Jury Checkup - Kathleen Nanda
As a mammoth judging week in Vegas draws to a close, we checked in with Pharma and Health & Wellness Craft Juror Kathleen Nanda, Chief Creative Officer at FCB Health New York to get her take on this years work.
CR: What was the most challenging aspect of evaluating the diverse range of craft entries, and how did the jury navigate those complexities to reach consensus on the shortlists and winners?
KN: I was lucky enough to be on the Craft jury for Health and Wellness AND Pharma, so I got to see work from both categories. Overall, we saw some great, inspiring work. We were a harmonious jury, usually aligned in what wowed us. The strength of the work was a pleasure to see, it really gives me hope regarding the role creativity and craft continues to play. In spite of all the industry pressures, creatives around the globe continue to find ways to surprise, delight, engage, and educate.
CR: Beyond the obvious creative brilliance, what specific criteria or subtle nuances in the campaigns truly resonated with you personally, and perhaps surprised you, as you were judging?
KN: Emotional storytelling continues to move people. Powerful emotional storytelling combined with the highest level of craft is going to continue to hook audiences, and juries. Judging health work is always an emotional rollercoaster. One minute you’re crying, the next you’re filled with optimism and awe about new medicines or an incredible patient story. We have important and moving stories to tell in the health space and the best work was deeply personal, and inventive. When the craft matches or exceeds the level of storytelling, it’s truly an unbeatable combination.
CR: Were there any emerging trends or innovative approaches in pharmaceutical communication that particularly stood out to you this year, and do you believe these indicate a significant shift in how the industry is engaging with its audiences?
KN: As in most shows, there continues to be a lopsided amount of great work in the health and wellness space, vs the pharma space, which continues to lag behind. If brand teams can take some of those lessons and apply it to the pharma work, they’d be much more successful.
CR: As AI reshapes advertising, how does handmade craft become a strategic or philosophical asset, rather than just a stylistic one?
KN: Truly ‘handmade’ work is very rare, and that has been the reality well before AI entered the conversation. We’ve been using tech-forward tools to make things for as long as I can remember. I think creatives will continue to put the tech to work for them, using vision and a combination of tools/methods to get to the best, most creative solution possible.
CR: What was the most rewarding or enjoyable part of your experience as a LIA juror? Was there a particular moment, discussion, or campaign that left a lasting positive impression on you?
KN: The LIAs is an absolutely fantastic show. One of the best parts of being a LIA juror is how immersive it is. There is no prejudging in the LIAs, so you have a large body of work to review that you’re seeing for the first time in the room. It’s completely absorbing. All day, for three straight days, you just look at the work. It’s a deep dive into creativity. With all the different things creative leads usually have to deal with all day, it feels like such a luxury to completely lose yourself in creativity for a few days.
As we looked at all this work, the one piece that I COULD NOT stop thinking about is Bodyform’s Never Just a Period. The work hits on every level – storytelling, art direction, music, edit – wow. All great. All envy producing.
CR: Looking back at the winning work, what do you hope the broader pharmaceutical industry takes away from the campaigns that were celebrated this year? What message do these winners send about the future of effective pharma marketing?
KN: Great work should be a beacon to the entire industry. Let’s not settle. Let’s keep pushing. Regulation doesn’t have to stop us from doing smart, well-crafted work in the health space. Let’s keep pushing Pharma work forward so that it can keep pace with health and wellness. It would be a win for all of us.