Publicis London and Essity break healing taboos with bold new Leukoplast campaign

Publicis London has launched a powerful new campaign for Essity’s Leukoplast brand called “Undeserved”. This campaign is the first initiative under Essity’s global platform “Healing For Every Body”, which aims to change how we view healing and recovery.

The “Undeserved” campaign uses real, personal stories to highlight the struggles that many people face while recovering from wounds. It challenges old beliefs and stereotypes about wound healing, showing that recovery is not just physical but emotional too. The campaign brings attention to issues such as skin tone bias and age bias, which often affect healing. It also promotes the idea of equal care for everyone, no matter their background.

The campaign features six people sharing their real-life recovery stories, including challenges like mastectomies, skin tears, and postpartum infections. Through these stories, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the emotional toll recovery can take and the barriers people face. The campaign is launched globally with a two-minute film that will be available in multiple languages, making it relevant for a wide range of people across different cultures.

Directed by Chris Fowles and produced by Prodigious, the film takes a raw, honest look at healing. Unlike traditional medical ads, this campaign doesn’t shy away from the tough parts of recovery, offering a mix of struggles and small victories. The film is complemented by a hopeful and original track by Massive Music, highlighting the emotional journey of healing.

To make sure the campaign reaches a wide audience, shorter versions of the film have been created for social media and digital platforms. These 20-second, 15-second, and 6-second clips help spread the message to even more people.

Publicis London’s Chief Creative Officer, Noel Bunting, shared, “We are pushing the boundaries of what wound care advertising looks like by showing the unfiltered realities of recovery – the setbacks, the small victories, and the emotional weight that comes with it.”

Lisa Myers, Global Brand Communications Manager for Essity, added, “This is more than just a campaign—it’s a statement. With ‘Undeserved’, we are breaking down biases within healthcare and reinforcing our commitment to ensuring that everyone has the right support throughout the recovery process.”

By creating the “Undeserved” campaign, Publicis London and Essity are not only changing the conversation around wound care but are also inspiring a more inclusive and compassionate approach to healing for all.

CREDITS

Campaign Title: Undeserved
Creative Agency: Publicis London
Chief Operating Officer: Trent Patterson
Business Director: Luke Cambridge
Senior Account Manager: Gintare Lileikyte
Account Manager: Henrietta Nielson
Global Strategy Partner: Alexandra Mimoun
Senior Strategist: Dalonie Graham
Chief Creative Officer: Noel Bunting
Creative Directors: Valentina Amenta, Rhys Hughes, Barret Helander
Senior Creatives: James White, Henry Finnegan
Head of Design: Ryan Connolly
Senior Designer: Oskah Manchip
Agency Producer: Emma Havard-Jones
Photographer: Mark Wesley

Client: Essity Medical
Marketing & Communication Director: Isabel Dahlberg
Global Therapeutic Area Director, Wound Care: Sascha Casu
Global Brand Communication Manager: Lisa Myers
Global Brand Communication Manager: Tina Püttmann
Global Associate Brand Communications Manager: Jessica Lorson
Global Digital Content Manager: Sarah Jouanny
Global Product Manager: Isabell Siemers

Production Agency: Prodigious
Executive Producer: Richard Grisman
Producer: Stephen Riera
Director: Chris Fowles
DOP: Henry Gill
Service Company: GoGo Projects (Turkey)
Post Producers: Lara Parker, Sam Faulkner
Offline Editor: Jason Fok
Audio Engineer: Michael Powell
Motion Graphics: Rowena Matthews
Flame: Jack Kennedy
Harbour Colourist: Jonny Tully
Music: Massive Music