Pharma marketing campaigns shine at Cannes Lions

The weather at the Lions Health Festival of Creativity in Cannes has been decidedly “British” – but nothing could put a dampener on this weekend's pharma marketing awards ceremony.

Lions Health is part of the Cannes Lions advertising festival – and the pharma marketing awards ceremony proved to be an uplifting experience, featuring a recital of two pieces by the famous one-handed pianist, Nicholas McCarthy.

Agency of the year prize went to India’s Medulla Communications, which was behind a Johnson & Johnson campaign, ADHD Symptom Stamps.

The Mumbai-based firm was also behind a GlaxoSmithKline campaign raising awareness about slum housing and an Indian Association of Palliative Care initiative, raising awareness about end-of-life care in the country.

Winner of the Grand Prix was the Philips campaign, Breathless Choir, from agency Ogilvy & Mather London.

The target audience was non-healthcare professionals and the campaign told the story of a group of patients with respiratory diseases, who learned to sing in a choir over the space of a week.

This inspiring video diary proved a hit with the judges, beating off competition from the likes of McCann Health and Saatchi & Saatchi Health.

A full list of the winners is available here.