Can Cannes push the pharma ad envelope? Record number of Lions wins hint at yes

If the first few years of the Cannes Lions Health served to inspire pharma advertising creativity, this year was the payoff. With double-digit pharma wins for the first time in the festival's history, the industry validated its claim on the Cannes call for life-changing creativity. The pharma company winners and finalist contenders were a who's who in the industry. The big scorers that picked up Lions were Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Takea, Eli Lilly, Biogen and Novartis in the U.S., while GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca won for international work. Add in the shortlisted pharma company ads, and the circle grows to include Pfizer, Allergan, Eli Lilly, Merck, Roche and Teva. “The rule changes that got more pharma work to be shown, judged and viewed within specific guidelines that allow it to shine are ultimately going to make the work stronger, and I think will invite and encourage more clients to attend,” said Mike Hudnall, CEO of WPP Health & Wellness. “It’s such an enormous opportunity to push pharma marketing farther and to be more creative.”