New Zealand specialist healthcare communications agency, Essence, has won a top award at the prestigious global Creative
Floor Awards (the Awards), held in London on 8 September, for its playful “Bunnies” campaign that spotlights erectile dysfunction treatment CILATIL®.
The award was recognised in the Campaign (Poster) category with Essence also named a finalist for its “Forget the Regrets” campaign for Bayer’s long-acting reversible contraception in the same category.
Essence founder Ben Hart says he is thrilled with the international recognition for his team’s inventive Bunnies work –
which depicts images of human-like diverse bunny couples with the strapline “Go like rabbits” – as well as the bravery
and trust shown by its client Viatris, manufacturers of CILATIL.
“At Essence we believe in the power of creatively engaging, patient-focused communications to help make the world a
healthier place. Our expertise is in pushing the healthcare industry’s traditionally conservative boundaries, with an
innovative approach to communication. This accolade is recognition of our team’s ability to get relevant audience cut
through for pharmaceutical clients, often challenged by a stringent regulatory environment.
“This is the first year we have entered our work into award programmes and as an independent, locally-owned Kiwi
business, winning a global award on inaugural attempt is extremely gratifying,” says Hart.
Essence Strategy Director and General Manager, Kristen Marks, recognises the importance of a strong partnership between
our agency and our clients, in delivering potent and robust creativity.
“We applaud the Viatris team for its courage and are thankful they shared our playful and spirited vision for the work.
‘Bunnies’ began life with a collaborative strategic platform that resulted in a powerful and evocative campaign that
will have great longevity. It can be hugely challenging to communicate topics like erectile dysfunction in the heavily
regulated healthcare space, so relentless confidence and respect across the agency/client team is critical to success
while keeping the patient at the heart of everything we do,” says Marks.
Developed during Covid-19 lockdowns and remote working, these globally recognised campaigns created a source of
inspiration to reset Essence’s agency brand positioning in 2021, to ensure perfectly simple ideas are ignited with
creativity, and always with audience and health literacy at the core.
The Awards are recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious health and wellness award programmes. It is the only
health and wellness awards programme to donate a portion of its profits to help drive diversity and increase talent in
healthcare communications agencies around the globe, through its Talent and Diversity Fund.
As the only New Zealand agency named a finalist in the Awards this year, Essence was shortlisted alongside the likes of
Australia’s Ward 6, and other internationally-acclaimed agency groups including FCB Health New York, VMLY Spain, McCann Health Japan and DDB Remedy.
For more details on the finalists and winners in the Creative Floor Awards click here: 2022 Winners - The Creative Floor Awards. To view the winning Viatris “Bunnies” campaign click here: 2022 Winners - The Creative Floor Awards.