Disease and/or Health Awareness: Public or Patients

Even though SKYCLARYS was the first advancement in Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) since its discovery in 1863 by Nikolaus Friedreich, the news wasn’t enough to convince patients to try it. With such little trust in the medical community, people with FA needed an expert who knew as much about the disease as they did. And then the guy who discovered the disease suddenly came back from the dead.

Knowing patients lean on dark humor and social media to cope with FA and connect with others, “Friedreich’s Back” is a 9-episode social comedy series that educates people about SKYCLARYS.

Judges Comments

This campaign breaks healthcare norms with its bold, imaginative approach. Highly original, engaging and relevant to patients, judges loved that it uses the target community’s preference for dark humour to tell an important story. They were impressed by the client for taking a leap of faith with this creative delivery, giving kudos to the agency for convincing them and delivering a great campaign.

Key messaging about SKYCLARYS as a milestone treatment was clear, seamlessly integrated into storytelling. Execution was strong across set design, wardrobe, hand-drawn logos, and music, all working cohesively with copy to create an entertaining, informative, and visually striking series.  The voyeuristic filming was extremely memorable, contrasting old- and new-world visuals plus a catchy theme to make a lasting impression.

Judges were wowed by the extraordinary idea of resurrecting FA’s discoverer, saying it was a genuine first. Likewise, highlighting a lack of trust in doctors who don’t understand the disease – really showing up the lack of innovation in the condition over 150 years – was a clever approach. The sublime matching of patient attitudes to dark comedy really worked, and allowed the subsequent utilisation of social media to educate and build trust. Moreover, this was genuine entertainment that patients and the public wanted to watch, and that’s why it’s a Gold in this invaluable category.

Samatha Sargent, Havas Lynx

Social media’s “sensitive content” warnings were silencing and shaming people with the rare skin disease, generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP). We flipped this script.

Our “InSensitive Content” campaign boldly hijacked the censorship icon, transforming a symbol of shame into one of defiance. An emotive film and multi-channel rollout sparked a global conversation, generating over 17 million impressions. This campaign not only empowered a silenced community but also drove systemic change, as Meta pledged to improve its algorithms, giving a voice back to those who had been silenced.

Judges Comments

“InSensitive Content” is super-innovative, as it cleverly turns social media censorship into a pioneering campaign that addresses shame and lack of awareness. Emotionally powerful and memorable, it evokes empathy and connects deeply with patients, carers, and professionals alike. The panel deemed the execution to be extremely strong and cohesive, with visuals and copy working seamlessly to amplify impact and engagement. This means messages are communicated clearly and simply, making the problem and call to action unmistakable.

“What an idea – and a brilliant campaign”, said judges, as they saw how this simple concept was capable of entirely shifting the conversation. Use of the original “sensitive content” graphic and the censorship around it is inspired – it grabs attention and provokes interest, becoming a powerful way to bring about a switch in attitudes, supporting patients to engage within their social sphere. Essentially, this is a bold idea that breaks out of the traditional advertising model. The campaign infuses insights from the patient community with a cultural moment in time, to convey the needs of people living with a debilitating disease and call for change. It is a hugely impressive Gold!

Amber Tovey, Porter Novelli

In the UK, women represent 1/3 of people living with HIV—yet remain unseen in the nation’s HIV response. Public health messaging has historically focused on men, leaving women overlooked, underdiagnosed, and underserved. Our campaign confronted this invisibility by reclaiming “HIV” itself: replacing the “I” with portraits of real women affected by the virus, captured by pioneering photographer Sane Seven.

We transformed a stigmatised acronym into a statement of strength and visibility—bold, human, and impossible to ignore. The campaign generated 133M+ media reach and endorsement from seven leading HIV organisations. Most importantly, women impacted by HIV finally felt seen.

In France, where beauty and self-care are part of everyday culture, intimate hygiene still sits in the shadows. Saforelle, the country’s leading intimate care brand, saw a cultural and educational gap. Women are curious about intimate health, yet it remains invisible in public spaces and advertising.

We used this tension as our opportunity. By hijacking familiar skincare billboards and extending them beyond the face to reveal the “missing” lower half of the body, we reframed intimate care as a natural part of beauty, wellness, and self-care, making the hidden part of the body visible.

With COPD, every exacerbation matters. Each can cause irreversible lung damage – yet 40% go unreported. This programme, created in collaboration with the Roche Global COPD Patient Council, was designed to change that.

Built on deep behavioural insight, the programme recognises that people with COPD often know when something is wrong – but self-doubt creeps in, and they talk themselves out of acting.

Delivered via a website, animations, social media posts and an array of other helpful resources, the programme has a simple message: “When your COPD symptoms get worse, talk yourself into taking action.”

Iron deficiency affects millions of women, yet it is still brushed off or simply accepted as part of everyday life. Drawing Strength set out to change that. Inspired by real conversations from women living with exhaustion, brain fog and emotional strain, the campaign gave voice to experiences that are too often ignored.

Five women were invited to show what iron deficiency feels like, turning lived experience into bold, expressive illustration. Activated across social, digital and real-world platforms, it encouraged women to recognise their symptoms and speak up for the care they deserve.

The 2025 World Dengue and Mosquito Day campaign unified two global health moments into a single, insight-driven initiative designed to elevate public understanding of dengue – the world’s fastest growing mosquito-borne disease.

Targeting both endemic populations and global travellers, the campaigns delivered clear, actionable prevention messaging through highly engaging, culturally adaptable creatives. By combining bold informational content with interactive formats, we captured attention at scale, driving measurable behaviour change. Localised across multiple markets and reaching over 100 million people collectively, these initiatives empowered the public with credible, general knowledge resources, making dengue prevention both accessible and personally relevant.

“Sleep Disturbed” shines a spotlight on the overlooked non-motor symptom of sleep disruption, affecting 96% of people with Parkinson’s (2024 global survey).

Co-created with the Parkinson’s community, the campaign brought the hidden world of vivid dreams to life through a striking mixed media film, revealing the emotional and physical toll on people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones. Launched on World Parkinson’s Day 2025 and supported by specialist nurse insights, it empowered people to recognise symptoms, speak openly with their doctor and loved ones, and ultimately seek support.

“Fight the Flow” was a disease awareness campaign that tackled stigma and silence around heavy menstrual bleeding, a condition affecting one in five women. Designed for a public audience of women aged 25–45, it rejected traditional healthcare tropes in favour of raw, unfiltered period imagery that reflected real lived experience. An unexpected partnership between comedian Sophie McCartney and GP Dr Zoe Williams blended humour with clinical credibility, breaking taboos and inviting open conversation.

This culturally resonant approach reframed HMB as a treatable medical condition, driving awareness, prompting GP conversations and delivering measurable behaviour change through empowered, informed action.

“Anything but Normal” challenges the widespread normalisation of women’s health issues. Too often, symptoms like perimenopause, severe period pain, or heavy menstrual bleeding are dismissed as “just part of being a woman,” leaving many feeling unheard and delaying care.

The campaign places women’s lived experiences at its core, using camouflage as a powerful metaphor for how symptoms cause women to fade into the background. Delivered through social, out-of-home, a campaign website, influencers, and AI-led conversations, it meets women where they are. Since October 2024, it has reached 94K women, driven engagement, and empowered women to seek care with confidence globally.