Editor's Corner—Get ready for the 2nd annual FiercePharma Marketing Awards

The FiercePharma Marketing Awards are back and—at the risk of sounding cliche—bigger and better than ever.

This year’s contest has 16 categories, up from just seven last year, and we’ve added a live awards show for the first time. Entries are being accepted now through June 15 and will be judged this summer with a finalist list ready in September. We’ll reveal the top winners on Oct. 28 at the first-ever FiercePharma Marketing Awards show to be held during Digital Pharma East in Philadelphia set for Oct. 27-29.

The categories have graduated from just the basic—like TV, print, digital and outdoor—to more specifically defined, such as branded TV and disease awareness TV. Other brand-new categories include public relations campaigns, innovation challenges and new brand launches.

However, while there are changes in the contest this year, the general sentiment and purpose remain: recognizing the creative excellence in pharma advertising. And that's not just creative for creative’s sake. In pharma, even more so than in other industries, creativity that drives better outcomes is crucial. And in this case, those outcomes are people’s health and well-being.

Last year’s top winner in disease awareness, GlaxoSmithKline and McCann Health Shanghai’s “Breath of Life” campaign, quite accurately illustrates that ethos. The campaign began with the creation of a first-ever COPD self-testing app for smartphones and then built on that idea using both art and science.

The “Breath of Life” app on WeChat let users blow into their phones to create a traditional Chinese blow painting while applying an algorithm to that breath to determine lung capacity. Users who fell below 70% were directed to see a healthcare provider. “Breath of Life” also won the prestigious Pharma Grand Prix in June 2019 at the annual Cannes Lions Health festival of creativity.

While the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Cannes Lions to cancel this year's annual gathering, including the pharma and health & wellness conference, we are hopeful that the FiercePharma Marketing Awards will help ensure the latest creative and compelling pharma campaigns won’t be overlooked.

The deadline is June just two weeks away, so join now and put your best work in front of our world-class panel of judges from across pharma and healthcare. 

This year's slate includes Toby Trygg, Ogilvy Health executive creative director; Tim Jones, McCann Health executive creative director; Wendy Lund, GCI Health CEO; Jorge Daboub, Univision executive vice  of local media sales; Samantha Dolin, Klick Health executive creative director; and Megan Rokosh, Havas Health & You global chief marketing officer. Judges will not evaluate their own agency or network submissions.

Thanks in advance, and we hope to see everyone in October!