Cannes Contenders: 5 of VMLY&R HEALTH’S Award Show Aspirations

In the past 12 months, agencies across the VMLY&R HEALTH network have once again created some stunning campaigns that are having a big impact on health all over the world. With Cannes Lions just around the corner – and health making the main stage for the very first time – we asked senior execs from VMLY&R and VMLY&R HEALTH to share their favourite work and tell us why it’s a contender at this year’s festival.

Ministry of Health, Spain – Sugar Kids

VMLY&R HEALTH Spain 

Natxo Diaz, chief officer, VMLY&R HEALTH Spain: “Every year, Spanish kids eat their own body weight in sugar. It’s why Spain has the second highest rate of childhood obesity in the EU. Sugar Kids set out to address that…It’s one of my favourite campaigns not just because it tackled an important issue in a very visual way that kickstarted a conversation. No, I love it because its creative simplicity captured attention and inspired new regulations to help reduce sugar consumption in Spanish kids. It yet again shows how creativity can drive change and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. And nothing could taste sweeter than that.”

Baby Question Foundation – Fertility Finder

VMLY&R HEALTH NYC 

Fabio Ozorio, group, creative director VMLY&R HEALTH NYC: “Brave creative doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable issues – it confronts them head-on in pursuit of change. Fertility Finder is a brilliant example that leverages multiple technologies to create something completely new.  More than 16 million women in America struggle with infertility – but 70% of US companies choose not to cover fertility treatment through their health insurance. Fertility Finder shines a light on it – connecting women with fertility-friendly companies, and helping them identify the businesses that aren’t. Since launch, over 100 US companies have added fertility coverage to their health insurance. That’s creativity inspiring change that’s life changing.”

PKU Foundation – PKU: Protein Kills Us

VMLY&R HEALTH Spain 

Elvira Arzubialde, CEO VMLY&R HEALTH Spain: “Sometimes creative takes you to places you never knew existed. This campaign is one of those. PKU is a rare, incurable metabolic disease where simply eating the wrong amount of protein can cause irreversible brain damage. Patients have no means of measuring the protein in their food – but know that a milligram too much or too little could kill them. We used storytelling and the pure entertainment of a sci-fi movie to show how difficult life is for PKU patients, blending empathy and harsh reality to elicit the emotions of the audience. Our campaign put PKU on the big screen — and has helped raised awareness - and funds to put the world’s first biosensor for PKU into clinical trials. It shows once again that creativity can save lives.”

Gatda – Missing Limbs

VMLY&R HEALTH New York 

Joao Jäckel, creative director, VMLY&R HEALTH NYC: “This hard-hitting campaign pulls no punches on one of the biggest public health issues of our time. Diabetes, a frequent counterpart to obesity, is a growing concern as more than half of all adults are overweight. The country has the 4th highest incidence of diabetes worldwide. The campaign graphically shows the potential reality of amputation through 3D mixed-media illustration of caricatures unusually combined with a high level of photo-realism. While the minimalist copy offers help. Distributed in print throughout the Brazil, this is creativity in its purest form. Graphic, authentic, and highly relatable.”

Dell Technologies and Intel, in partnership with Rolls-Royce and MND Association - I Will Always Be Me

VMLY&R New York 

Rafael Pitanguy, chief creative officer at VMLY&R Brazil: “I Will Always Be Me is a project that proves the infinite power that collaboration has to create and transform. The collaboration between two iconic brands; between art and technology, science and literature, data and empathy. By combining efforts, this project transforms lives and makes other brands rethink the power that they have to generate social impact. Truly inspiring.”