Med Ad News, pharmaceutical business and marketing publication, announced the winnersfor the 2015 Manny Awards, celebrating the best in pharmaceutical and healthcare advertising. The black-tie gala event, held at Pier Sixty in New York, named FCB Health as Agency of the Year, Category I. The award honors the most outstanding healthcare communication agency with annual revenue of more than $50 million. Eighteen additional awards were bestowed throughout the evening to agencies achieving excellence in a variety of categories.
Beginning the evening, Joshua Prince, President of The CDM Group, was named Med Ad News’ Industry Person of the Year. The honor recognizes Josh’s industry acumen, leadership, and contributions. He came up with the concept of HealthWork – the joint venture between CDM and BBDO – to mine the collective intelligence from the best in professional and consumer communications. “Josh is a proven, long-time industry contributor, advocate, innovative strategist, creative thought-partner, and developer of professional colleagues. Throughout his career he has shown tremendous dedication to the various (and evolving) customers in healthcare with consistent focus on understanding both their rational, and importantly, deep-rooted emotional needs, including those of the end customer and all those who impact their care,” says Deborah Scarano, senior director, global commercial team leader, at Pfizer Inc.
FCB Health was recognized as Category I Agency of the Year once again, previously winning in 2009 and 2005. Last year was a record-breaking one for FCB Health due in part to 30 new business AOR assignments, hiring more than 200 new team members, and winning 50-plus awards in various competitions. Just annualizing the revenue of FCB Health’s 2014 new business wins would produce enough revenueto qualify it as a Med Ad News Category I agency. FCB Health leaders say that momentum has not waned in the first months of 2015. FCB Health also won the Best Interactive Patient Campaign award.
The Category II Agency of the Year honor went to Area 23. This category recognizes agencies with annual revenue between $25 million and $50 million. For 2014, Area 23 generated 25 percent growth – fueled by an aggressive year of pitching new business – won 11 new AOR assignments and brought in 61 new employees. Area 23 management anticipates the agency crossing the $50 million revenue threshold in 2015. In addition to picking up its first Agency of the Year win, Area 23 also was awarded Manny statuettes for Most Creative Agency, Best Self-Promotional Campaign, Best Nonbranded Campaign, and Best Interactive Physician Campaign.
Category III Agency of the Year consists of agencies recording less than $25 million in annual revenue. Concentric Health Experience captured the title, boasting a 40 percent increase in overall growth, 13 new account wins, 44 new hires, and an employee retention rate of 92 percent during 2014. 2015 promises to surpass the agency’s performance in 2014, with Concentric working with its largest and most diverse client portfolio to date and revenues that are expected to double those of 2013.
McCann Torre Lazur was the recipient of Med Ad News’ 2015 Heart Award. The award is designed to recognize agencies’ social responsibility and agency cultures that embody a high commitment to philanthropic and social causes. In support of World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10th, a team of five folks representing McCann Torre Lazur launched the hashtag #worthliving to raise awareness about suicide, an issue that plagues every country across the globe. This outreach generated 18 million impressions and was retweeted by such well-known influencers as Judd Apatow, Jewel, and Alec Baldwin. Remaining finalists, CMI/Compas and Concentric Health Experience, each will receive a check for $1,000 to donate to a charity of their choosing.
Med Ad News’ Vision Award is given for the idea, concept, or initiative that best exemplifies the healthcare communication agency of the future. In deciding the winner of this award, the Med Ad News editorial staff reviewed what new idea, concept, or initiative launched by an agency in the past year could have the greatest potential to transform the industry in a positive way and what was the most interesting and insightful step forward of the year. For Cadient, this year’s Vision Award recipient, digital is the engine of business transformation – from generating insights, to defining brand personas, to redefining the connections and connectivity that are reshaping the life sciences. Cadient is at the forefront of reimagining the customer experience.
The Brand Team of the Year Award recognizes brand teams demonstrating exceptional passion, dedication, and teamwork as well as the ability to meet challenges, effectively communicate with clients, and implement new concepts. This Manny Award went to McCann Torre Lazur for Opsumit. The Opsumit “Help Her Write Future Chapters” campaign sought to change what physicians thought was possible in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and demonstrates that the long-term evidence supporting Opsumit empowers them to better direct their patients’ futures; offering patients a better outlook on the years ahead.
The Most Admired Agency honor was awarded to GSW. Candidates for Most Admired Agency were voted on by their peers based on the qualities they admire, such as management strength, vision, creative track record and strategic thinking. GSW additionally won the award for Best Medical Device Campaign for TearLab.
Best Professional Campaign recognition went to McCann Echo for Galderma Laboratories’ Soolantra.
CDMiConnect captured the Best Consumer Campaign Manny Award for “Faces of Celiac” on behalf of Quest Diagnostics.
Best Philanthropic Campaign recognition went to HCB Health for “Get Your Manhole Inspected,” a humorous take on the importance of colonoscopies for men.
The evening concluded with the Best Video Submission of the Year winner, which was voted on via text messaging by the Manny Award attendees. This third-time award was presented to Area 23 for its Agency of the Year video.
Med Ad News also bestowed gratitude to this year’s event sponsors. Platinum sponsors were Calcium; ICC, an FCB Health Company; and McCann Health. Gold sponsors were The CementBloc, Centron, Concentric Health Experience, Dudnyk, Fingerpaint, Guidemark Health, and Intouch Solutions.
