Merck Mectizan Donation Program Film

Client Brief
Merck asked us to create a film celebrating 5 billion Mectizan treatments donated for river blindness and elephantiasis. They wanted a piece to share with staff and show at their main factory in Haarlem. Therefore, the goal was to highlight the program’s scale, impact, and Merck’s long-term commitment.

Our Approach
First, we combined staff interviews from last year’s annual event with archival footage from years of filming the Mectizan Donation Program across multiple countries. This approach allowed us to show both the human and operational impact of the program.

Next, our MD, Steve Maud, composed a soundtrack called The Promise, inspired by Merck’s motto: “As much as needed, for as long as needed.” The music guided the narrative and emphasized the dedication behind the program. Additionally, by blending heartfelt interviews, historical footage, and cinematic visuals, we illustrated the difference 35 years of commitment has made to communities around the world.

Impact and Results
As a result, the film premiered at Merck’s annual event and received enthusiastic applause. It reinforced the Mectizan Donation Program as a cornerstone of Merck’s work and strengthened staff pride. Furthermore, the film helped secure additional funding for the program and increased awareness of the company’s global impact.

Overall, by telling the story of Merck’s long-term commitment, the film demonstrates how strategic content can educate, inspire, and celebrate at the same time. The Merck Mectizan Donation Program film commemorated a historic milestone and created a shared sense of purpose among staff. In this way, it made the scale and importance of the initiative tangible and meaningful for everyone who watched it.

This film looks at the success in overcoming a crippling disease that has besieged Nigeria, and large parts of Africa for decades. Onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness causes unbearable itching and ultimately blindness to the point where river-side communities were abandoned.

Thanks to the dedication of people like Nasarawa State Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Jacob Righain, the support of NGO partners The Carter Center and donation of the treating drug Mectizan by Merck & Co., local communities have been empowered to break the transmission of river blindness and create a platform for future disease interventions.

Filmed just before the COVID-19 lockdown kicked in, we worked with a talented Nigerian crew to get right to the heart of the story. We edited back in the UK and created a bespoke soundtrack to help transport the viewer deeper into the world of neglected tropical diseases.

It forms part of a wider suite of films used in different ways that have told the Mectizan Donation Program story over the years, collaborating with multiple global partners from the Nigerian Ministry of Health and local government, to Sightsavers, the Carter Center and other key players in the game to get full engagement from the offset.