Pacira Biosciences | Exparel
Disrupting the default use of opioids for pain management by positioning Exparel as the new standard of care.
Exparel, a long-lasting non-opioid injection, needed to be positioned not just as an opioid alternative, but as a proactive partner in preventing misuse and addiction.
BARRIERS
Opioids remained the default for HCPs, and misadministration limited Exparel’s perceived efficacy. Patients and caregivers often deprioritized pain management, while lower-income communities faced limited education and overwhelmed hospitals.
SOLUTIONS
We reached patients, caregivers, and HCPs where they were—hospitals, congresses, and neighborhoods—using disruptive experiences, edutainment, and gamification to showcase Exparel’s benefits and drive adoption.
Patients / Caregivers
We reimagined patient education with a 360° VR film that felt like a Pixar short, written at a 5th–6th grade level to match literacy needs. From storytelling to packaging, the experience was designed to surprise, delight, and make learning memorable.
Hospitals
Exparel explored a bold campaign concept targeting neighborhoods hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. We developed three modular, unbranded ads hospitals could customize for local impact.
HCP
Exparel requires dual-site injection, yet clinicians often used a single shot. To address misapplication, we created a VR training simulating the procedure with instant feedback, gamifying accuracy, and extended it to medical schools and a congress game to reinforce correct technique, driving efficacy and uptake.