Disease & Health Awareness: Public
80% of UK men have a pet name for their penis, yet only 10% have heard of penile cancer and its symptoms. This gap is costing men their lives. So, we enlisted comedy icon, Sir Stephen Fry, to front an outrageous mixed-media celebration of the nation’s “Dicknames” – from “Tiny Tim” to “Big Ben.”
Open about his own intimate health battle, Sir Stephen helped prove laughter is the ultimate tool for getting men to pay more attention to theirs. So no-one has to find out about penile cancer the hard way.
Judges’ comments
“Name It” was the panel’s Gold winner not only for its brave use of humour to raise awareness, but also for being the one campaign that showed a clear and compelling connection between insight and execution – the red thread here was especially noteworthy. And despite operating with a relatively small budget, the team succeeded in elevating a healthcare campaign into the mainstream through outstanding creativity and a highly relatable idea. Its execution and use of channels clearly contributed to the exceptional results achieved; impact was demonstrated through increased public conversation and a reported rise in GP visits, showing that the campaign successfully encouraged people to take action.
Judges said this was a hugely impressive campaign with fantastic reach from such a small media spend of 10k. The creative was undeniably bold – and was the thing that gave it considerable public appeal. Great use of insights and influencers, especially the synergy of Stephen Fry to front the campaign, helped achieve the impact it was designed to create. The judges also highlighted the clever balance of humour without steering into the obscene, which must have been quite a challenge. All this came from clear and meaningful purpose, which ran all the way through the campaign, to deliver awareness and real help-seeking behaviour.
Anna Edwards, Allergan Aesthetics
With COPD, every exacerbation matters – yet 40% go unreported.
This disease awareness programme encourages patients to report worsening symptoms to their HCP. It features two talking lungs, personifying the inner dialogue when symptoms worsen. One lung downplays the changes, while the wiser lung insists on action. The programme also includes a range of supportive materials, from infographics to a consultation guide, a dedicated website and films exploring the reasons why patients stay quiet.
Tapping into a complex behavioural insight and urging patients to listen to their better instincts, “Talk Yourself Into Taking Action” acknowledges that the most important conversation can be the one you have with yourself.
73% of stage 4 bowel cancer patients report feeling alone, yet existing resources overwhelmingly focus on early diagnosis.
Stage4You is one of the first UK campaigns dedicated exclusively to these patients, redefining support through an insight-led, emotionally responsive model. Co-created with people with lived experience, the platform maps resources to how individuals feel – whether energised, overwhelmed or not wanting to be defined by diagnosis. In March 2026, the Stage4You “Self-Awareness Day” encouraged patients to prioritise their mental health ahead of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, achieving 212M+ earned media reach, 16.1M+ social reach and a 470% platform traffic uplift.
Stage4You: Helping people living with stage 4 bowel cancer find the information they need, when they need it – for Takeda UK in partnership with Bowel Cancer UK, by Burson.
Seasonal influenza carries a significant burden on children, families and the NHS, yet childhood flu vaccine uptake has plateaued nationally. Aligned with government targets for uptake, AstraZeneca set out to support public health where the opportunity for change was greatest.
“Share Good Times Not Flu” coupled original research with a detailed segmentation strategy resulting in a focus on 40 UK locations. The creative platform reframed vaccination through the concept of Moments. A media strategy integrated TikTok, Prime, social, audio, schools and community touchpoints, supported by PIF-accredited materials. The data-driven, creative and accessible campaign contributed to increased uptake across targeted locations.
Iron deficiency affects millions of women, regardless of life stage, age, ethnicity or cultural background. Yet it is often brushed off or accepted as part of everyday life. Drawing Strength challenged that perception.
Inspired by real conversations from women living with exhaustion, brain fog and emotional strain, the campaign gave voice to experiences too often ignored. Five female illustrators transformed women’s lived experiences into bold, expressive illustrations, helping more women recognise their symptoms, start conversations and seek the care they deserve.
Flu&You tackled a real public health problem: falling flu vaccination uptake. Targeting at-risk adults, older people and carers the campaign asked “Where would you rather be?” – reframing protection around everyday moments people didn’t want to miss.
A sequential digital journey – across social, programmatic and search – generated engagements well above industry benchmarks and drove traffic to an online educational hub that turned awareness into action, driving over 4,600 high-intent responses. GP and pharmacy teams also adopted the materials directly, helping support the first signs of national uptake stabilisation after years of decline.
This campaign addressed a growing public health challenge: declining awareness of COVID-19 risk among vulnerable populations. Using data to identify communities most at risk, it delivered accessible, question-based education through targeted digital and print channels, helping people understand their continued vulnerability and the importance of testing when symptoms appeared.
A disease awareness website, supported by a pharmacy locator, provided a clear route from information to action. The campaign successfully increased awareness, engagement and intent to test, demonstrating how innovative, insight-led communications can improve public understanding of disease risk and support healthier decision-making.
The 2025 World Dengue and Mosquito Day campaigns 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.
