By Chloe Ledford, Collin McDonald, and Urusha Lama
In healthcare communications, we’re often under pressure to produce more. More content. More assets. More channels. More touchpoints.
But the most memorable campaigns rarely succeed because they generate the most content. They succeed because they create something larger: a world people want to enter, a story people want to follow and an experience people want to participate in.
An unlikely example comes from outside healthcare altogether. In 2025, Pharrell Williams’ Jellyfish sneaker collaboration with Adidas helped revive excitement in an already saturated market. At a time when sneaker releases had become increasingly frequent and widely available, the Jellyfish stood out not simply because of the product itself, but because of the ecosystem built around it.
For healthcare communicators, the lesson isn’t about sneakers. It’s about understanding how attention, engagement and participation are created. Three principles stand out: Build the world, choreograph access and create participation.
Build the world, not just the message
The Jellyfish sneaker was designed to attract attention. Its sculptural form and distinctive silhouette made it instantly recognizable. But recognition alone wasn’t what made it successful.
The product existed within a larger universe: VIRGINIA, Pharrell Williams’ creative platform. Through VIRGINIA, the sneaker became connected to a broader set of ideas including music, fashion, community and his Virginia Beach roots. Campaign imagery, events, physical experiences and recurring visual codes all reinforced the same central narrative. The product was the entry point. The world was what made it meaningful.
Healthcare communicators face a similar challenge. Too often, planning starts by asking what asset we need next. But the more valuable question may be: What story are we trying to build?
Whether introducing a new mechanism in a crowded therapeutic category, increasing awareness of an underrecognized disease or supporting a mature brand with emerging evidence, stakeholders are rarely looking for isolated messages. They are looking for context that helps them make sense of information over time.
A clear narrative ecosystem creates that context. It allows publications, educational programs and stakeholder interactions to reinforce one another rather than operate as disconnected deliverables. The test isn’t whether a single asset performs well. It’s whether the underlying idea remains recognizable wherever stakeholders encounter it.
Choreograph access through meaningful progression
The second lesson from the Jellyfish launch is that access itself became part of the story.
Before most consumers could purchase the sneaker, it appeared at high-profile cultural moments. Visibility came first. Availability came later.
Subsequent releases unfolded across different platforms and cities, with each launch adding a new chapter rather than repeating the previous one. As the story evolved, audiences had a reason to continue paying attention. Importantly, the value wasn’t in restricting access for the sake of exclusivity. The value was ensuring that each stage offered something new.
Healthcare communications can benefit from the same mindset.
Choreographing access doesn’t mean withholding information. Rather, it means designing communications so that each interaction builds on the last and provides a distinct purpose.
For a new mechanism, that progression might move from scientific exchange to data release, publication and education. For an underrecognized disease, it may begin with awareness before progressing toward evidence and diagnostic support. For a mature brand, new analyses and emerging data can provide opportunities to evolve the narrative instead of repeating it.
When every touchpoint contributes something meaningful, communications become a journey rather than a collection of disconnected activities. The key question is simple: What does each stakeholder gain at every interaction?
Create participation, not passive engagement
People didn’t simply see the Jellyfish sneaker. They interacted with it. They searched for it, discussed it, photographed it, styled it and shared it. Participation became part of the experience.
That principle translates directly to healthcare communications. Meaningful engagement is rarely achieved by delivering information alone. Stakeholders are more likely to engage when they have a role to play in the conversation.
For a new mechanism, participation might involve interactive tools that help healthcare professionals explore evidence and assess relevance to clinical practice. For an underrecognized disease, patients, advocates and healthcare professionals can help shape educational initiatives and highlight barriers to care. For mature brands, expert discussion, case-based learning and evidence exploration can create opportunities for stakeholders to contribute their perspectives.
The objective isn’t engagement for engagement’s sake. It’s creating opportunities for stakeholders to help build understanding alongside us. A useful question to ask is whether we’re creating communications for stakeholders or creating opportunities for them to become part of the story.
From information to involvement
The most effective communications don’t simply deliver information. They give people a role in it.
The Jellyfish sneaker demonstrates how brands can create attention by building a coherent world, sequencing experiences thoughtfully and inviting participation. While healthcare communications operates within a very different environment, the underlying principles remain relevant.
As communicators, our opportunity isn’t simply to produce more content. It’s to design connected experiences that help stakeholders understand, engage with and contribute to the stories we are telling. When we build worlds instead of messages, choreograph access instead of repeating information and create participation instead of passive consumption, communication becomes something stakeholders actively choose to be part of.
