What if you won agency of the year 6 years in a row
This year saw Area 23, an IPG Health Company pick up Healthcare Agency of the year for an unprecedented 6th year in a row. We spoke to Chief Creative Officer Tim Hawkey to find out how they cultivate an environment of consistent creativity.
CF: What does being named Healthcare Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2025 mean to you and your team?
TH: We’re proud—no question. Winning this once is an honor. Winning it six years in a row, from 2020 to 2025, says something about the standard we hold ourselves to year after year. And this year? The level of competition was just incredible. The work across the board was next level, which makes the recognition even more meaningful.
That said, it’s Cannesuary 1st now. The slate’s clean. Everyone has zero Lions. Last week was great. This week, we’re back to work—building our new portfolio for the next year.
But before we move on to the next question I would be remiss if I didnt call out the quality of work entered into the Pharma Lions. I genuinely think it’s the best body of pharma work we’ve seen yet. Hell, Area 23 didn’t even get a shortlist in there. Maybe our work wasn’t good enough, or maybe general level of the work was that much higher. One thing that really stood out: a killer, conceptual, high-craft film in pharma is no longer a rare gem—it’s table stakes. That’s a big shift. And it’s something I’ll be taking back to our clients, because the message is clear: making a great film is no longer risky—it’s the bare minimum. It’s what our customers expect.
CF: How do you define success at Cannes? Is it about the Lions, the recognition, the work, or something else?
TH: It’s always about the work. Not the trophies. It’s about teams and clients pouring everything into an idea—crafting the hell out of it—then seeing that work light up the big screen in the Palais because it earned its way there. That moment? That’s what it’s about for a lot of people.
For me, personally, success at Cannes is also about discovering new ways of thinking. Win or lose, you get to walk through an open-air museum of boldness, intelligence, and invention. You bring that energy home, share it with your teams, with your clients, and—if you do it right—it creates a virtuous cycle: great work leads to Cannes, which leads to better thinking, which leads to more great work... and maybe another trip back.
CF: What kind of creative culture have you cultivated at the agency that allows award-winning ideas to thrive?
TH: Honestly, it’s not about the creative department. It’s about the entire agency being in service to the creative product. At Area 23, the culture isn't siloed—it's collective. Whether you're in strategy, medical, engagement, account, finance, or editorial—everyone here wants to make something great. No one’s satisfied just routing something efficiently or staying in their lane. People want to make work that kicks ass. That looks beautiful. That they can point to and say, “I helped make that.”
The real lift—the culture we’ve worked hardest to build—is attracting people outside of the creative department who are just as obsessed with the work as the creatives are. That’s when the magic happens. That’s when you make things the world hasn’t seen before.
CF: What’s your approach to creative leadership? How do you keep your teams both grounded and inspired?
TH: You’d probably get a better answer asking someone on my team. What I know is: I’m in the work. I’m hands-on. I'm in the weeds. Whether that’s good or bad, that’s how I’m wired. If I’m going to spend my life in advertising, I at least want to be in the part that’s still fun.
I seem to have this foolish belief that I can’t shake—that if you get everything else in the agency right—structure, process, talent, trust—then creativity will just start happening more often, more successfully, and at a bigger scale.
So at any given time, you’ll probably find me inventing some new system for creative output that everyone will maybe have to choke down for the next twelve months—until I change it again. One day I’ll crack it. Hopefully before the robots do.
CF: Were there any unexpected challenges during the creation of the campaigns? How did the team overcome them?
TH: Yes. There were unexpected challenges during the creation of 100% of the campaigns. In fact, for every piece we brought to Cannes, there’s another one that didn’t make it—imploded in the final stretch, for one reason or another. That’s the reality when you’re pushing boundaries and doing things differently. You’re going to face headwinds. Creativity today is not for the faint of heart. It takes extra work, stamina, and a willingness to walk through a minefield.
Take The Zip Code Exam—we’ve been working on that project for two or three years. It’s been on the shelf, off the shelf, nearly scrapped more times than I can count. The data, the design, the logistics—it’s been a minefield of roadblocks and dead ends.
But here’s the bright spot: whenever we hit a wall, we were able to call on colleagues across IPG. Data minds at Performance Art. Media pros at UM and Rapport. PR wizards at Weber. And every time, they showed up—with time, ideas, expertise, and a shared commitment to the creative. That kind of collaboration reminds you why we do this. When people come together in service of the work, the work wins.
CF: Are there any new areas—technology, markets, or formats—that you're excited to explore next year?
TH: Let me get back to you on that one. Honestly, I don’t know yet.
CF: What advice would you give to other agencies looking to create not just great work, but a consistently award-winning culture?
TH: Set a long-term goal. One that’s big enough for everyone to rally around. Then stick to it. Hold yourself accountable and chip away at it—every brief, every pitch, every year.
One-year goals are great—until you hit them and realize you didn’t think about what comes next. So go longer. Think in five- or ten-year arcs. And start figuring out how to build the kind of place where great work isn’t a surprise. It’s the expectation.
