Asia Rising - Fresh from the APAC Cannes Lions Jury

Toby Pickford, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Health Australia, shares his views and insights from judging at Cannes Lions 2019.

A very interesting year for health & wellness where traditional advertising was certainly taking a backseat. But, when we did see it, the well-executed entries stood out. I saw 4 trends but I am sure there where more.

  1. Brands helping to better ourselves – "Boys don't cry" was a prime example, showing how three words from a parent can shape a young man's life in a negative way. Or Viva La Vulva empowering women to be comfortable with their vulva no matter what shape.
  2. Brands and organisations asking us to be more switched on to what’s happening – "Voiceless women" was certainly a hard watch, delving into the dark online world of sex trafficking reviews. "Undercover crosswords" was a very clever and simple way to help senior people to alert authorities they are being treated poorly.
  3. Rather than tech for tech sake, it was tech for health's sake – "Storysign" and "SeeSound" were amazing examples of technology truly helping deaf. And I did love Purina's "Street Vet" where you could instantly test your dogs urine and detect any issues.
  4. The last trend was 'making it accessible' – "This Ables" the Grand Prix winner showed us how to do that. And "One mindful mind" made home counselling accessible to parents through a superbly designed pack of printed (yes printed) materials.