Edelman Hires Eduardo Tavares as Global Health Executive Creative Director

Edelman has hired Eduardo Tavares as Global Executive Creative Director of Health, effective July 21.

In his new role, Tavares is leading the development and creative direction of Edelman’s health work across its global network, the agency said in a statement. 

Tavares, who has spent the majority of his career at advertising agencies, said that he has always loved exploring different paths and felt that the overall advertising agency model was shifting in a direction that he didn’t want to be a part of. 

Edelman, being a PR agency, "elevates this conversation” with companies and the market, he said, offering a new personal challenge navigating the earned media side of the business.

“I'm really happy to join [Edelman] in this global perspective because it's something that I've done a little bit in former places,” he said, citing his most recent role as EVP and executive creative director at advertising agency FCB Chicago, as well as creative partner for FCB Brazil.

Tavares reports to Edelman global chief creative officer Judy John in his new title with the DJE Holdings agency.

“I'm so excited to have [Tavares] on our team,” John said. “When you look at his work, the level of creativity, the simplicity, the humanity and the emotion that he brings is something that is needed in the health space, but definitely on the earned side. He's going to be such a catalyst for us in health in terms of creativity.”

Manuel Frank previously served as global creative chair for health at Edelman. He departed the agency last November and now serves as chief creative officer at Havas Life. 

Tavares is the first external hire for the lead creative health-focused role, according to John. 

Tavares joins a team of creative account and strategy specialists across areas such as health and consumer, practically all of whom touch pharma, said John. Having a seasoned specialist like Tavares as the global lead will “elevate” Edelman’s solutions and award-winning work moving forward, she said. 

In 2024, Edelman won big at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, taking home 16 Cannes Lions, including a Titanium Lion for DP World’s The Move to -15ºC.  

A few months later, the agency saw a series of leadership changes across its creative bench, including the departures of former global chief experience officer and U.S. chief creative officer Taj Reid, executive global creative director Jordan Atlas and EMEA co-chief creative officers Mattias Ronge and Stefan Ronge.

Reid joined Burson as its global chief creative officer in November, while Atlas launched his own fractional agency, My Friend Billy, and the Ronge brothers launched their own consultancy, Earned Identity. 

At the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Edelman’s work on General Mills’ Progresso Soup Drops campaign picked up Gold and Silver Lions. 

Looking at the agency’s portfolio of health work, John emphasized that Edelman should be doing more outstanding, impactful work that drives clients' business, but also helps people. Tavares' appointment is part of that effort, she said. 

“[Tavares’ hire] signals our continued transformation and our focus on creativity being a differentiator for us in terms of our capabilities,” John added. “Earned needs to be at the heart of the idea and those are the ideas that really light up the consumers.”

Prior to FCB, Tavares held roles at Dentsu Health as global executive creative director and Area 23, most recently as SVP and group creative director of craft and design. His portfolio includes award-winning work for Siemens Healthineers, Horizon, Pfizer, Eurofarma, GSK, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, Intel, Spotify and Penguin Books, according to Edelman.

“It’s my job to be able to elevate the work and elevate the level of craft and creativity that we bring to health and pharma,” Tavares said of his new role in the “PR universe.” 

“Everything is creativity. Everything is a chance to bring a great message to the world, engage our clients, engage their message with our target audience,” he added. “My specific focus here is creating and bringing creativity forward into the health and pharma environment at Edelman.”