Putting Life at the Center of the Story
Project;
Surgeon-Focused Direct Mail Campaign
Responsibilities:
Concept Development, Art Direction, Direct Mail Design, Lifestyle Photography Direction, Location Scouting, Storyboarding, Shoot Planning, Photographer Collaboration, Photo Editing and Selection, Campaign Development
The Bottom Line:
I conceived, designed, and directed the real-patient photography for Thoratec’s HeartMate XVE campaign. The direct mail initiative reached over 50,000 surgeons and specialists and extended into magazine ads. Driven by client-verified phone and website inquiries from the first round, the campaign successfully deployed a second round.
"Surgeons know the specs. I showed them the life."
Case Study:
HeartMate XVE offered a treatment option for patients living with advanced heart failure. Surgeons and specialists knew the technology. The challenge was showing them more than the device: the real lives of the people who depended on it.
I came up with the concept and designed the campaign around real HeartMate patients doing the things that mattered to them. I scouted locations, storyboarded, planned the shoots, directed the photography, and made the final image selections. The goal was authentic moments that showed what life could look like with the device.
The campaign went out as a direct mail program to more than 50,000 surgeons and specialists. I designed the media package, which included white papers and detailed product information to support clinical education. It later extended into magazine advertising, carrying the same message into more channels.
The result:
Surgeons and specialists received clinical details alongside the human story. The first round showed them the people their treatment decisions affected, rather than just the technology. Following strong client-verified inquiries, a second round was deployed to capitalize on that momentum and deepen audience engagement.