The 2025New York Festivals Health Awards, applauding excellence in Healthcare, Wellness and Pharmaceutical advertising, is now open for entries. Two industry trailblazers will lead the Executive Jury panels. Allison Ceraso, CCO at Digitas Health, will chair the Health & Wellness Executive Jury, and Kathleen Nanda, CCO at FCB Health New York, an IPG Health company, will head the Pharma Executive Jury. These creative leaders will preside over the Executive Jury panels that evaluates the shortlist curated by the online Shortlist Jury, to determine this year’s award-winning campaigns.
“We’re proud to welcome such visionary leaders to chair this year’s Executive Juries,” stated Jennifer Vizina, executive director, New York Festivals Health Awards. “Their insight and dedication will help ensure that the most innovative, purposeful, and impactful work from around the world is honoured with the recognition it deserves.”
The official Early Bird deadline to enter the 2025 NYF Health Awards is September 15. Enter here.
2025 Executive Jury Chair – Health & Wellness
Allison Ceraso has built her career on empathy, creativity, and impact, that she now infuses into her work as CCO of Digitas Health, the largest health agency within Publicis. Her award-winning work, from the emotionally resonant ParkinSex and ScART initiatives to recent campaigns in asthma and Alzheimer’s disease, reflects her belief that creativity in health must be both human and purposeful. Ceraso was named a 2024 Cannes Lions See It, Be It mentor, a Campaign US 40 Over 40 honoree, and an HBA Rising Star. She is also deeply involved in mentorship and advocacy through her work with FIT’s Ad Design program and the Research Foundation to Cure AIDS. As Jury Chair, she brings visionary leadership and a passion for transformative storytelling to guide this year’s Health & Wellness judging panel.
“NYF Health honours the world’s most exceptional creativity in health — the kind fuelled by grit, determination, heart, and a drive to make a difference. As a born-and-raised New Yorker, I know those qualities aren’t just what power great work — they’re the soul of this city. I’m proud to help recognize the brilliance, craft, and impact shaping the future of health,” Ceraso stated.
2025 Executive Jury Chair – Pharma
Kathleen Nanda is a 14-year veteran of FCB Health New York, an IPG Health company, the single largest healthcare marketing agency in the world. She began her career in consumer advertising, working for notable clients such as AT&T, Ford, Citibank, Sprint, Kodak, and the US Marine Corps. After discovering healthcare, she eagerly jumped in and never looked back. Over her career, she has been both a winner and a juror at The New York Festivals, Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Clios, Effies, and she was named a 2024 MM+M Woman of Distinction. Kathleen’s experience is vast, creating award-winning work for all types of brands, from dermatology to virology. Grounded in a firm belief that creativity has the power to help improve lives, she pushes relentlessly for work that breaks through and changes human behaviour in new and unexpected ways.
“NYFH is a great show and I’m thrilled by the opportunity to recognize work that blends creativity and compassion, and to help champion campaigns that change lives, drive equity, and elevate healthcare communication,” Nanad commented. “I believe in the power of celebrating courage in creativity and am eager to lead a jury that encourages risk‑taking and boundary-pushing work.”
2025 CFE Campaign
This year’s Call for Entry campaign, Rewarding Healthy Obsession, was developed by Adam Hessel, CCO at The Bloc, and his creative team. It dramatises the relentless commitment of health and pharma creatives in print by highlighting extreme work scenarios. Witty scenarios include finalising a case study during mid-flight wild turbulence, reviewing edits in a sauna, tweaking copy during a bank robbery, and even a bride approving layouts in a limo after her wedding, the concept taps into the obsessive perfectionism that drives the industry.
“We wanted to focus on the enduring passion, dedication, and relentless creative commitment that it takes to achieve great work. The campaign showcases the creative journey that’s in our DNA – the best creatives do whatever it takes to keep making progress, no matter what situation they find themselves in,” Hessel stated.
“NYF Health couldn’t agree more with the sentiment behind Rewarding Healthy Obsession. For nearly 50 years, we’ve been recognizing the kind of creative persistence in the health industry this campaign celebrates. We hope creatives will get a knowing chuckle,” Vizina added,
New Category News for 2025
NYF Health has expanding its 2025 competition with new categories that reflect the evolving landscape of health and wellness communications. These include NYF’inFunny, celebrating the evolving trend to add humour in health advertising; Creativity in Commerce, honouring hybrid campaigns that drive engagement and transactions; Best Use of Data, spotlighting work powered by research and storytelling; and Managed Markets, recognising strategic pharma communications.
Also new for 2025 is Greater Good, honoringu purpose-driven campaigns that use creativity to spark systemic change in areas like mental health, health equity, human rights, environmental sustainability, and children’s well-being. And Future Now expands with new craft-focused categories spotlighting innovation in augmented experiences and AI-enabled pharma and medical work.
The NYF Health dual Executive Jury sessions will be held in mid-November 2025 in New York City.
Finf more information on the competition, including rules, categories, and entry details HERE.
