The campaign that changed the price of prescription drugs in America

ClientAARP

MarketNew York State — adopted by multiple additional states

AudienceNew York residents 50+, English and Spanish dominant

ServicesCreative · Production · Post-Production · Social

79%

Discount on Januvia after Medicare negotiation

U.S. states reached: AZ, CA, DE, FL, MA, NV, NH, NJ, NY, OR

Historic

Federal law changed, Medicare gains drug price negotiation power

$35

Monthly insulin cap secured for Medicare patients

The Challenge

For many older adults, rising prescription drug prices force an impossible choice between medication and food. Pharmaceutical companies had been protected by unfair pricing laws for decades, and most people felt powerless to challenge a system that large. AARP needed to change that to compel New York State residents to pressure their legislators into action and to help people who felt alone in their frustration understand that, together, they had the power to demand real change.

The Solution

Alerta developed a full bilingual multimedia campaign under the Stop Rx Greed platform, original concept, characters, and script brought to life through 2D animation. We designed original characters fighting a giant prescription pill bottle in a boxing ring, turning a complex policy issue into a story anyone could rally behind. The animated broadcast spot, social cutdowns, and static assets were simultaneously adapted for 10 states. The campaign drove the public pressure that led to historic federal legislation granting Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies, and AARP chapters across additional states adopted it as their own.

Campaign Content

AARP NEW YORK. RX DRUG PRICES campaign hero

Static Content · Social & Print

AARP NEW YORK. RX DRUG PRICES campaign asset 1

AARP NEW YORK. RX DRUG PRICES campaign asset 2

AARP NEW YORK. RX DRUG PRICES campaign asset 3

AARP NEW YORK. RX DRUG PRICES campaign asset 4

AARP NEW YORK. RX DRUG PRICES campaign asset 5

How We Did It

Original creative concept

We developed the full campaign idea, characters, and script from scratch, built around the emotional reality of Hispanic seniors forced to choose between medication and basic necessities, a truth that resonated immediately and widely.

Full bilingual production

Casting, recording sessions, editing, animation, music, and audio mixing all handled in-house, delivered in English and Spanish across every format and platform.

10-State adaptation

Every asset was adapted for 10 individual states, with state-specific legislative messaging built into each version to drive targeted local pressure on elected officials.

Advocacy meets creativity

We did not just make ads. We built a campaign designed to move people from individual frustration to collective action, and the result was a historic change in federal law that benefits millions of older Americans, and a campaign compelling enough that AARP chapters across multiple states adopted it as their own.

Ready to sell
to a wider America?

Expand to a wider market. We help brands of all sizes take advantage of the bigger opportunity through a bilingual culture-conscious approach. Let’s chat today.

hello@alertacreative.com