McCann Health New Jersey ‘GIF’ a Voice to Hemophilia

In recognition of Rare Disease Day (February 28th), McCann Health New Jersey, an IPG Health company, has launched phase two of their successful GIF project, giving a voice to people with haemophilia and fighting the stigma that exists on social media about the disease. This new campaign consists of a series of bespoke GIFs co-created by the haemophilia community (including The New England Hemophilia Association, The New York City Hemophilia Chapter and others) and caregivers, that aims to stop the spread of misinformation and stereotypes around haemophilia that persist on social media. These positive images instead allow people with haemophilia to control the narrative about how their disease is portrayed online, and puts them in the driving seat of the images they want to see as a reflection of their community.

This second phase comes on the heels of the incredible phase one, launched in 2022 and developed in partnership with the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation, a non-profit organisation, which included 10 original GIFs that received over 1.5 million views in 12 months.

Haemophilia is a rare hereditary bleeding disorder affecting approximately one in every 10,000 people. People with haemophilia have either decreased, defective or absent production of blood clotting proteins. (Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation, n.d.)

The new pack of 27 GIFs features cool, inspirational designs that are available for download on GIPHY, a top source for the best and newest GIFs and animated stickers online. The new series includes designs with uplifting and inspirational language like 'Hemo Hero,' 'I’m down but not out' and 'Hemo Mom Power!'

“GIFs have become part of our culture and how we communicate but people with haemophilia have largely been left out of the conversation,” said Bruno Abner, chief creative officer, McCann Health New Jersey. “Following the extremely successful campaign developed in partnership with the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation in 2022, we are thrilled to continue and create a campaign rooted in the patient, and the patient as the influencer. Stemming from a series of interviews we conducted with people with haemophilia and caregivers, we had the privilege of turning their inspirations into real-life designs that genuinely reflect this vibrant community.”

According to Milena Marra, senior communications manager, Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation, “While there is growing awareness about haemophilia, the need is still high in low- and middle-income countries as well as online, where images can contribute to vehiculate stereotypes and can lead to stigmatisation. The GIFs we developed in 2022 with McCann Health New Jersey allow people with haemophilia to be in charge of their own story and experiences, using a popular medium like GIFs to express their thoughts, feelings and reflect their uniqueness.”

To view the latest GIFs, visit here. The collection from phase one can be found at here.