A kidnapped child, a husband with a double life, a treacherous murder plot unraveled when the police arrive at the perfect time. Those are just a few of the classic storylines Lifetime movie fans expect to see when they switch on the TV, and, this summer, GSK is adding another real-life danger to Lifetime's lineup: meningitis B.
The upcoming GSK-sponsored Lifetime Original Movie “Pretty Hurts” will see high school senior Lauren entering a beauty pageant to win scholarship money when meningococcal disease, commonly known as meningitis, “suddenly strikes close to home,” the pharma teased in a press release.
The film represents the newest arm of GSK’s Ask2BSure campaign, which encourages parents of teenagers and young adults to ensure their children have received the meningitis-B-specific vaccine. Many have already received vaccination against meningitis with broader vaccines that cover the A, C, W and Y serotypes but may be unknowingly missing protection from meningitis B. The disease is spread through close quarters and physical contact, putting those aged 16 to 23 at increased risk of infection, per GSK.
Since the awareness push is targeted at parents, a key role in the film is that of Julie, a “relatable mom” juggling the demands of family life and a career, according to the release. Julie is set to be played by Haylie Duff, a seasoned Lifetime movie actress and sister of early 2000s teen icon Hilary Duff.
In a 90-second clip GSK and Lifetime shared, a physician tells a concerned mom—flanked by the equally concerned and confused Lauren and Julie in the hospital waiting room—that her hospitalized teen’s vaccine history covers meningitis serogroups A, C, W and Y but may be missing a meningitis B vaccine.
“There are vaccines that can help, and not all parents know to ask about them,” the doctor explains in the clip.
GSK, which provided financial and content support for the film, will use the vehicle to “deliver impactful content to help empower parents in the U.S. to start the conversation with their teen’s doctor to find out if their teen is missing any meningococcal vaccinations,” said Cynthia Burman, the company’s U.S. medical affairs lead for Neisseria vaccines, which include those for meningitis.
GSK’s meningitis vaccine offerings include Menveo, which covers the A, C, W and Y serogroups, and Bexsero for meningitis B. Its Penmenvy, a vaccine offering protection against all five types, earned FDA approval in February of this year.
The movie follows up on GSK’s previous work with Lifetime, which came in the form of a co-branded short film called “I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom's Quest for Answers.” For that project, the company brought together two stars of the beloved ’90s sitcom “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” to promote the film back in 2023.
This time, GSK is enlisting the leading ladies of another well-known spooky series: actresses Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Michelle Gellar, who once played a witch and vampire slayer best friend duo in ’90s teen drama "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and are now both moms of teens.
GSK’s latest Ask2BSure campaign video sees new spokesperson Hannigan in mom mode, wishing she “had a script to help me know what’s coming next” in raising teenagers. In the video, Hannigan is intercepted by Aprel Barnes, M.D., a pediatrician and campaign spokesperson who helps her “check one thing off the list.”
Barnes explains meningitis B and its risk factors as the two walk through the sets of some of Hannigan’s best-known projects; fans of the actress may be able to spot cheeky references to "Buffy," "How I Met Your Mother" and others. Hannigan then sits down with people who have actually been impacted by meningitis and who share their stories as the actress listens in with tears in her eyes.
“I’m proud to have joined the Ask2BSure campaign so that I can empower other parents to speak up and ask their teen’s doctor for more information,” Hannigan said in GSK’s press release.
“Pretty Hurts” is making its Lifetime premiere in prime time on June 28 at 8 p.m. ET, after which it will be available on Lifetime’s MyLifetime streaming service.