PHESGO
The Ask: Create a patient story campaign for a rare cancer treatment
For PHESGO, the goal was to create a real patient campaign that felt more emotionally connective in a category with limited awareness and few treatment options. Competitors were increasingly using patient storytelling, creating an opportunity to build a more human expression of the brand while helping people understand that another option existed.
What I Found: Rare disease stories need emotional range
Patients navigating rare cancers are not defined only by diagnosis. We wanted audiences to see lives in progress — people with families, careers, creativity, responsibilities, and identities outside treatment. Representation mattered because connection could happen through many entry points.
The Reframe: The goal wasn’t to tell one patient story. It was to create many ways in.
We approached casting intentionally, looking for someone whose story could resonate across multiple audiences and emotional experiences. The work needed to feel specific enough to be real while broad enough for patients and caregivers to see themselves reflected.
The Insight: Everyday life is often the strongest proof of hope
We cast Liv, whose story offered multiple dimensions beyond treatment. By highlighting relationships, passions, routines, and identity, the campaign shifted away from illness-first storytelling and toward a fuller picture of life.
The person became the story. The treatment became the support system around it.
The Idea: Build a flexible storytelling system from a single shoot
We designed the production around narrative efficiency, capturing enough emotional territory to extend the work into multiple videos from one day of filming. Interview questions, shot planning, and story structure were intentionally developed to support different edits and audience needs while maintaining one cohesive narrative.
My Role: Creative Direction + shoot leadership
I helped guide the creative direction, shaped story structure, aligned interview goals, and ensured we captured the emotional moments needed throughout production.
I partnered closely with the team to maintain narrative focus and maximize what could be created from a single shoot day.
The Outcome: One shoot, multiple stories, lasting brand value
The project generated several video assets from a single production day and became one of the strongest patient storytelling pieces developed for the brand. The work demonstrated how thoughtful casting and narrative planning could expand impact without expanding production scope.
