Excedrin Gaming - The Healing Academy (2021)

Ad Age “Creativity Pick of the Week” and “Editor’s Choice” — April 2021

The brief was to take Excedrin into a space the brand had never touched: gaming. And it made good sense. Our research found that more than 70% of gamers said headaches affected their focus and performance — yet 80% played through it.

As a lifelong gamer, I saw an opportunity hiding in plain sight. Gaming is full of healers, but nobody was celebrating them. Along with my creative teammates, I developed The Healing Academy, a squad of six original gaming healers, each inspired by a common headache trigger. I led development of the characters, including their identities, backstories, and powers, and worked closely with Friends Electric in London for nearly a year to bring them to life through animation, sound, casting, and film.

The larger campaign was built around a brand-owned study developed with neuroscientists, clinical psychologists, esports coaches, and gamers. Together, we created and tested a six-step, science-backed gaming routine designed to help reduce headache triggers, improve focus, and support performance.

We partnered with Nadeshot and 100 Thieves to bring the research into gaming culture and launched Excedrin’s first OTC partnership with Twitch. The campaign expanded across livestreams, online video, social, display, and E3.

The results: More than half a billion earned media impressions, 26 million+ online video views, and 500,000+ new Excedrin-buying households ages 18-34. Site traffic tripled, and brand lift on Twitch outperformed platform benchmarks.

The work earned two Clio Awards, a Silver Effie, five Shorty Awards, and Gold and Silver Smarties X honors, with additional recognition from Cannes Lions, The One Show, Digiday, and Ad Age.

Client: GSK
Role: Associate Creative Director / Senior Copywriter

Selected recognition

Clio Awards: Two Bronze, Creative Effectiveness and Public Relations, Health & Wellness
Effie Awards: Silver, Health & Wellness OTC
Shorty Awards: Five honors across Consumer, Gamification, Multi-Platform Presence, Short Form Video, and Twitch
Smarties X: Gold and Silver, Data/Insights; Silver, Gaming/Gamification & Esports
Cannes Lions and The One Show: Shortlist recognition

Bulleted results:

• 500 million+ earned media impressions across 190 placements

• 47 million+ paid Twitch impressions

• 52 million+ paid social and programmatic impressions

• 1.1 million+ social engagements

• Display CTR 140% above benchmark

• Excedrin mentions among gamers increased 50% month over month

• Twitch brand lift outperformed platform benchmarks, including a 19% lift in unaided awareness and a 24% lift in message association among users ages 18-24