Health advertising: A testimony to our creative transformation?
India winning big at Cannes Lions three years in a row definitely speaks volumes about the creative juices flowing in the healthcare advertising segment

When Mumbai-based independent Medulla Communications bagged the Healthcare Agency of the Year at Lions Health in 2016, it was a first for the nation as well as the agency. Led by Praful Akali and Amit Akali, the agency that year bagged seven Pharma Lions in all — two gold, two silver, and three bronze. Their work on 'Last Laugh' for the Indian Association of Palliative Care got the Gold home. And with that win, the agency not only put India on the global map but also took health advertising in the country to another high.
At Cannes Lions, last year, McCann Health won a Grand Prix for Good in the Pharma category for ‘Immunity Charm’ followed by TBWA\India securing the Health Grand Prix for Good for ‘Blink to Speak’ this year. Winning big three years in a row definitely speaks volumes about the creative work coming out of this segment. We asked the healthcare heroes what this really means…
Shining on
Praful Akali, Founder and Managing Director of Medulla Communications, feels that India was already arriving on the global healthcare stage. “This year was like a massive ceiling to that because we won the second Grand Prix in a row at the Lions Healthcare. People are really respecting India for that. This year, the folks at the New York Festivals Advertising Awards were like we do live judging sessions everywhere, can we host one in India?”
Medulla Communication CCO Amit Akali signals that healthcare is the only category where India has been agency of the year. “India is definitely looked at from an award-point of view. From the non-award-point-of-view too, agencies are integrating health in everything they do.”
Susan Joshi, Co-Founder, Havas Life Sorento, echoes the sentiments. “More and more brands are getting health at the centrestage of everything they do,” she states.
Reminiscing old times when the category was just establishing its roots, Joshi says, “The first time when we won an award in 2000, it was for Prescription Club where some pharma agencies participated. And now, the whole space of awards has changed a lot. It has become much bigger and purpose-driven. The stature has gone up. So the kind of work that is participating has also gone up.”
From ‘deficiencies’ to democratization
Akali (Amit) points out that since Cannes started healthcare, we started to get more democratised in a way that a lot of mainline agencies also started entering healthcare. “Healthcare has become an important category for India in the past 4-5 years. In healthcare, there is a pharma section and a healthcare section. And as you know, pharma healthcare this year was won by TBWA which is a generalised agency.”
Over time, to cater to rising demands, agencies launched separate healthcare wings. Last year, independent agency Sorento got acquired by Havas.
Joshi explains that going global suddenly became very important but Cannes was the game-changer. “Cannes has set the benchmarks for many people in India. And that has changed the way healthcare communications is done,” says Joshi.
Rajesh Rai, Senior VP and Executive Creative Director, McCann Health, feels that not just the work in the category but the way juries judge the category that has dramatically changed, and this has been a big driver of growth. “Healthcare is really being looked up at now. When we started off, there were only two award shows. The juries here were not able to look at healthcare the way-- the understanding of the category and the understanding of the advertising part. The right mix of it is important, which is now there and this has fostered better creativity,” says Rai.
Akali (Praful) opines that Indian healthcare advertising now is actually better than the best. He feels that we’re a big market for these advertising companies. “As for the wins at Cannes, it’s been third year in a row for India. So, in fact, people are trying to understand what is it that is winning us all these awards,” he says.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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