Boots launches first cancer help ads by Ogilvy

Boots Ireland has rolled out a new ad campaign to support people living with cancer. The ‘Feel Like You Again’ ads created by Ogilvy to highlight free cancer services in Boots pharmacies and to urge consumers to visit the chemists around Ireland. The services are delivered by trained Boots Irish Cancer Society (ICS) beauty advisors and pharmacists.

The ad marks Boots Ireland’s first TV campaign to be created by Ogilvy Dublin.

The ad runs through a simple day of a mum getting ready to watch her son play sport. Through subtle looks between the two, viewers soon realise how important it is for the mum to get up and out on this day – both for herself and her son. The ad is told in reverse sequence, each scene plays forwards in time, but the order is backwards.

It shows how for a mother and son, when dealing with an illness like cancer, getting through one day can be a struggle but it’s the small, daily victories that can help people feel good again. Boots Ireland is in its sixth year partnering with the ICS, with the aim of increasing awareness, promote prevention and support people living with cancer.

Since the partnership began in 2012, Boots has trained over 100 beauty advisors and over 150 pharmacists to offer practical tips and advice to help manage the effects of cancer. The serviced also included make-up and skincare advice to help manage the visible side effects of treatment – helping people to feel like themselves again.

The pharmacists are in all Boots stores nationwide, providing free advice on medication and side effects along with pointing to local support services. At Ogilvy, the Boots campaign was created by Emma Fielding and Marcus Hartung working to Boots’ head of marketing Gillian Hennessy. The TV ad was directed by Zak Emerson at Butter.