The same thing that underpins the best marketing in any sector: the core creative thought, delivered in a primal, immediate way.

Great communication is built on a moment of clarity that communicates the bigger picture in an instant, yet lives long in the memory. There's no complicated set-up, no drawn-out delivery, no tired explanation.

Achieving standout in a crammed media space requires this beautiful simplicity. It forges an immediate, emotional connection between viewer and idea. It includes them in the story.

That's the difference between functional marketing and great campaigning, and it's what I seek in all healthcare communications.

I'm constantly amazed at the preponderance of over-design, and unnecessary complication in much of pharma advertising. Piling on the information in detail aids, bludgeoning busy HCPs with reams of argument and justification, which often serve only to cloud the message.

There's a better way.

Boil it down; reduce the idea to its purest expression. Only then can you generate the desired pattern-interrupt, make people stop and think about how they might respond, how they could get involved.

Here are a few examples that absolutely nail it...

Rational Explanation – Pfizer Australia

Author

Public

Agency: McCann Healthcare Sydney

This ad for Pfizer Australia delivers a big message with a stunningly simple proposition.

While its call for early Alzheimer’s screening is deliberately understated, its ramifications are strikingly visualised.

Beautifully pitched with enormous emotional punch.

Blind Eye – Women’s Aid

Author

Public

Agency: WCRS London

Not strictly health, but brilliant nonetheless. This clever experiential ad for Women’s Aid places the viewer at the heart of a domestic abuse dilemma.

Which story will you be a part of?

A simple concept, powerfully executed to engage the audience at the most visceral level.

Villa Forma Gym

Author

Public

Agency: Propeg Brazil

At the heart of any effective healthcare message is a clear articulation to the viewer of the benefits of acting.

Few ideas do it this well.

A simple, personalised iPad experience, which engages users in the most immediate, physical way.