The New York Festivals Health Awards announced the winners of its 2025 competition, with Grand Awards for the highest-scoring work going to FCB Health New York and a joint campaign by Tessa Films and Fearless Mortals.
IPG secured a trifecta of major wins, earning the titles of Holding Company of the Year and, through its subsidiary, IPG Health, Network of the Year for the third consecutive year. FCB Health New York was also honored as Agency of the Year. The awards were determined following rigorous evaluation by two Executive Jury panels, led by Jury Chairs Allison Ceraso, Chief Creative Officer of Digitas Health, and Kathleen Nanda, Chief Creative Officer of FCB Health New York. The 2025 competition awarded two Grand Awards, nine Gold Towers, 13 Silver, and 12 Bronze awards, recognizing the most forward-thinking campaigns in the healthcare advertising industry.
FCB Health New York earned the 2025 Pharma Grand Award for its campaign, “Skip the Drama,” created for the client Exact Sciences/Cologuard in the Direct-to-Consumer: Film category. The campaign re-imagined colon cancer screening by using humor to disguise health messaging as a binge-worthy TV drama. Recognizing that colonoscopies are often perceived as invasive, the team leveraged Cologuard’s at-home, non-invasive test to flip the conversation.
Teaser films mimicked high-end entertainment genres, such as fantasy epics and westerns, misleading viewers before revealing the message that colon cancer screening does not have to be dramatic. This use of cinematic tension, humor, and high-end production across TV and social media cut through stigma, driving double-digit growth for Cologuard each quarter following its launch and transforming an essential health message into a cultural moment. The campaign also secured three NYF Gold Towers, one Silver, and two Bronze awards.
“This is such a huge win, not just for us, but for all the teams who work hard to elevate brand work, day in and day out,” said Kathleen Nanda, Chief Creative Officer of FCB Health New York. “This campaign shows us all that we can make great work, and it can move brands, regardless of being in a highly regulated market. That’s good for us, good for the industry, and of course, good for the brand.”
Tessa Films and Fearless Mortals received the 2025 Health & Wellness Grand Award for their campaign, “Let’s Change the Norm,” on behalf of client Smartphone Free Childhood US. The public service announcement sparked a global conversation about the impact of early smartphone use on children’s development and mental health. The campaign targeted parents of children ages 7 to 13, addressing the cultural tension between the pressure to give a child a phone and growing concerns over its developmental effects.
Launched in the U.S., the PSA quickly spread worldwide, translated into multiple languages, and shared across parenting, education, and mental health communities. The spot used humor, rather than fear, to expose an uncomfortable truth, reframing the casual handling of adult technology by children through relatable scenarios and wit. “Let’s Change the Norm” also earned an additional Gold NYF Health Tower.
“Every parent I know struggles with the role smartphones play in our children’s lives,” said Tim Mason, Creative Director at Tessa Films and Fearless Mortals. “Smartphone Free Childhood US is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to changing the norm around this growing mental health crisis. Our spot used empathy and humor to bring attention to their cause, and the overwhelming response shows that honest, simple, comedic storytelling has the power to attract attention and spark real change. This recognition means a lot, and we couldn’t be more honored to be awarded the New York Festivals Grand Tower for Health.”
The two Grand Award winners reflect a creative shift noted by the judges, as nearly one-third of all award-winning work leveraged humor as a strategic tool to deliver healthcare messaging with impact. In response, NYF Health introduced a new category in 2025, the NYF’n Funny category, to celebrate comedic storytelling in healthcare communication. Other agencies recognized with Gold Towers included Klick Health, 21Grams, EVERSANA INTOUCH, and Grey Health NY.
“Congratulations to all this year’s bold and inventive campaigns,” said Jennifer Vizina, Executive Director of the New York Festivals Health Awards. “This year, nearly one-third of all award-winning work leveraged humor as a strategic tool to deliver healthcare messaging with impact. Special congratulations to both of our Grand winners who used humor to break through and demonstrate its power in creating memorable, effective healthcare campaigns.”
