M+F Health looked to the therapeutic benefits of music as a source of inspiration for a community engagement and disease awareness programme for Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder affecting 1 in 40,000 people in the UK.
Through a play on words with Elgar’s famous song, ‘Pomp and Circumstance’, the stage was set to devise the ‘Pompe & Circumstance’ campaign. Working with David and Carrie Grant (BAFTA award-winning broadcasters, and vocal coaches), the M+F team brought the Pompe community together to share their stories and create their own version of Elgar’s iconic song with lyrics that expressed their stories. The project culminated in a live performance on the anniversary of Elgar’s death, at Abbey Road studios.
"Singing is a powerful way to bring people together and there are lots of studies that show that music can have a profound influence on health and wellbeing. It’s been so inspiring to work with people who face so many challenges getting a diagnosis and still come out smiling."
Media engagement successfully provided the Pompe community with a powerful voice, highlighting the need for more timely diagnosis. The project was covered in national, regional and pharma press reaching over 3.5 million. Social media also garnered over 125k impressions and 49k video views across Twitter and LinkedIn, with one organic post reaching over a 30% engagement rate (well exceeding the industry benchmark of 3-4%!).
