Targeting an Audience

Raising teen awareness of osteoporosis through advertising.

Osteoporosis is the most common of the bone diseases that affect Americans. It is characterized by low bone mass resulting in weakening of the skeleton. The condition is diagnosable in women as early as their young teenage years. One of the most common myths about Osteoporosis is that it can be prevented by correcting stooped posture in preadolescent and teenage girls. However, early screening is the only way to check bone mineral density to predict future development of the disease. Young teenage girls have a cultural aversion to letting their parents or their parents’ physicians know anything about their bodies. To educate and encourage parents to bring their daughters in for screening, we developed a campaign targeted at both parents and daughters. To debunk the posture myth, we communicated with teens using a visual icon and a headline that young girls could identify with. It stressed that a yearly screening is the only way to prevent the debilitating future effects of Osteoporosis. The poster campaign raised screening awareness in doctor’s offices, walk-in clinics, junior high and high schools. In addition, the back of the posters carried information to educate physicians about new Johnson & Johnson, Merck Osteoporosis drug therapies.