You’ve submitted your entry and your work has been shortlisted. So what happens next?

Zuleika Burnett shares her insight into the judging process.

How does a jury start judging all the entries they receive?

Inside the jury room, we love a debate! Expressing points of view, analysing the strengths and weakness of each entry, asking questions such as ‘what inspires us about this piece of work?’, ‘what’s clever or original about it?’, and ‘why it is relevant?’. So to ask “Is this worthy of a gold, silver or bronze?” – is to ask about impact, effectiveness and how well it works at an emotional and psychological level. The mission is to honour work that’s breaking new ground and stands out from the sea of sameness.

What do you look for when judging a campaign?

I enjoy anticipating and dealing with surprises. It’s really a question of being brave when assessing an idea, and giving it the undivided attention it deserves. I also like to be prepared – knowing what won awards in previous years and how brands are being marketed in this space. The more creative ideas, executions and trends I look at, the more informed I can be to place them in the broader context. However, to ask ‘Is this award winning?” – is also to ask ‘how many lives were saved or improved because of this campaign?’.

What makes an award winning healthcare campaign?

Going beyond the cliché of ‘big ideas’ and ‘patient centricity’, we are always thinking in terms of building meaningful brands with human purpose. Stories move hearts and minds: not being told what to feel, told what to buy or even shown the same imagery over and over. Many clients recognise a need to change and evolve, and the fact is that health is the most emotional topic in the world yet the marketing has demonstrated the smallest emotive range. So for me, a winning campaign must demonstrate how it connects deeply on a humanistic level, and how it creates meaning.

“A winning campaign must demonstrate how it connects deeply on a humanistic level, and how it creates meaning”

Do you have a favourite campaign?

My all time favourite award-winning campaign was the Cadbury’s Gorilla advert, in 2007. This 90-second advert had no dialogue and no product; instead it’s just a guy in an animatronic gorilla suit, playing the drums. Why would anyone buy it? The brief was to ‘rekindle the love’ and the rest is history. Gorilla won a host of awards, including the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions and Cadbury saw a 10% sales boost. The advert almost didn’t get made – it’s surreal, it’s random – but it’s a brilliant example of creativity that hit the brief in terms of making people feel something, and you really do feel there’s humanity there.

Are there previous Clio winners that really stand out to you?

One award winning campaign that really stood out for me at Clio Health awards in 2017, (when I was a juror in a different category) was “Speed Dating” by Havas Lynx.

This unconventional, thought-provoking short film used the relatable set-up of speed dating to help the audience understand what it means to desperately seek a match, against the clock. It’s message is simple: The problem we face is a chronic shortage of donors, which means that 16 people waiting for life-saving organs across Europe will die every day, unless we sign up.

I loved that they worked with people who had real experience of transplantation. Justin, 38, became the hero. The film’s comedic set-ups and surface triviality contrasts brilliantly with the heightened reality of its stark ending, featuring Justin – who is “dying to meet someone” as he awaits the organ donation that will save his life. I think the use of humour makes a difficult subject approachable for people, and the plea from a real transplant patient revealed at the end, serves to create a powerful activator.

What do healthcare brands need to do to have staying power?

Show people you care, even if it means doing things differently. Because some of the challenges facing us humans that we need help with, can be filled by brands who take responsibility for the long term. Ask yourself: what do you want to be remembered for? Then come and talk to us!

Zuleika is Executive Director for Creative and Innovation, working with teams across the agency to produce award-winning creative work. Her experience as a juror includes Cannes Lions Health, Eurobest, Global Awards, PM Society Awards and Clio Health. When she’s not busy lecturing, speaking or judging, Zuleika spends time trying to keep up with her incredibly sporty family – skiers Thomas and Hannah, and ultra-marathon runner husband Phil.