Art Garfunkel delves into psoriasis patient experience in Sun Pharma campaign

Folk music icon Art Garfunkel is returning to the public eye by participating in a psoriasis awareness campaign — after keeping his experience with the condition hidden for the majority of his music career.

Garfunkel, one half of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Simon & Garfunkel, is speaking out for the first time about living with psoriasis in Sun Pharma’s I LUV YA for The Long Haul campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the company’s biologic, Ilumya.

Maureen Shannon, senior director and head of biologics marketing for Sun Pharma, said the drugmaker learned from Garfunkel’s clinician that the singer was taking Ilumya and thought he’d be an ideal partner for a campaign.

Shannon referred to Garfunkel as inspirational as a voice in American folklore and culture, noting that he has captured the hearts of generations.

“What’s so incredible about that part of his life is that he did all that in spite of his struggles with psoriasis,” she said. 

Art’s journey

In a video posted on the campaign website, Garfunkel discusses his patient journey alongside his wife, Kim.

At one point, Kim references the singer’s signature turtlenecks during his time performing music. 

“I remember during outdoor summer concerts, you dressed as if it were the middle of the fall,” she said.

The condition never made it into his music, largely because Garfunkel spent most of his career trying to hide it.

“It was part of my life even during my most public moments, including on tours, but I rarely, if ever, spoke about it,” Garfunkel told People in an interview. “I found ways to cover it on stage, in photos and in my day-to-day life.”

Garfunkel notes that his journey with the disease was long, adding that he dealt with many challenges, including trying a variety of treatments — like creams, UV light and even tar — to no avail. 

However, he said when his dermatologist recommended Ilumya, he began to see a difference.

“After struggling for decades, I finally started Ilumya about two years ago, and experiencing clearer skin has helped me regain my confidence,” Garfunkel said in a statement.

Ilumya was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Sun Pharma on partnering with celebrities

Garfunkel is the most prominent patient voice among many featured in the I LUV YA for The Long Haul campaign. 

When initially surveying some 500 patients about the condition in preparation for the campaign, the Sun Pharma team found that psoriasis can lead to negative impacts beyond the visual signs of the disease. This includes patients experiencing periods of isolation and changing how they interact in their personal relationships and day-to-day life.

Shannon said the company wanted to find a way to authentically talk about what that impact looks like.

“The patient stories highlight psoriasis from a much more holistic perspective, and put an exclamation point on the importance of relationships — whether it’s with the dermatologist, a spouse or a good friend,” she said. 

Shannon encouraged pharma marketers to embrace celebrity partnerships and to incorporate initial assessments to help pinpoint which voices may be the best to reach certain audiences.

She noted that Garfunkel’s “humility and intelligence” made him a good fit for I LUV YA for The Long Haul.

“[Marketers] in healthcare and pharma marketing want to bring an authenticity to the way that they talk about any patient experience, a clinician experience, and even a product experience,” Shannon said. “Doing that upfront analysis, assessment and engagement with the celebrity and their team upfront helps you get a sense of what the future partnership might look like and how to navigate it.”

Going forward, Sun Pharma plans to continue the campaign with new iterations of patient stories and extend the partnership with Garfunkel through other channels, including social media.