2022 PM Society Awards – Winners Announced

21GRAMS takes 6 Golds - Novartis tops the pharma leader board

The PM Society’s 36th annual awards was held on 11th March 2022 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. After two years apart, due to the pandemic, the industry was back together to celebrate the best creative communications in pharma and healthcare. An address by PM Society Co-Chairs Caroline Benson and Colin Williams kicked off the afternoon, with charity DEBRA taking the stage to ask for support. Over 900 people enjoyed a three-course lunch followed by an awards ceremony hosted by Russell Kane and Alan Dedicoat, with entertainment from ventriloquist Nina Conti.

This year the show was preceded by a 3-day online event where ticket holders could view finalists’ work, chat to other guests, engage with sponsors and take part in a competition. Comedy was provided by Rob Mayhew, Head of Influence at Fleishman Hillard London and TikTok Creator, who produced videos especially for the event.

PM Society Awards Lead Rachel Farrow said “The pandemic meant we have been running only online events over the last two years, so it’s been a relief to be able to host the PM Society Awards in person. We added the online awards platform prior to the ceremony to give people a chance to view the finalists but nothing can compare to the buzz of a face-to-face event, the chance to celebrate with your team and clients, and of course to meet colleagues old and new after so long apart”.

The agency at the top of the leaderboard was 21GRAMS part of Real Chemistry, who won 6 Golds, 2 Silvers and a Bronze award. They were followed by a group of McCann agencies; McCann Health Paris with McCann Worldgroup and McCann Health London who won 4 Golds. Get Animated+Medical won 2 Golds, as did Havas Lynx Group. Other Gold winners were Area 23, an IPG Health Company, Havas Life Medicom, Makara Health and Actando, Seven Stones / AMV BBDO, VCCP Health and Wound Care People.

The most successful client organisation, taking home 4 Golds, was the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation in conjunction with The American University of Beirut Medical Centre and The British Islamic Medical Association. Novartis was a close second with 3 Golds and a Silver. Other client Gold winners were Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie Company, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), Fresenius Kabi, Greenwich BioSciences, Mölnlycke, Novo Nordisk, Roche/Chugai, Sanofi Genzyme and ViiV Healthcare.

The new award for Agency Champion of the year, for someone who has delivered above and beyond in the field of healthcare communications, was given to VCCP Health’s Lesley Ohene. The new Pharma Marketing Pioneer award went to Sarah Woozley from Chugai. There were two Best in Show awards this year, one for the best entry from pharma, won by 21GRAMS part of Real Chemistry for ‘PAINIMALS’, developed for Roche/Chugai and one for the best charity entry, which went to 'The Bread Exam’, from the McCann agencies for the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation in conjunction with The American University of Beirut Medical Centre and The British Islamic Medical Association.

Head Judge Dom Marchant said “This was a stand-out year for the quality and breadth of the entries, a year that, more than ever, has shown the power of creative communications within healthcare. Over 80 judges came together over two rounds of judging to decide the winners and we deliberated long and hard over the Best in Show. We had some great winners that represent work for pharmaceutical clients and for charity/pro-bono – and it is almost impossible to compare work for such different clients. We therefore decided to award two Best of Show awards. Most importantly, we felt that both demonstrated how creativity can directly affect people’s wellbeing.

There was also a special award for Creativity for Good, an annual initiative run by the PM Society which aims to find a pro bono agency partner for a charity, which this year is DEBRA. PRECISIONeffect won the award, for their pro bono campaign the DEBRA Effect. A highly commended award went to Syneos Health.

Deputy Head Judge Helen Moore said “The PM Awards have really evolved over the last few years. It was so good to see everyone back together to celebrate in person. But what really stood out for me was the breadth of agencies represented at these awards. The event highlights the best creative work as well as the best communication campaigns within pharma and healthcare more widely. A great event to see what our industry can do to make a difference, and a great inspiration to us all.”

Full list of Gold winners

Advertisement 21GRAMS for Novartis Slow the Burn

Agency internal comms & self-promo Havas Lynx Group Health for All

Best use of insight McCann agencies for LBCF The Bread Exam

Brand Campaign 21GRAMS for Novartis Slow the Burn

Charity or Patient Organisation McCann agencies for LBCF The Bread Exam

Disease Awareness (HCPs) 21GRAMS for Novartis Slow the Burn

Disease Awareness (patients) McCann agencies for LBCF The Bread Exam

Film & Animation (HCPs) Area 23 for ViiV Healthcare Fosty

Film & Animation (patients) Seven Stones / AMV BBDO for CALM The Invisible Opponent

Innovation Award 21GRAMS for Greenwich Biosciences Unspoken Symphony

Interactive Comms for HCPs Get Animated+Medical for Novo Nordisk Feeling Low

Internal Communications 21GRAMS for Merck & co CANtagious

Meetings, Events and Exhibitions Havas Lynx Group for Sanofi Genzyme ECTRIMS: Trapped Within Smoldering MS

Patient Support 21GRAMS for Roche/Chugai PAINIMALS

Effectiveness – HCP education Get Animated+Medical & Wound Care People For Mölnlycke Microworld

Effectiveness – Internal Comms Makara Health and Actando for Allergan The World of Knowledge Race

Effectiveness – Patient Comms Havas Life Medicom for Fresenius Kabi Expression Days

Diversity & Inclusion VCCP Health VCCP Health D&I Campaign McCann agencies for LBCF The Bread Exam

Best in Show (charity) McCann agencies for LBCF The Bread Exam

Best in Show (pharma) 21GRAMS for Roche/Chugai PAINIMALS Agency Champion Lesley Ohene, VCCP Health

Pharma Marketing Pioneer Sarah Woozley, Chugai

The PM Society

The PM Society is a not-for-profit organisation, which was founded over 40 years ago. Today it has over 4000 active members from over 250 companies and has three aims – to support organisations and people in healthcare, to recognise excellence and promote best practice and to provide education and training.

For more information see our website at www.pmsociety.org.uk

For further information please contact:

Rachel Farrow

Director

PM Society

rachelfarrow@pmsociety.org.uk