Gold
DDB Health
DDB Health says it dares to do boldly and that the DDB Health Rare Collective team seeks to bring light and innovation to diseases and syndromes that are sometimes unseen. With a credo of “If it’s rare, we are there,” its revenue reached $65 million in 2021.
It landed seven new business assignments, including Aldeyra Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Idorsia, Merck, Pfizer and Taysha Gene Therapies. And it generated plenty of attention with its launch of AstraZeneca’s Zurampic and Amgen’s Aimovig.
Other changes in 2021 include expanding omnichannel capabilities to better create data-driven, customer-centric engagements.
The agency stands out with its focus on creative ways to connect with humans. “DDB Health respects our patients as much as we do, which makes all the difference,” says the Genentech marketing team. “Our DDBH partners share in our commitment to improving patient health. They approach each project with informed creative acuity.”
It also impressed our judges with a commitment to employees that is also rare. It is dedicated each month to a social, cultural or medical cause. For example, in February it celebrated Black History Month by changing its logo, sending educational emails and hosting speakers.
Then there are Friday MyDays, which means no internal meetings. Employees are encouraged to focus on remaining assignments, take a class or get a jump on their weekend. There are Team Flex Days when brand team can coordinate shared days off so employees can disconnect without worry. And its Flex Work Policy lets people work wherever they choose.
Silver
Evoke Mind + Matter
With revenue of $40 million, this fast-growing agency launched in 2021 as a global creative communications agency. Its mission is to combine data and emotion to create meaningful experiences. Highlights include market-shaping work in sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia for a potentially life-changing pipeline with gene therapy and a new assignment in hereditary angioedema patient engagement.
