MSD debunks myths surrounding HPV in latest campaign

Biopharmaceutical company MSD has partnered with local creative agency Narrow Door and media agency IPG Mediabrands to launch a new campaign focusing on questions and myths that people often hesitate to ask about human papillomavirus (HPV). 

Running until May, the campaign, themed “The big ask”, is designed to highlight the questions many people are too embarrassed to ask, thereby helping to remove the inhibitions surrounding sex and HPV. Some of the questions include: If someone has already had sexual experience, is it too late to prevent HPV-related diseases? Do people feel the need to prevent HPV only if they are going to cheat on their partners? How can people identify a young man with HPV? 

The campaign aims to establish HPV as a key topic in the public narrative on social life and sexual health, helping to clarify misconceptions, elicit further questions, and encourage more informed relationship decisions.

The campaign features two celebrities as spokespersons including actress Lin Min Chen (林明禎) and singer Tyson Yoshi. Their presence aims to make the campaign instantly relatable to its target audience – socially engaged, sexually active young people. Lin is considered a “goddess” by many male viewers, while Tyson Yoshi’s charismatic bad-boy image adds credibility to his message about sexual responsibility.

The campaign is launched with a lead video followed by four individual segments, each focusing on a different question that many people research online but are reluctant to ask. The videos steer clear of a dry, sermonising tone that could turn off the young target audience. Instead, they feature an intentionally lively treatment to connect with viewers and make them more receptive to the campaign message. The video has received over 2,000,000 views on YouTube since its launch, according to a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

In one execution, a young woman browsing a dating app in a bar comes upon a heartthrob with dreamy eyes by the name of Thaison, who on closer inspection turns out to have HPV.

In another, Lin, playing a chef in a Japanese restaurant, presents Thaison with a series of enticing-looking dishes made with "cauliflower" (椰菜花), a Chinese euphemism for genital warts, the sexually transmitted infection caused by HPV. These irreverent, playful scenes provide plenty of comic relief to go with the sobering facts about the risks and consequences of HPV. For most people, HPV clears up on its own. But if it persists, it could cause certain cancers and other diseases.  

Additionally, the campaign is supported by key visuals (KV), social media engagements, out-of-home (OOH) ads in MTR stations and bus bodies, TV commercials, and in-clinic placements.

Norris Mak, business unit director at MSD Hong Kong and Macau, said: “Medical knowledge is growing constantly. The result is that many diseases are competing for our attention these days. HPV, because it’s not the easiest topic to talk about, tends to get lost in the clutter. We want to help the public better understand the disease and its implications for their private lives. Young people, especially, need to develop a sort of intimacy literacy.”

Terry Tsang, director of Narrow Door, said: “There has always been a sort of hush around the topic of HPV because it’s linked to so much that’s personal. We want to help drive effective HPV conversations by turning private questions into public talking points. The point we want to stress is, that the only bad questions about HPV are the unasked ones.”

Don’t miss: MSD raises awareness of HPV prevention with mini-movie

Back in May last year, MSD partnered with Narrow Door to launch a zombie-themed mini-movie as part of its HPV awareness campaign, aiming to engage men by appealing to their protective instinct towards their loved ones and themselves.

Revolving around the idea of “Guide to men’s survival” (男人生存法則), the campaign bridged different age groups by pairing two icons from different generations: Keung To from the local boyband MIRROR and local actor Stephen Fung.

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