The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is finished for another year, but how did the pharmaceutical industry perform? Friend of GOLD, Claire Gillis, CEO, VMLY&R Health, gives her report
Words by Claire Gillis
So, the pharmaceutical industry’s pitch for recognition at Cannes Lions is over for another year, and for many marketers in the sector there may be an overriding sense of déjà vu.
In the run-up to the festival, hopes were high that this could be a breakthrough year for pharma at Cannes, with confidence driven by the sector’s strong performances at other creative awards shows this year. If success is measured by numbers alone, it’s easy to conclude that the Cannes trophy count for pharma in 2023 hasn’t significantly shifted. However, the quality of creative indisputably has.
There are clear signs that pharma is ramping up its investment in creative, recognising its power to change and impact lives. Interest in Cannes is growing, albeit slowly. This year’s Pharma Lions attracted 354 entries – a 20% increase on 12 months ago. There was also a slight increase in the amount of work awarded, with 13 Lions going to industry. This included two gold, four silver, six bronze and a Pharma Grand Prix for Eurofarma’s ‘Scrolling Therapy’, but more on that later.
It’s not easy to win at Cannes Lions, especially for regulated industries such as pharma, where creatives have to overcome complex barriers to convince others of the power of a good idea. This year’s winners – along with the 20 shortlisted entries and the many that just missed out – show that pharma has realised that these restrictions don’t have to hamper creativity. Brands are investing in craft, and this was certainly reflected in this year’s awards.
Through this elevation of craft, companies have enhanced storytelling to convey compelling human truths. We saw it in the Grand Prix winner, an AI-powered app by Eurofarma, which allows patients with Parkinson’s Disease to control their social media engagement through facial expressions. Use of the tool generates stimuli in the face, exercising the muscles and helping delay symptoms of muscle atrophy. It’s an example of life-changing creativity.
And we saw it in one of the gold award winners, ‘The Most Beautiful Sound’, which used pioneering technology to create an audible sound of cancer cells being destroyed. Scientists and creatives worked together to measure the change in vibration in breast and lung cancer cells at the moment of cell death, and then translated this into sound. This was shared via an immersive listening station at ASCO 2023, alongside video of cancer patients’ reactions. It could play an active role in recovery, as sound is increasingly recognised as a therapeutic tool.
These are examples of brave creative. And they show that being bold doesn’t mean being crass or edgy. It means being interesting and insightful, and making audiences feel something. It’s great to see pharma releasing the shackles to create bold, engaging and emotive work.
Another encouraging sign was the increase in creative work addressing health inequalities. Another gold award went to ‘Inequality You Can’t Ignore’, a campaign urging the medical community to address racial inequalities in breast cancer care for black women. It was a hard-hitting film that told a powerful story in a meaningful way. Through real human insight, it made you feel something real, which is the mark of a great creative.
Overall, my biggest takeaway from Cannes Lions 2023 is that the lines between pharma and traditional marketing are blurring. All the great work we saw on show had one thing in common: collaboration. Award-winning creativity breaks down silos, cross-pollinates talent and brings multiple and diverse parties together to solve problems. When we pull together and leave our egos at the door, magic happens.
Interested in hearing more? Check out this article by Claire Gillis for this year’s World Health Day, in which she discusses using creativity to create better access to healthcare for all.
