Pharma Lions: Medulla brings home Healthcare Agency of the Year, 7 Lions

Winners of the 2016 Pharma and Health & Wellness Lions were announced at the Lions Health Awards Ceremony, where a total of 99 Lions were presented. India’s Medulla Communications bagged a total of seven metals, which included 2 Gold Lions, 2 Silver Lions and 3 Bronze Lions. The agency was also adjudged Healthcare Agency of the Year.

In the third year of the competition, a record-breaking 2,605 award entries were received across the Pharma and Health & Wellness categories.

Pharma Lions
From 582 entries submitted in the Pharma section, 52 Lions were awarded and Ogilvy & Mather London’s ‘Breathless Choir’ for Philips claimed the Grand Prix.

Medulla Communications won the 2 Gold Lions the ‘Last Words’ campaign done for the Indian Association of Palliative Care in the Integrated Campaign and Digital - Online Video sub-categories. The ‘Last Words’ campaign also secured a Silver Lion in the Digital - Social sub-category.

Palliative care or end of days care is an alien concept in India with just 1 in 100 patients in need actually getting it. Awareness about this stream is the biggest hurdle and this film is an earnest attempt to bridge this gap and popularise palliative care. The film draws insight from nurses, who happen to be majority who hear the last words of dying patients, rather than their family members. When nurses across India recount the last words they have heard, it not just leaves a lump in the throat, but raises the all-important question – do the dying not deserve dignity?

The ‘Slums for Worms’ campaign dome for GlaxoSmithKline’s Zentel fetched Medulla a Silver Lion in the Standard Print sub-category. The same campaign also won a Bronze Lion Print & Poster Craft - Art Direction sub-category.

Medulla took home two more Bronze Lions for its campaign – ‘ADHD Symptom Stamps’ – done for Concerta from Johnson & Johnson (Concerta). The Bronze was won in the Branded Content - Live Experience and Direct and Promo & Activation sub-categories.

Medulla was the only entrant from India to make it to the shortlist for Pharma Lions.

Jury President, Alexandra von Plato, Group President of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, described the campaign as one that challenges the traditional ‘product as hero’ approach to focus on ‘patient as hero’. “It’s a stunning example of cinematic storytelling in the medical devices industry and clearly breaks the mould,” she said.

Health & Wellness Lions
47 Lions were awarded in Health and Wellness, from a total of 2,023 entries. The Grand Prix went to London agency FCB Inferno’s ‘Project Literacy’ campaign for Pearson.

Commenting on the winner, Jury President, Joshua Prince, Chief Marketing Officer of Omnicom Health Group, said, “The campaign is devastatingly good at showing the real costs of illiteracy and shows that before we even get to health, we have to start with people’s fundamental ability to understand.”

Of the six shortlisted entries from India in Health & Wellness Lions, only one secured a Lion – the Dipper Condoms initiative done by Rediffusion Y&R for Tata Motors. The campaign won in the Direct and Promo & Activation sub-category.

Young Lions Health Award
The winner of the Young Lions Health Award, in partnership with UNICEF, was announced at the ceremony. The jury, including UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira, chose Eleanor Howe and Lina Benmansour of DigitasLBi, France’s ‘UNICEF Brain Food’. Their idea answered the brief innovatively, by using everyday objects to stimulate play, and providing creative ways for caregivers to interact with children and will be used as part of UNICEF’s overall communication outreach on Early Childhood Development.

Commenting on the results, Lions Health Festival Director, Louise Benson, said, “We’re delighted to reward and celebrate the ground-breaking work providing a benchmark of excellence in the healthcare communications industry. Now in its third year, Lions Health is an arena to recognise achievements and we would like to thank the jury for collectively selecting our 2016 winners.”

Lion Health also encompasses a two-day Festival of content, learning and debate and this year, celebrates the life-changing innovations, trends, and game-changing technology transforming the current healthcare industry, taking place on June 18 and 19.