/Pre‑Launch Case Study
Alnylam Fitusiran
Modernizing Hemophilia Engagement Through Community, Emotion, and Simplicity
This campaign unified strategy, empathy, and innovation to build Alnylam’s pre‑launch foundation for Fitusiran, transforming complex science into human‑centered narratives across three creative territories. Through thoughtful research, visual exploration, and emotional clarity, the work strengthened community trust, clarified RNAi’s role, and positioned Alnylam as a committed ally in a fragmented, burdened ecosystem.
Introduction
Fitusiran, Alnylam’s investigational RNAi therapy, entered Phase III with the potential to redefine prophylactic care for patients with Hemophilia A or B, with or without inhibitors. But with no commercial presence and a crowded, factor‑dominated market, Alnylam needed to build early trust, clarity, and emotional resonance across HCPs, patients, caregivers, and advocacy groups. This two‑year pre‑launch initiative established the foundation for how Alnylam would show up: as an empathetic ally, a scientific innovator, and a unifying force in a fragmented community.
Research & Insights
Marketplace Reality
The hemophilia ecosystem is tight‑knit, active, and deeply informed. Yet it is also dispersed across Facebook groups, advocacy organizations, forums, and local events. HCPs focus on data and long‑term patient outcomes, while patients and caregivers experience daily burdens—pain, fear of inhibitors, and complex treatment routines.
Insight Themes
These insights shaped the creative exploration and the emotional territories needed for meaningful engagement.
RNAi created confusion—was it a therapy, a mechanism, or a class?
Switching from factor therapies triggered anxiety and risk perception.
The community needed warmth, clarity, and a sense of belonging.
Pre‑launch communications required empathy, restraint, and scientific integrity.
Creative Exploration
Concept 1 — Togetherness: A Unified Community Space
A visual metaphor of hand‑drawn figures connected in a continuous line represented the dispersed hemophilia community coming together in one shared digital environment. This concept positioned Alnylam as a supportive ally—a listener—offering a trusted hub for stories, education, and connection.
What It Solved
Fragmentation of patient and caregiver networks
Need for early, non‑promotional engagement
Opportunity to build trust before discussing RNAi
Stakeholders praised the authenticity and emotional warmth, validating its role as the community‑centric pillar of the brand.
Concept 2 — Freedom Factor: Emotional Lightness & Empowerment
Red balloons—mirroring the structure of clustered red blood cells—symbolized the emotional lift and newfound ease Fitusiran might offer. The concept reframed switching not as a risk, but as a freeing, empowering step toward simpler, more confident hemophilia management.
What It Solved
Fear associated with switching treatments
Need to communicate innovation without overstating efficacy
Desire for an optimistic, human‑forward narrative
The metaphor resonated across stakeholders for its balance of scientific subtlety and emotional clarity.
Concept 3 — Maze: Cutting Through Complexity
The maze expressed the exhausting, nonlinear reality of current hemophilia care—infusions, monitoring, inhibitors, and logistical burdens. A breakthrough path carved directly through the walls represented how anti‑thrombin silencing could simplify routines and restore control.
What It Solved
The complexity and cognitive load of current regimens
Misperceptions about RNAi being more complicated than factor therapy
Need for a simple, intuitive metaphor
Stakeholders found this concept compelling for its scientific clarity and its impact as a problem‑solution narrative.
Color Palette & Visual System
A workshop with cross‑functional partners analyzed color psychology, category usage, accessibility, and device considerations. Insights revealed a crowded category dominated by reds and blues, encouraging Alnylam to pursue a palette grounded in optimism, harmony, and stability.
Recommended Direction
Rather than selecting a single concept, Alnylam aligned around a hybrid creative pathway:
The empathy of Togetherness
The optimism of Freedom Factor
The clarity of Maze
This combined direction allowed the brand to speak to the full spectrum of emotional and scientific needs within the hemophilia community, setting the stage for future education, advocacy, and product‑specific communications.
Outcomes & Impact
This pre‑launch exploration delivered:
A validated emotional foundation for Fitusiran’s identity
A clear pathway for educating the community on RNAi
Strategic alignment across medical, marketing, and advocacy teams
A visual and narrative framework that could evolve into future brand, website, and device experiences
More importantly, it established Alnylam as a trusted ally committed to elevating and simplifying life for people with hemophilia—years before commercial launch.
