• “My Skin’s on Fire” is the first documentary film to chronicle the lives of individuals with psoriasis who talk openly and honestly about the dramatic emotional, social and psychological impact of the disease on their daily lives. A result of the shared commitment of psoriasis sufferer and filmmaker Fred Finkelstein and film sponsor Genentech, the film demystifies some of the notions about living with psoriasis and supports Genentech’s mission of improving patients’ lives.
  • Genentech relied on public relations as the sole driver to build “buzz” for the launch of “My Skin’s on Fire,” therefore, efforts to support the event ranged from online news outlets and controlled media vehicles to physician spokespeople who were utilized to promote awareness of the film and the disease. CCA selected the Tribeca Film Center in New York for the premiere event. Postcards and e-mail invitations were sent to dermatologists, advocacy groups and patients to attend the event.
  • Even with the timing of the launch coinciding with the devastating 2005 hurricane season which included Hurricane Katrina – later called “the story of the year,” – CCA garnered significant results for the campaign, including endorsement of the film from advocacy groups, the National Psoriasis Foundation, Psoriasis Cure Now! and FlakeHQ, media placements that included more than 26 million media impressions, a radio news release featuring a leading dermatologist and a patient that reached 12 million listeners on more than 600 radio stations, a national radio media tour with a dermatologist and the filmmaker that reached an additional 12 million listeners, and an 800% increase in visitors to the www.beyondpsoriasis.com Web site following the premiere. To support media following the launch, CCA developed a mat release featuring a Raptiva patient and highlighting the Web site to drive patients to order their free copy of the film.
  • The premiere, which featured laptop computers where viewers could order free DVD copies at www.beyondpsoriasis.com, Genentech’s unbranded patient educational Web site, was filled to capacity and psoriasis patients polled after the premiere screening commended Genentech for its support of the film and the psoriasis community. One hundred percent of respondents noted that they would recommend the film to others. Other comments noted in the post screening questionnaires and Q&A session included:
    • "There is so much more to living with the disease than imaginable – this is an excellent educational film”
    • "Just like any disease or handicap, ignorance breeds fear, and spreading information and awareness is the first step in an effort to find a cure”
    • "This film shows how life altering the disease is, and also that there are important inroads being made with the treatments”
    • "I’m brought to the consciousness of what it is like to live with this illness”
  • Success of this campaign was recognized by the American Academy of Dermatology with the Gold Triangle Award, an honor for those in industry, the media and public health organizations for their role in providing information on the latest techniques and treatments in dermatology.