Campaigns
MM+M Staff
December 20, 2019
12:13 pm

6 campaigns MM&M staffers thought stole the show in 2019

breathoflife
fingerpaint cte
merck, a touch of sugar
rice krispie treats edelman autism campaign

Area 23 and Constant Therapy

This campaign for a therapy app ties in a lot of elements: a baby, a speech pathologist and her patient, who's struggling to utter "baby" after a brain injury. But the animation sequence depicting an infant running the proverbial gauntlet inside a damaged brain is as riveting as anything conjured by Pixar. The metaphor works perfectly, and neuroscience seldom looked so relatable. – Marc Iskowitz, executive editor, MM&M

Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival

The pharma world’s content renaissance was felt most profoundly in the realm of documentary film – not just via thought-provoking mainstream efforts like Merck’s A Touch of Sugar, but in the contributions of individual filmmakers that screened at Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival. On their worst days, medical marketers are a skilled lot, blessed with the ability to convey a wealth of information and aspirational vigor in tight temporal windows. Given the wider canvas of documentary film – and often working alongside experienced filmmakers – they have finally delivered on their promise to represent the patient journey in all its unexpected glory and punishing frustration. Don’t buy it? Check out some of the Rare Disease Festival entrants and get back to us. More, please. – Larry Dobrow, senior editor, MM&M

GSK and McCann Health Shanghai

Successfully garnering widespread attention to a less-than-sexy obstructive pulmonary condition affecting millions is no easy task. Capturing the first Cannes Pharma Grand Prix in three years might have proven itself more elusive, but that's just what McCann Shanghai's Breath of Life campaign pulled off. Utilizing China's most-used app, wechat, this initiative offered diagnostic help to people across China in need of medical diagnostic tools. To be completely transparent, the beauty of the app alone placed it squarely at the top of my life – it's effectiveness as a diagnostic tool available to the masses put it over the top. – Sean Ayling, senior art director, MM&M

Fingerpaint and Concussion Legacy Foundation

The 30-second spot shows the Turbos, a youth football team, firing up cigarettes for a smoke break during a game. The source of the smokes? A mom who offers a pack of heaters to the cherubs in pads. It’s all done in the service of making the point that the banging of heads that happens on every play in tackle football can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as certainly as smoking leads to cancer. And, parents, you wouldn’t let your kid smoke, would you? Then why let them play tackle? – Steve Madden, editor-in-chief and GM, MM&M

Merck

A glitzy premiere during the Tribeca Film Festival is not where I expected to find a pharma company, but Merck and its diabetes documentary A Touch of Sugar blended right in. The film excelled at telling the story of underserved patients with diabetes, not afraid to dive into how being poor or a person of color, living in rural areas or speaking another language can affect one's prognosis. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Merck landed an Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis to narrate the film and tell her family's diabetes story for the first time. – Alison Kanski, reporter, MM&M

Rice Krispie Treats and Autism Speaks

Back-to-school season is one of the most stressful times of year for kids, but Rice Krispies Treats’ “love notes” campaign is making it easier for children with autism. Many children with autism respond positively to tactile experiences, so the brand worked with nonprofit Autism Speaks to develop four-packs of notes in textures including silk, fleece, faux fur, satin and velour. Kudos to Rice Krispies Treats for dialing up the creativity and compassion to make the beginning of the school year just a little bit easier for children with autism. – Frank Waskuch, news director, PRWeek

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Campaigns

6 campaigns MM&M staffers thought stole the show in 2019

Do you agree with their picks?

MM+M Staff
December 20, 2019
12:13 pm

Slideshow

breathoflife
fingerpaint cte
merck, a touch of sugar
rice krispie treats edelman autism campaign

Area 23 and Constant Therapy

This campaign for a therapy app ties in a lot of elements: a baby, a speech pathologist and her patient, who's struggling to utter "baby" after a brain injury. But the animation sequence depicting an infant running the proverbial gauntlet inside a damaged brain is as riveting as anything conjured by Pixar. The metaphor works perfectly, and neuroscience seldom looked so relatable. – Marc Iskowitz, executive editor, MM&M

Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival

The pharma world’s content renaissance was felt most profoundly in the realm of documentary film – not just via thought-provoking mainstream efforts like Merck’s A Touch of Sugar, but in the contributions of individual filmmakers that screened at Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival. On their worst days, medical marketers are a skilled lot, blessed with the ability to convey a wealth of information and aspirational vigor in tight temporal windows. Given the wider canvas of documentary film – and often working alongside experienced filmmakers – they have finally delivered on their promise to represent the patient journey in all its unexpected glory and punishing frustration. Don’t buy it? Check out some of the Rare Disease Festival entrants and get back to us. More, please. – Larry Dobrow, senior editor, MM&M

GSK and McCann Health Shanghai

Successfully garnering widespread attention to a less-than-sexy obstructive pulmonary condition affecting millions is no easy task. Capturing the first Cannes Pharma Grand Prix in three years might have proven itself more elusive, but that's just what McCann Shanghai's Breath of Life campaign pulled off. Utilizing China's most-used app, wechat, this initiative offered diagnostic help to people across China in need of medical diagnostic tools. To be completely transparent, the beauty of the app alone placed it squarely at the top of my life – it's effectiveness as a diagnostic tool available to the masses put it over the top. – Sean Ayling, senior art director, MM&M

Fingerpaint and Concussion Legacy Foundation

The 30-second spot shows the Turbos, a youth football team, firing up cigarettes for a smoke break during a game. The source of the smokes? A mom who offers a pack of heaters to the cherubs in pads. It’s all done in the service of making the point that the banging of heads that happens on every play in tackle football can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as certainly as smoking leads to cancer. And, parents, you wouldn’t let your kid smoke, would you? Then why let them play tackle? – Steve Madden, editor-in-chief and GM, MM&M

Merck

A glitzy premiere during the Tribeca Film Festival is not where I expected to find a pharma company, but Merck and its diabetes documentary A Touch of Sugar blended right in. The film excelled at telling the story of underserved patients with diabetes, not afraid to dive into how being poor or a person of color, living in rural areas or speaking another language can affect one's prognosis. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Merck landed an Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis to narrate the film and tell her family's diabetes story for the first time. – Alison Kanski, reporter, MM&M

Rice Krispie Treats and Autism Speaks

Back-to-school season is one of the most stressful times of year for kids, but Rice Krispies Treats’ “love notes” campaign is making it easier for children with autism. Many children with autism respond positively to tactile experiences, so the brand worked with nonprofit Autism Speaks to develop four-packs of notes in textures including silk, fleece, faux fur, satin and velour. Kudos to Rice Krispies Treats for dialing up the creativity and compassion to make the beginning of the school year just a little bit easier for children with autism. – Frank Waskuch, news director, PRWeek

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