The Shift

Instead of avoiding shame

protecting your fertility

The Challenge
Navigate a controversial topic: Creating comfort with Plan B One-Step to overcome reluctance to use emergency contraception

Something was stopping women from buying it when they needed it. Was it the stigma and shame surrounding a pregnancy scare? The company needed to build a bond and overcome reluctance.

The Insight
While some women may feel embarrassed to purchase Plan B One Step, our research revealed that shame is not the number-one barrier.

Fear was the powerful deterrent for women–fear that it could be bad for their bodies or hurt chance of conception in the future. We changed the narrative to mitigate those fears by focusing on how it works and how safe it is—now and in the future.

The Result

Research showed the straightforward language boosted overall positive feelings and increased likelihood to purchase.


Plan B One-Step adopted this major tonal shift in marketing and sales collateral—including an integrated digital campaign in 2019—to drive sales.