Yuen, business unit director at MSD, said: “By adopting an innovative choose-a-storyline approach for each episode, we are involving the viewer in Keung’s decision-making processes; their choices determine how the story unfolds. We are therefore replicating real-life situations young men often find themselves in, and the message is clear: who you choose to be your partner is up to you, what you do about the threat of HPV is not. There is only one right decision to make.”  

Meanwhile, Vincent Tong, managing director of MSD Hong Kong and Macau, said: "Even though we have gone a long way towards raising awareness of HPV among younger, socially active men in recent years through different campaigns, it’s important to spotlight the HPV-related diseases they are especially vulnerable to, especially head and neck cancers (HNC), as a way to drive safer, more informed decisions in their personal lives,”.

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