Viatris and Biogen Triumph at Cannes Pharma Lions 2025

At the 2025 Cannes Lions Pharma awards—part of the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—pharmaceutical companies reclaimed the spotlight. Viatris captured the Grand Prix with its innovative "Make Love Last – Bedroom" campaign for Viagra, while Biogen earned Gold honors for its striking "Friedreich’s Back" video series.

The standout entry, “Make Love Last – Bedroom,” is a visually arresting, time‑lapse vignette depicting an intimate couple whose blurred movements convey emotional and physical connection without overtly referencing medication. The climactic reveal features a symbolic blue diamond—the only visual nod to Viagra.

Developed by Ogilvy Health Shanghai amid stringent Chinese advertising regulations, the campaign navigates cultural sensitivities by leveraging metaphor and subtlety. Jury president Franklin Williams of AREA 23 praised it as “a bold yet quiet masterclass in storytelling… turning regulation into creative opportunity,” calling it "brilliant basics"—a campaign excelling in craft, clarity, and courage.

Viatris and Ogilvy's unbranded strategy proved powerful under stringent constraints. The campaign extended beyond film—launching around Valentine’s Day as a multi‑channel art initiative that amassed over 350 million impressions.

Biogen’s Gold award went to “Friedreich’s Back,” a nine‑episode social‑media mini‑series promoting Skyclarys, the FDA‑approved therapy for Friedreich’s ataxia. The campaign features a comedic resurrection of 19th-century neurologist Nikolaus Friedreich, who navigates modern drug development alongside a Gen Z intern—an interplay designed to educate while entertaining.

Produced in partnership with agency 21Grams, the series tackles a serious rare disease with dry humor to foster awareness without trivializing it. The campaign is distinctive for balancing emotional depth with scientific accuracy, earning praise from Cannes judges

These victories signaled a significant comeback for traditional pharmaceutical firms, which had been eclipsed in recent years by tech-driven campaigns. Since GSK’s 2019 “Breath of Life” app—a tech product featuring COPD awareness—no drug maker has secured the top prize. This year’s results mark a shift back to pharma narratives centered on prescription medications.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sakshi Thakar/MSM)