The first Health and Wellness Cannes Lion awards were announced on Monday, with 32 entries winning either a Silver or Bronze Cannes Lion.

It was one of the biggest health and wellness in terms of submissions, with 1,252 entries. Fourteen pieces were awarded a Silver award, while 18 earned a Bronze. Nearly 100 entries were shortlisted.

Among the Silver winners, CeraVe and Ogilvy PR won for Michael CeraVe, their campaign featuring actor Michael Cera under the OTC applications category. 

The immersive campaign, which included commercials that aired during Super Bowl LVIII, played on a “prank-like” experience in which Cera claimed to have developed CeraVe rather than dermatologists.

On Monday afternoon, Ogilvy announced that Michael CeraVe won a Gold Cannes Lion in the Health and Wellness category.

Dramamine and FCB Chicago also won a Silver for their oral medicines campaign, The Last Barf Bag, a 13-minute documentary that explores the history of the barf bag, which was rendered largely obsolete by the emergence of dramamine in treating motion sickness.

Additionally, The Last Barf Bag received the Cannes Grand Prix for Brand Experience and Activation and a Bronze Lion for PR.

Child Wedding Cards, which was created by UN Women and Impact BBDO, took home not only the coveted Lions Health Grand Prix for Good but also the Gold Lion for non-profit/foundation-led education and awareness in the Health and Wellness category.

Fit My Feet from Buckaroo Footware and McCann earned a Gold Lion along with ProtectAsbih from Saudia Airlines and Leo Burnett as well as Paper Organs from the Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center and Leo Burnett.

Other notable winners delved into health disparity issues, including Impossible Journey, a campaign developed by Aster and Area 23, a 2024 MM+M Agency 100 honoree.

The Impossible Journey won a Silver in the Health Services and Facilities category for zeroing in on the disparity of Black mothers being three times more likely to die from childbirth than white mothers.

The campaign involved sending 700 hand-painted frames of the film to lawmakers in the Senate, urging them to advance the Momnibus Act, which would aim to reduce the Black maternal mortality rate in the U.S.

The Test-icles effort for the Fundación de Alba, by Ogilvy Health New York and Ogilvy Mexico City also received a Bronze Lion for Integrated campaigns.

Among the Bronze Cannes Lions winners, Cafe Joyeux and Klick Health, another 2024 MM+M Agency 100 honoree, won for 47, a short animated film that was inspired by a real life story about someone living with Down syndrome. The short film was entered into the Brand-led Education and Awareness category.

Intimus and FCB Brasil also won a Bronze for The Shameless Pad campaign under OTC products, which encouraged young women in sports to not give up on their athletic dreams due to period shame.

Moderna and TBWA/Health Collective also won a Bronze Cannes Lion for Ashe Versus under the Corporate Image and Communication category, which featured tennis changemaker Arthur Ashe. The spot aired during the U.S. Open in the fall.

The campaign, which also received a Bronze Lion for Film Craft: Animation/Visual Effects, sought to hit on Moderna’s “changemaker” status during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the pharma company saw a drop in sales related to COVID vaccines and products.

The Health and Wellness jury was led by Wendy Chan, executive creative director of health, APAC, Edelman.

“This Grand Prix-winning work showcases how a brand no matter its size can cut through the noise of a crowded market. It talks about the brand without mentioning it, by using light-heartedness, with an unexpected but relevant way in. It’s an example that will inspire all to push boundaries,” she said in a statement.

In addition to the Health and Wellness Lions, two campaigns won Silver Pharma Lions and three campaigns won Bronze Pharma Lions.

The Cannes Lions festival is running from Monday to Friday in Cannes, France.

Note: This story has been updated.

To see who won the 2024 Cannes Lions for Pharma, click here.