Судья наград MM+M призывает фармкомпании искать уникальные инсайты, чтобы преодолеть усталость от рекламы

I was honored to be named a judge for the 2026 MM+M Awards, and excited for the opportunity to see the breadth of communications and advertising work in a variety of categories. I approached it by seeking entries that went above and beyond. I’ll admit I was overwhelmed when I saw I was to review 61 entries. Thank goodness I had weeks to review them (and a much welcome bonus week). It was a daunting list of contenders for Best TV/Connected TV Advertising Campaign, Health Tech Innovation and Point of Care Marketing. Each submission told a polished story — with background, insights, objectives and results. I saw a lot of good work, but I have to admit that I was struck by how hard it was to differentiate the ads and campaigns. The entries I reviewed for TV/CTV, by and large, had the right strategic elements built behind some degree of patient insights, and depicted clear benefits. I heard engaging music, and saw strong on-screen branding, claims and opening hooks. Nevertheless, I found myself wanting more — and wondering if something would truly break through to me and rise above. It’s so hard for pharma and healthcare brand advertising to shine given all the regulatory requirements, watchouts, category nuances and learned ways of communicating to consumers. Is breakthrough even possible these days for a branded ad without a celebrity, or risking getting a letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? Throughout the judging process, I wondered how communications could creatively break through while still meeting the strict requirements of pharmaceutical advertising. How many standout branded campaigns do you remember top of mind? I remember a few from over the years — ones that seemed especially clever and really made me feel like they knew me, or made me emotional, or made me laugh. A lot of the recent ones have memorable songs I can sing in the shower but may not remember what they’re for. At this year’s Cannes, the campaign that broke through and won the Pharma Lions Grand Prix, Novartis’ “Relax Your Tight End,” wasn’t even a branded ad — it was a disease awareness campaign. Recent data from MX8 Labs shows that more than half of American consumers report pharma ad fatigue. What this tells me is that we need to do even more to move beyond where we are now creatively in order to deliver more engaging, memorable and convincing video that delivers strong results and justifies all the effort it takes to get on air and have the chance to be in a field of nominees. So how can we aspire to break through as healthcare marketers? How can we make our branded campaigns stand out and go viral in a world where people don’t have long attention spans anymore — where they’re scrolling, searching, multitasking and totally inundated? My perspective is that marketers need to take the time to dig deeper and exceed the status quo in their research to find truly unique, business-driving insights. It takes time and effort to find a gem of an insight, but it’s well worth it — and likely faster now with AI tools at our disposal. Brands need to find agencies that can rise above the formulaic to create something that truly hits a nerve and makes a prospective patient truly feel something so they will remember the brand and why it’s special, and take action. Finally, we need to reframe the FDA regulation and scrutiny as challenges to drive even stronger creative — not reasons to craft a sea of satisfactory ads. We’re still in a time when our ads can appear on the air, so let’s make the most of it.