Lipid Lurkers
Patients with high cholesterol (LDL-C) know that failing to lower their levels puts them in danger of serious cardiovascular (CV) events, like heart attack or stroke. There are many ways to reduce LDL-C and CV risk, but they all have limitations:
- Diet and exercise help but are tough to maintain
- Statins are the gold standard and easy to take, but not always easy on the body
- PCSK9 inhibitors are effective but they’re primarily used after a CV event—and no one likes injections
Nexlizet and Nexletol are once-daily pills that can be considered after trying statins but before PCSK9s. They’re well-tolerated, easy-to-take, and can be prescribed before a patient has a CV event; and yet, they weren’t getting the attention they deserve. In fact, they were largely ignored by patients, who were either unaware of them or didn’t understand their value or role.
Nexlizet and Nexletol were set to unveil new CV data and needed a bold campaign refresh. While the data would strengthen their clinical value, focusing on numbers wasn’t a compelling way to grab or maintain patients’ attention.
Complicating matters: Patients tend to prioritize immediate and tangible health issues. Since LDL-C is a sneaky, silent threat—it can’t be seen or felt—it’s easy to forget about or dismiss. Scare tactics were discussed but quickly dismissed as our research found that fear wouldn’t motivate our audience to change their behavior.
We needed to make their risk tangible, not intimidating.
- Stand out in a crowded market by engaging and empowering patients
- Reinforce the threat of high LDL-C and create urgency to act without going overboard (remember, no scare tactics!)
- Position Nexlizet and Nexletol as the clear next choice after statins that allow patients to take control of LDL-C and reduce their risk
How do you help people face an invisible threat? Give the threat a face. We transformed LDL-C into the Lipid Lurkers, relatable, real-life characters that demand attention.
Creating the Lurkers required a deep dive into LDL-C: how it looks and behaves inside the body, and the real harm it can cause if left uncontrolled. As lipid proteins, LDL-C plays a dual role in health—too much can be deadly, yet some is essential for the body’s function. This meant the Lurkers couldn’t simply be portrayed as villains. They needed a balance between menacing and playful.
To shape their personalities, we explored a spectrum of character inspirations, from Bart Simpson to Kevin in Home Alone. Ultimately, we chose Dennis the Menace, well known to our Baby Boomer and Gen X audiences as a mischievous troublemaker who causes chaos without malicious intent.
By reimagining LDL-C as the Lipid Lurkers, we shed new light on its dangers, made the threat tangible, and empowered patients to take proactive steps for their health—before it’s too late.
The Lurkers made their grand debut in Times Square in April 2024, and they’ve been making waves ever since. Organic search traffic for Nexlizet and Nexletol has grown by 20% per month, generating 48 million impressions, 1.1 million clicks, and 1.05 million website sessions. And sales have surged by more than 50%.
