Jury Checkup - Orrin Pollard

As a mammoth judging week in Vegas draws to a close, we checked in with Pharma and Health & Wellness Craft Juror Orrin Pollard, Chief of Creative Operations at Cognite to get his 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?

OP: As a creative leader, your natural instinct is always to start by assessing the strength of the idea behind a campaign, followed by its execution. But as jurors of craft, one of our biggest challenges was to deliberately go against that instinct — to separate the idea from the craft and focus solely on execution.

At times, we had to consciously steer our discussions back to that focus, reminding ourselves why we were there. Each entry had its own strengths and its own approach to communicating a message. Ultimately, what we were seeking was excellence in execution.

In truth, reaching consensus wasn’t difficult. The winning campaigns stood proud — they were exceptional examples of craft that elevated the communication far beyond the expected.

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?

OP: What stood out most for me was the honesty of the winning work. There was no sugar-coating, no glossing over the difficult truths. These campaigns delivered their messages with integrity, precision, and genuine emotional resonance.

It was refreshing to see such unflinching honesty — communication that told the story “warts and all” — and did so with outstanding attention to detail.

CR: Were there any emerging trends or innovative approaches in Health & Wellness 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?

OP: AI is everywhere now — so much so that I no longer see its use as inherently innovative; it’s simply part of the creative toolkit. That said, there were examples of smart application, such as one campaign that used AI to accelerate an animation process that would normally take months — a great example of innovation in workflow rather than output.

From a broader perspective, the continued focus on emotive patient storytelling remains strong. What’s different this year is the tone — more grounded, more real, and in some cases, beautifully raw. That honesty and humanity are what resonate most with me.

If this is the direction the industry continues to move in — telling authentic stories with empathy and directness — then I’m all for it.

CR: As AI reshapes advertising, how does handmade craft become a strategic or philosophical asset, rather than just a stylistic one?

OP: AI is here to stay — it’s a necessity now, helping us speed up processes and manage costs. But the real creative opportunity lies in how we use it.

I believe we’ll see a growing appetite for work that looks and feels human — that carries the imperfections and warmth of traditional craft. Handmade approaches will become even more valuable, not just as a stylistic choice, but as a strategic one — a way to stand apart in an increasingly homogenised landscape.

CR: Considering the strict regulatory environment of Pharma, how did the jury balance the need for compliance and scientific accuracy with the desire for groundbreaking creativity and emotional impact?

OP: As judges on the Craft Jury, our remit was purely to assess execution. We assumed that compliance and scientific accuracy had already gone through their own rigorous checks before the work reached us.

That gave us the freedom to focus on craft — evaluating each piece within its category based purely on how well it was executed.

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?

OP: The most rewarding aspect was, without question, the connection with like-minded creatives — reviewing outstanding work, having open and sometimes heated debates, and ultimately reaching consensus.

Not every award-winning campaign was universally loved, and that’s what makes the process so invigorating. It’s in those differing perspectives that we find inspiration and growth.

Two campaigns left a lasting impression on me for very different reasons:

‘Never Just a Period’ by Bodyform UK – another brilliant chapter in the Wombstories journey. It moves the needle on so many levels — message, craft, music, and sound design. It’s bold, beautifully executed, and perfectly demonstrates how multiple media forms can evoke humour, heartbreak, fear, and laughter around a subject that was once taboo.

Dove – a brand that continues to set the standard in promoting female body confidence. Like Nike, Dove has transcended its products to represent something enduring and emotionally resonant. The one-shot storytelling, lighting, and framing were superb — the kind of work that makes you think, “I wish I’d done that.”

CR: Was there a campaign that surprised you? Anything that you hadn’t seen before, that changed the course of discussion for the good?

SB: This year, there was a ton of great work driving testing of different kinds, meeting people where they are with assessments for vision, hearing, and so on. Eye Test Menu in particular got a lot of love from the jury – it had strong cultural insight, gorgeous craft, and closed the loop to a direct solution. Plus, the idea was an actual test, rather than a driver to test, which increases the degree of difficulty considerably.

CR: Was there a campaign that surprised you — something that changed the course of discussion for good?

OP: One that stood out to me was ‘Diary of a Head Injury’ for Headway. It offered a refreshingly different way to tell a patient story — honest narration paired with beautifully surreal monochrome animation and perfectly judged sound design.

It didn’t make the final cut within our criteria, but it stayed with me. The campaign told Nick’s story in a deeply human way — his voice, his reality, his recovery. It was raw and intimate, and that’s what made it special.

CR: Looking back at the winning work, what do you hope the broader pharmaceutical industry takes away from the campaigns celebrated this year? What message do these winners send about the future of effective pharma marketing?

OP: The message is simple: Be brave. Be challenging. Be honest.

As an industry, we need to keep pushing the envelope — because earning attention is harder than ever. We’re surrounded by noise 24/7, and true cut-through demands courage and clarity.

To quote a famous campaign: Think different. Capture hearts and minds in ways that are both human and unforgettable.