In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Michael McNamara was faced with a sizable feat: executing the important launch for “the most famous healthcare product in the world,” aka the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Under his leadership, Havas Life New York launched this vaccine around the world; the following year, McNamara led the pitch to win the account for Pfizer’s oral antiviral for COVID-19, Paxlovid. These two accomplishments, along with several others, sent Havas Life New York soaring to new heights, landing the agency as a finalist for the 2021 MM+M Award for Large Healthcare Agency of the Year.
Hired by McKinney in 2022, McNamara oversaw the launch of McKinney Health, the agency’s creative and social-first approach to the health and wellness category. Almost immediately, he helped win McKinney Health its first client, Zhou Nutrition, followed quickly by Alcon Pharmaceuticals’ lead digital platform, driving more than $10 million in new business in its first six months.
From the March 01, 2023 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
