303 MullenLowe is challenging the stigma surrounding severe allergies in Aussie youth.
303 MullenLowe and Lanham PR has partnered with Australian allergy bodies; the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), launching a campaign for the 250,000 young Australians living with severe allergies.
The project, funded by the Australian government, began as a result of a survey conducted by the National Allergy Strategy team, which revealed an alarming number of teenagers with severe allergies were avoiding telling their friends about their condition and choosing not to carry their Epipen to avoid ‘standing out’ at school or in their social circles.
A number of months were spent working with young Australians to better understand what tools and support they needed to overcome the social and emotional challenges attached to being a young Australian coping with severe allergies and together for the campaign.
303 MullenLowe group managing director Derry Simpson says: “It was heartbreaking to hear about the challenges this group was facing every day. Being a teenager is hard enough, without feeling like you’re different all the time.
“What they all wanted was a place they could go that was just for them. Somewhere they could find the answers to their questions and the tools and resources they needed to help them have conversations about their allergies with their friends. And a place where they could share their stories and talk to others their own age, who are going through the same thing. And that’s exactly what 250K is designed to be."
303 MullenLowe head of digital Peter Liddell says: “It’s really rewarding to see how the youth advisory group have responded to the 250K.org.au website. They found the content really useful and relatable but in a really fun way. They love the animated characters and are asking for even more."
In response, 303 is optimising the A&AA sites and launching some additional functionality over coming weeks to allow kids to "share their feels” and to create and share their own avatars.
It is also looking to add Snapchat geo-filters targeted to allergy clinics and related medical centres.
Check out the website here.
“Increasing awareness around allergy management is vitally important, particularly amongst young people aged in their teens up to early twenties, when people may be reluctant to share information about their severe allergy, and may not be as vigilant about avoiding allergens," A&AA CEO Maria Said says.
"This new website provides teens and young adults with the information that they’ve asked for, to help enable them to live safely and independently. The resource is designed to engage, interest and inform them.”
