Creativity Thrives Under Constraint

Creativity under constraint is a familiar story in healthcare marketing.

As Claire Gillis, VML Health says, “In healthcare we are controlled by the claims we can make but our creativity and how we push complicated messages to huge audiences gives us a unique challenge and creative opportunity.”

But with sweeping regulatory changes hitting the US health sector, the need for inventive problem-solving has never been greater.

From the potential ban on mass direct-to-consumer advertising on TV, to rising scrutiny and shifts in advertising practice - healthcare agencies are facing fresh barriers to getting their messages across.

Add to that the widespread de-funding of programmes supporting marginalised communities, and the global health and wellness disruption brought by GLP-1s, and it’s clear: healthcare brands now have an even bigger role to play in helping the public access the tools, information and care they need to stay healthy and happy.

Spending a week in New York with healthcare leaders, I heard real concern about what lies ahead - but also a powerful sense of optimism around the role creativity can play in addressing these challenges.

“There is a misconception that healthcare advertising is not creative. When actually the reality is you need to be more creative,” says Frank Mazzola, founder, 21Grams.

The biggest challenges attract the best minds.

And right now, healthcare needs great talent more than ever.