Oral Contraceptive Brand Hana is Made for 'Women Like Us' in Campaign from Havas UK

Havas is behind a £5m marketing push for HRA Pharma-owned oral contraceptive brand Hana – the first to launch following a change in regulatory rules allowing women to buy the pill at pharmacies without a prescription for the first time, marking a significant milestone in women’s healthcare. 

The ‘Women like us’ campaign, created by Havas, taps into the insight that many women want to be able to make their own decisions about their bodies and reproductive health. The journey to finding the right contraception is often out of their hands, but Hana empowers women to now make these decisions on their own terms.

The integrated campaign, which spans TV, online and social media, also helps to raise awareness of the change in regulatory status. The 30-second film focuses on the convenience for women of being to be able to walk into a pharmacy or go online, have a consultation and buy a supply of Hana, which is available in one-month and three-month packs, especially when juggling the demands of busy lives.

The campaign reminds us that the best thing about oral contraceptives is they give women choices. So, we see one young woman, who wants Hana because she’s not thinking about a baby, cross paths with another woman who has a young child but uses Hana while she’s “not thinking about another”.

Other elements of the campaign acknowledge that for many women in the UK, the inconvenience issue is a bigger barrier to staying on top of birth control than the cost. The communications are also aimed at women who currently rely instead on other methods, such as cycle-tracking apps.

Hana, a desogestrel 75 microgram progestogen-only oral contraceptive pill, is now available to buy in pharmacies, in person or online following a consultation, across the UK. As Hana is a Progestogen only formula, it is considered safe regardless of a woman’s lifestage and can be used by breastfeeding mothers, smokers, women with hypertension and those who are sensitive to oestrogen or the combined pill. Desogestrel, which is the second most prescribed oral contraceptive in the UK, is proven to be more than 99% effective when used correctly, making Hana the most effective type of contraception available without a prescription.

The Hana launch campaign follows Havas’ successful campaign in 2018 for ellaOne, HRA Pharma’s emergency contraceptive brand, which tackled stigma over taking the morning after pill.

Ahead of the launch, pharmacists across the UK have been supported by a comprehensive training programme available both online and offline. The shift towards pharmacy-led provision of regular oral contraception has been widely supported by the medical community, including the Royal College of GPs, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.

Kate Evans, UK hub marketing director at HRA Pharma said: “The change in how women can access oral contraceptives in the UK means more choice, which really is something to celebrate. Havas has captured that in this launch work for Hana with an upbeat campaign that will inspire and empower its target audiences.”

Vicki Maguire, CCO at Havas said: “Finally, women can access the basic right to manage their own reproductive health. While it’s taken 60 years, this democratisation of contraception is a game-changing moment for women. For many, a healthy sex life is crucial to their wellbeing – and knowing their contraception is taken care of, without any of the faff, gives them new-found freedom.”