Special Editions: Highlights from Cannes Lions 2024 – Vol.1
Cannes Lions held for the 71st year its Cannes Lions, in the south of France. It is a week-long festival where visionary leaders inspire, cutting-edge companies unveil their creations, and the entire creative marketing community comes together to celebrate, learn, and collaborate on the future of the industry.
With jurors from all around the world to choose the best creativity of this industry in 8 tracks that comprise 30 categories besides the Titanium Award, the greatest award of all. A total of 26,753 submissions have been received and competed to set the global benchmark for excellence in creativity and effectiveness for the year ahead. Pharma and Health & Wellness Lions were responsible for 1,484 of the submissions, a number that is still relatively small but is increasing steadily.
In Cannes Lions 2024 Pharma and Health cases won big in several categories. This week we are going to get to know the cases within Pharma and Health & Wellness Categories and then how pharma took the stage. Next week, we will delve into the pharma/health cases in other categories.
AWARDS
The Pharma Lions & Health & Wellness Lions Big Winners
Both Pharma and Health & Wellness Lions were announced in the first evening of the event.
In the Pharma Lions, which celebrate life-changing creativity, from 232 entries, besides the Grand Prix, other seven Lions were awarded: one Gold, two Silver and three Bronze Lions.
This year, Big Pharma has a strong showing in its own Pharma Lions section (GSK, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Jazz, Biogen, Organon got into the shortlist), while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson were the only pharma companies represented on the much broader Health & Wellness awards shortlist. And several non-pharma companies competing for the prize, including the likes of Siemens Healthineers, who got the Grand Prix.
This year the Health & Wellness Lions competition had a large number of submissions, with 1,252 entries. Besides the Grand Prix, another 38 Lions awarded: five Gold, 14 Silver and 18 Bronze.
Let’s get to know the most creative and most awarded campaigns.
Case 1
Grand Prix Health & Wellness: The Last Barf Bag (US)
A Hilarious Campaign that Celebrates Brand Effectiveness
Dramamine, the leading anti-nausea medication, created a clever campaign called “The Last Barf Bag” to showcase its effectiveness. This campaign acknowledged that Dramamine’s success has rendered barf bags less necessary.
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Dramamine hosted a pop-up museum exhibit featuring vintage barf bags and their collectors, even premiering a 14 minutes documentary on the topic. This humorous and unexpected approach resonated with audiences, boosting sales and brand engagement.
The Last Barf Bag earned over 660 million impressions in just three weeks, with paid media earning 3 million more impressions. Sales on Amazon are up 26% post-launch versus a year ago. The museum exhibit had over 200 attendees.
This campaign is significant because it flips the script on a traditional product launch. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of motion sickness, Dramamine celebrates its own success by commemorating the decline of barf bags. This humorous and self-aware approach grabs attention, reminds consumers of Dramamine’s effectiveness, and fosters a connection with the brand.
Case 2
Grand Prix Pharma: Magnetic Stories (PORTUGAL)
An unique approach that revolutionizes the pediatric MRI experience
Siemens Healthineers, a leading manufacturer of MRI machines, needed a way to differentiate itself from the competition. They launched Magnetic Stories, a collection of audiobooks specifically designed to integrate with the sounds of common pediatric MRI scans.
This creative solution transforms the loud and often scary sounds of the MRI machine into a delightful narrative for young patients. The audiobooks are precisely synced with the scan noises, turning them into elements of the story.
For example, a beeping sound might become a robot talking, and a pumping noise could be transformed into the sound of a flying train.
This innovative approach not only reduces anxiety in young patients but also positions Siemens Healthineers as a company at the forefront of patient-centric healthcare technology.
Case 3
A Gold Winner and a beautiful film craft for ModeRna: Ashe Versus (US)
Moderna Celebrates Change with Tennis Legend Arthur Ashe
In 2023, Moderna sought to move beyond its COVID-19 vaccine association and establish a distinct brand identity. Partnering with the US Open, they launched the “Ashe Versus” campaign, a unique concept that celebrated the transformative power embodied by tennis champion Arthur Ashe.
The campaign showcased a live-action Ashe battling animated opponents representing the challenges he faced throughout his life. The film was surrounded by a full suite of in-event activations, social media, and cut-down TV spots featured on ESPN. It follows Ashe from segregated tennis courts in Richmond, to being the first Black man to win the US Open, to his battles against apartheid, a heart attack, and HIV, highlighting Ashe’s resilience and his fight for equality.
By the end, Moderna celebrates Ashe as a legendary Change Maker—connecting his contributions and values to the brand’s strategic North Star: This Changes Everything
TALKS
Pharma on Stage with Queen Latifah and Novo Nordisk: a talk on Body Image in Advertising at Cannes Lions Festival
Queen Latifah spoke at the Cannes Lions advertising festival as part of the panel “Let’s Talk About Weight: Conversations about Creativity, Community and Obesity, sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the maker of popular drugs used for weight loss including Ozempic and Wegovy.
Latifah shared her experiences dealing with these issues in the music business and acting. “Weight has always been a discussion. Image has always been a discussion. Body type. Body shape,” she said. “Because we are out there. Just being in the music industry, I started off as a rapper, there was lots and lots of pressure.”.
The Representation in Advertising
The actor and rapper said that one of the reasons she came to the Cannes Lions was to help shape the decisions that go into creating advertising and choosing the images they contain.
Seeing obesity as a health condition
Latifah, a spokesperson for pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk’s “It’s Bigger Than Me” project, spoke about that project. There are 100 million people living with obesity in the U.S., according to stats presented, and a billion around the world. Obesity has also sharply increased in young adults.
For Queen Latifah, it is important to see talk about obesity as a condition. “Talking about how words matter, talking about obesity. Family cracking jokes to motivate you, that is really tearing you apart. The fact that someone is afraid to call a doctor because of shame, that you don’t seek the help you need, is the real shame.”
Key Takeaways:
our cut ABBOVE
We saw
Creativity Takes Center Stage: The winning cases showcased innovative approaches, whether integrating sounds into audio stories (Siemens Healthineers) or celebrating brand success with humor (Dramamine).
Shift Towards Patient-Centricity: From Siemens Healthineers’ “Magnetic Stories” to Dramamine’s “The Last Barf Bag,” the focus was on improving patient experiences and addressing their needs throughout the healthcare journey. They are not talking about the illness or the functional benefits of a product.
Build identity and values: These companies are focusing on advertising
that builds their identity and who they are instead of what they do.
We learned that
The Power of Storytelling: Compelling narratives can connect with patients on an emotional level, raise awareness about health issues, and build trust in brands.
Humor Can Be Effective: Dramamine’s campaign proves that humor can
be used effectively in Pharma marketing to boost engagement and
brand recall.
Social Change Matters: Highlighting social issues like DE&I through
storytelling (Moderna’s “Ashe Versus”) can resonate with audiences and
enhance brand image.
This encourages us to
Embrace Creativity: Think outside the box to create innovative campaigns that connect with patients.
Tell Powerful Stories: Craft compelling narratives that resonate with your target audience and build emotional connections.
Consider a Lighter Touch: Humor, when used strategically, can be a powerful tool for brand engagement in Pharma marketing.
Align with Social Causes: Partner with inspiring figures or champion causes that resonate with your values and target audience, particularly around DE&I initiatives.
To think of Cannes Lions as a stage to showcase innovation and discuss relevant topics with the creative industry. And even to have our leadership teams representatives to attend next year’s festival to see more and more examples of creativity inside and outside our categories.
Triggers for innovating
How can we leverage the creative quality of our work to make projects like the ones we saw?
How might we use media and creative data in a different way?
Considering the innovative work showcased at Cannes Lions, how can WE leverage this event as a platform to spark internal discussions about pushing creative boundaries within our own Pharma marketing efforts?
What are the key brand messages and provocations we would like to share
with the creative industry in a talk nest year?
ABBOVE TEAM