• by Les Luchter , 7 hours ago

“Vtama is for human use only, not for use in aliens.”

That’s certainly a drug warning you don’t see every day.

Yet, it’s included in the fine print of three videos targeted to healthcare professionals (HCPs) on behalf of Vtama, a prescription skin cream that treats eczema and plaque psoriasis.

The titles of the spots -- "Late Night Visitor," "Beam Me Up" and "Arrivals" -- give a clue as to why: the ads are mini sci-fi flicks.

Created by 21 Grams, they convey the message that Vtama is so scientifically advanced that aliens have come to study the product. The tagline: “It’s not science fiction, it’s skin science.” 

Ryan Billings, head of U.S. dermatology marketing for Vtama’s parent Organon, tells Marketing Daily the campaign was developed based on input from dermatologists and allergists that  “revealed a strong appetite for differentiated, science-led education.”

That insight, he says, “encouraged us to move beyond traditional playbooks and connect with health-care providers in more meaningful, modern ways while maintaining scientific credibility at the core.”

This “culturally resonant, science-forward storytelling,” Billings adds, allows Vtama to“bring greater clarity to a crowded treatment landscape” by making “complex science more engaging and memorable.”  The category, he notes, is “often dominated by marketing creative that focuses on freedom from chronic skin conditions.” 

Vtama’s topical form also differentiates it in an environment that’s been dominated in recent years by such heavily consumer-advertised injectables and oral medications as Sanofi/Regneron’s Dupixent, AbbVie’s Skyrizi and Rinvoq, and Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya and Icotyde.

Vtama itself did some consumer advertising back in 2023, a year before Organon acquired the brand in its acquisition of Dermavant Sciences for a reported $1.2 billion. (Organon, which was spun off from Merck in 2021, is itself now in the process of being acquired by Sun Pharma for some $11.75 billion.)

“It’s not science fiction, it’s skin science” marks Organon’s first campaign for  Vtama, which has been on the market for four years, first approved to treat plaque psoriasis in adults and then eczema in both adults and children.

The campaign, which includes paid media bought by Publicis Health, focuses on “social-first videos, interactive experiences, and in-office education,” Billings says.

Scheduled to continue into 2027, the campaign launched in  March  at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting in Denver, where activities included gamified experiences illustrating the science behind Vtama and what Billing refers to as “the first-in-industry distinctive crop circle visual.”

The campaign, he says, is designed to “capture attention, spark curiosity, andultimately helpclinicians see where Vtma could fit into their treatment decisions.”

Its success, he notes, will be measured “through reach and awareness, engagement and traffic to the HCP website, and consideration and interest in the product…We aim to spread awareness and education about Vtama so that we can reach as many customers and patients as possible.”