Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare and serious disease that mainly affects boys, with about ten new cases a year in Sweden. Through a combination of PR, social media content and targeted efforts at Almedalen, we highlighted personal stories about the gamer Sigge, his father Martin and the e-sports team PARA.Ghost. The result was increased visibility, strong engagement and a more human perspective on a complex disease.
The campaign was carried out in three phases to maximise impact over time. In the first phase we ran intensive PR work, identifying and developing strong, personal stories in text and video. Through national and regional media we reached a broad audience and created an emotional entry point to the subject. Storytelling focused on hope, community and everyday life helped make the diagnosis more relatable.
In the next phase we built on the PR impact and created a physical activation at Almedalen, where visitors were invited to meet Sigge in Counter-Strike. The activation worked as a platform for conversations with politicians, media and other key people.
In parallel we developed a content package in close collaboration with the patient association DBMD, with a focus on long-term usefulness in their own communication. By creating channel- and audience-adapted material we enabled continued presence, knowledge sharing and engagement even after the campaign period.
The campaign created a strong impact, both broadly and among priority audiences.
The PR work generated 14 media mentions with a potential reach of about 4.5 million, with visibility in both national and regional media.
During Almedalen, nine meetings were held with decision-makers in politics, healthcare and media, including a longer meeting with the Minister for Health. The activation generated great interest on site, with high participation and many spontaneous conversations with key people.
Overall, the efforts contributed to greater awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, stronger engagement among both the public and decision-makers, and a more positive and forward-looking picture of life with the condition – an important foundation for future advocacy work and launches.
Potential audience
Number of media mentions
Number of meetings with decision-makers
