The Battle for the Bronchs

From Australia, a kind of social campaign to raise awareness on asthma (I wrote “kind of” because it’s sponsored by Glaxo Smith Kline). Created by Tequila, Battle for the Bronchs is an interactive comic book combining live action video set in an illustrated city inside a pair of lungs. The site is aimed at young people who may suffer from asthma but tend to ignore the warning signs and avoid traditional health management messages.

When I first read the title of the campaign I must say I was a little bit skeptical and somehow disgusted, but you know, you should never stop at the first impression, so I visited the site and I changed my mind. I explain myself… I like the concept, and I like the design, but I have some doubts concerning the real capability of the campaign to properly deliver the message.

I think the advertainment approach works very well to grab people attention, to make them curious enough to spend a few minutes on the site (the advergame “lung-fu” is brilliant!). However I’m not sure to which extent young visitors will become aware of the importance of dealing with asthma in time and in the right way. For example, I would have put more focus on the Asthma Score test which on the contrary, ends up being quite hidden. So, overall, the evaluation of the site is positive, but with some open questions on the balance between the entertaining and the educational aspect of the communication.