How Nurofen Plans to Evolve Its Campaign Recognising Women’s Pain

Experiencing pain is something everyone is familiar with regardless of what shape or size it comes in. But in a world where women are told they’re ‘too emotional’ or whatever they’re experiencing is a ‘normal’ part that comes with their biological makeup, how can we change society’s attitudes towards pain?

Since 2022, Nurofen have been on a mission to tackle the stigmas behind voicing pain for women, and with the help of its creative agency McCann London, they have added another chapter to the story of their “See My Pain” campaign. 

The campaign originates from research investigating the gender pain gap finding that women have a much harder time having their voiced pain taken seriously, with one in two women feeling they have had their pain dismissed. 

During its second phase in 2023, the collaborators launched a campaign on the issue, running across OOH, TV, digital and audio channels; this time around it has gone much bigger - in a literal sense. McCann, alongside IPG’s Momentum Worldwide and Chiswick Scenery, produced an eye-catching 13x22 feet installation screen displaying real-life accounts of pain dismissal that was showcased in the city centre of Newcastle across September 27 and 28, all centred around the issue of discrimination against women. 

“Our goal with this activation is to amplify the voices of women whose pain has been ignored, and to catalyse awareness and action towards equality in pain management and treatment,” said Mathieu Desbrandes, marketing manager at Reckitt Nurofen. “This activation and its upcoming amplification serve as a fantastic new prompt to demonstrate Nurofen’s commitment to fighting gender biases that prevent women from receiving appropriate and timely treatment for their pain.”

For creative agency McCann London, being a part of the project is an important step for highlighting the “prevalence and deep impact” the gender pain gap has on the lives of countless women globally. 

“The pill pack mirrors the scale of the Gender Pain Gap, making it impossible to ignore,” commented Regan Warner, executive creative director at McCann London. “You can skip an ad, but you can’t walk past this striking reminder of the pain women ensure. The installation forces everyone to confront the issue directly.”

So, what’s next? 

At a recent See My Pain panel discussion held at McCann’s London Office, when addressing the responses the campaign has had, Desbrandes said the reception has gone down “exceptionally well” among audiences and has provided “great insight” into where the campaign can proceed. In doing so, however, while stressing the importance of starting conversation around the issue of the disparity in how women’s pain is recognised, he emphasised that there is still much to be done for progress. 

“It’s a long journey… Just start by talking about it, saying there’s a problem, raising awareness on that is still very valid and [it will] probably be another few years before we can say: ‘Let’s deepen it’. Let’s potentially pinpoint a certain area, foundation, or taking a slightly different angle in there. So we have some jobs to do on that, but it doesn’t mean in the background you’re not supposed to start building foundations for the future,” continues Desbrandes. 

The brand recognises that this isn’t a problem it can solve on its own, all the while believing it is one the world cannot continue to ignore. 

In talking about future hopes for what Nurofen’s campaign could influence and how he wishes to take it forwards, Desbrandes dreams of having influence on policy change where like-minded businesses, institutions, charities and MPs come together to address how the healthcare system and approaches towards the notion of pain can be changed. 

McCann London is paving its own way for such change, working with Nurofen to create its Pain Pledge to tackle women voicing their pain in the workplace. 

Tommy Smith, managing director of McCann London spoke about the importance of “embracing” their learnings from their work developed with Nurofen and that the brands together want to elevate a conversation around pain. 

“Within the Nurofen team at McCann London, employees felt comfortable discussing the different types of pain they encountered, ranging from chronic discomfort to acute issues, sparking the idea to create an inclusive policy that supports all employees in managing pain without judgment," he explains.

The drive for such work, according to Smith, comes from the desire to foster a culture that elevates the conversation about pain, making it more visible, changing the narrative and removing the stigma.