New York Festivals Health Awards has announced the Tower winners for the 2025 competition. IPG is Holding Company of the Year. IPG Health is Network of the Year. And FCB Health New York is Agency of the Year.
The awarded work was evaluated by two Executive Jury panels in focused, face-to-face sessions. Allison Ceraso, chief creative officer of Digitas Health, /was jury chair of the Health & Wellness Executive Jury; Kathleen Nanda, chief creative officer of FCB Health New York was jury chair for the Pharma Executive Jury. 2 Grand Awards, 9 Gold Towers, 13 Silver, and 12 Bronze awards were received.
2025 Pharma Grand Award
FCB Health New York won the 2025 NYF Pharma Grand Award for Skip the Drama for client, Exact Sciences/Cologuard, in the Direct-to-Consumer: Film category.
The campaign reimagined colon cancer screening by disguising health messaging as the next binge-worthy TV drama with humorous executions, White Knight and Blizzard. Recognising that colonoscopies are often perceived as invasive and intimidating, the team used Cologuard’s at-home, non-invasive test to flip the conversation. Teaser films mimicked prestige television genres, from fantasy epics to westerns, misleading viewers before revealing the true message: screening for colon cancer doesn’t have to come with drama.
In addition to the Grand Award, the campaign earned 3 NYF Gold Towers, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze.
“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. 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,” stated Kathleen Nanda, chief creative officer, FCB Health New York
2025 Health & Wellness Grand Award
Tessa Films/Fearless Mortals’ Let’s Change the Norm for Smartphone Free Childhood US won the 2025 NYF Health & Wellness Grand Award.
The campaign sparked a global conversation about the impact of early smartphone use on children’s development and mental health. Targeting parents of kids ages 7–13, it addressed the tension between cultural pressure to give a child a phone and growing concern over its developmental effects. Launched in the US, the PSA quickly spread worldwide, translated into multiple languages, and was shared across parenting, education, and mental health communities.
The campaign used humour to expose an uncomfortable truth, reframing the casual handling of adult technology to children through comedy rather than fear. Relatable scenarios from a Russian hacker asking for social security numbers to a box of porn and mean girls in the corner criticising used absurdity and wit to make viewers laugh first, reflect immediately, and reconsider what should be considered normal. 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. 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,” stated Tim Mason, creative director, Tessa Films and Fearless Mortals.
This year’s two Grand Award winners also reflected a broader creative shift within NYF Health: using humour to communicate complex or sensitive topics. Across the competition, judges saw an upswing in work using levity to disarm, engage, and connect with audiences. In response to this emerging momentum in the collective conversation, NYF Health introduced a new category in 2025, the NYF’n Funny, category, that celebrates campaigns that pushed comedic storytelling forward in healthcare communication.
NYF Health Gold Towers are:
- Klick Health (x2) for 18 Months for Second Nurture and Voice 2 Diabetes for KVI Brave Fund INC.
- 21Grams Forbidden Fantasies for Nexplanon,
- EVERSANA INTOUCH No More Hippocrites for Wisp,
- Grey Health NY Louder than Cancer for Amazon Music.
“Congratulations to all this year’s bold and inventive campaigns,” stated Jennifer Vizina, executive director, 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 humour to break through and demonstrate its power in creating memorable, effective healthcare campaigns.”
2025 Industry Awards
Interpublic Group won an impressive trifecta of special awards. IPG won Holding Company of the Year; IPG Health repeated its Network of the Year win for the third consecutive; and FCB Health New York won Agency of the Year, with the NYFHealth Grand Tower, 3 Gold Towers, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze, and 23 Finalist Awards.
View the 2025 NYF Health Awards winner’s gallery here.
Find more information on the 2025 New York Festivals Health Awards competition here.
