Biotech Company Roche Says It’s Time to Change Inequality in Women’s Health in Latest Campaign

Global biotech company Roche has teamed up with director Donnya Zidan of Vigics and HELLO MONDAY/DEPT® to launch the latest addition to its XProject campaign to raise awareness of inequality in women’s health.  

Roche is one of the world’s largest biotech companies, as well as a leading provider in diagnostics and healthcare solutions across major disease areas. It focuses on innovations and finding new medicines and diagnostics that improve medical care and help patients live longer, better lives, which is how XProject was born. Due to research historically skewed towards men, women are often misdiagnosed and/or given incorrect or less effective treatment, sometimes with dire consequences. According to Roche, the entire system needs to change to better serve the health needs of women. With the XProject campaign, Roche, in collaboration with its digital agency HELLO MONDAY/DEPT® and director Donnya Zidan, have created this film to highlight the urgency of this issue and the need for change. 

The film shows women at various stages of their health journey, against a back-drop that shows how in other areas of their lives, they are defying stereotypes and challenging the norm. From a dojo, to an art studio, to a first bike ride for a young girl; there is a contradiction between women moving forward, and yet still being left behind when it comes to their health. The voiceover points to all areas where women have been overlooked, but visually it aims to empower women, and speaks to progress and change.

Donnya Zidan, director, has this to say about the campaign: “Directing meaningful campaigns that can make a difference is close to my heart, so when this assignment came through I couldn't have been happier. With this campaign, I felt the need to delve a little more into the backstories of the characters and find out why good health is so important to them. Working as a team with Roche and HELLO MONDAY/DEPT® has brought this project to life and made this important message even more impactful.”

“The scenes throughout the film play on the bigger story of inequality between men and women, and we felt this was important, because there is this much bigger context to the health gap”, said Claudi Potter, Creative Director at HELLO MONDAY/DEPT®, when speaking of the final result of this collaboration.