Latest news with #NewZealandHerpesFoundation
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Best place to have herpes': New Zealand advert wins top prize
New Zealand Herpes Foundation "To fix our national pride, the solution is obvious: herpes." That was the pitch made by the charity New Zealand Herpes Foundation last October, when it launched a campaign to make the country the "best place" to have the infection. That campaign has been a roaring success, winning a top prize at this year's Cannes Lions awards, which recognise excellence in the creative industry. The campaign, which aimed to destigmatise herpes via a faux tourism advertisement video, was awarded the Grand Prix for Good - a category that seeks to highlight work by non-profit organisations and charities. The video starred Sir Graham Henry, the former head coach of the national rugby union team. In it, he touted the past successes of New Zealand and lamented its diminishing sources of national pride - such as an "embarrassingly low" sheep-to-human ratio and pies that are "pushing seven bucks". "We need something new to be proud of; something big and brave to put us back on the map," Mr Henry said as he scrawled the word "HERPES" - in all caps - on a chalk board. "It's time for New Zealand to become the best place in the world to have herpes." What followed was another old-school video packaged as a "herpes destigmatisation course", featuring other national icons like former health ministry chief Sir Ashley Bloomfield and professional boxer Mea Motu. The irreverent humour running through the campaign - which was developed with agencies Motion Sickness and FINCH - has struck a chord with audiences. "Forget doom and gloom, there's enough of that already to go around," said David Ohana, communications chief at the United Nations Foundation and a jury president at this year's Cannes Lions. "Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big, bold, crazy idea … and humour for days, that anything is possible." Around one in three sexually active adults in New Zealand has the virus that causes genital herpes, though most have mild or no symptoms and can lead ordinary lives, according to the New Zealand Herpes Foundation. "Popular media, misinformation, and New Zealanders' awkwardness talking about sex - has led to huge stigmatisation for those living normal lives with the virus," reads a press release from when the campaign was launched last October. Alaina Luxmoore, from the New Zealand Herpes Foundation, told local TV programme Breakfast that millions had seen the campaign, which had "massive cut-through". "The campaign was so funny, I think that's why it worked," Luxmore said. New Zealand
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Best place to have herpes': New Zealand ad wins top prize
"To fix our national pride, the solution is obvious: herpes."That was the pitch made by the charity New Zealand Herpes Foundation last October, when it launched a campaign to make the country the "best place" to have the campaign has been a roaring success, winning a top prize at this year's Cannes Lions awards, which recognise excellence in the creative campaign, which aimed to destigmatise herpes via a faux tourism advertisement video, was awarded the Grand Prix for Good - a category that seeks to highlight work by non-profit organisations and charities. The video starred Sir Graham Henry, the former head coach of the national rugby union it, he touted the past successes of New Zealand and lamented its diminishing sources of national pride - such as an "embarrassingly low" sheep-to-human ratio and pies that are "pushing seven bucks"."We need something new to be proud of; something big and brave to put us back on the map," Mr Henry said as he scrawled the word "HERPES" - in all caps - on a chalk board."It's time for New Zealand to become the best place in the world to have herpes."What followed was another old-school video packaged as a "herpes destigmatisation course", featuring other national icons like former health ministry chief Sir Ashley Bloomfield and professional boxer Mea irreverent humour running through the campaign - which was developed with agencies Motion Sickness and FINCH - has struck a chord with audiences."Forget doom and gloom, there's enough of that already to go around," said David Ohana, communications chief at the United Nations Foundation and a jury president at this year's Cannes Lions."Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big, bold, crazy idea … and humour for days, that anything is possible."Around one in three sexually active adults in New Zealand has the virus that causes genital herpes, though most have mild or no symptoms and can lead ordinary lives, according to the New Zealand Herpes Foundation."Popular media, misinformation, and New Zealanders' awkwardness talking about sex - has led to huge stigmatisation for those living normal lives with the virus," reads a press release from when the campaign was launched last Luxmoore, from the New Zealand Herpes Foundation, told local TV programme Breakfast that millions had seen the campaign, which had "massive cut-through"."The campaign was so funny, I think that's why it worked," Luxmore said.
Campaign ME
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
All the Grand Prix winners at Cannes Lions 2025
Glass Lion for Change, Media and Creative Strategy Dove 'Real beauty' by Ogilvy UK Ogilvy UK won two Grands Prix at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: in the Glass: The Lion for Change category; and for Media and Creative Strategy. The awards were given for the agency's long-running campaign for Dove, entitled 'Real beauty', which aims to challenge the way women view beauty. It launched in 2004, after research found that just 2% of women saw themselves as beautiful, leading to 'Campaign for real beauty', which featured a range of women in underwear. Grand Prix for Good New Zealand Herpes Foundation 'The best place in the world to have herpes' by Motion Sickness Auckland creative agency Motion Sickness, video production company Finch Sydney, and the New Zealand Herpes Foundation landed the Grand Prix in the Glass Lion for Good category. The Lion was awarded for 'The best place in the world to have herpes', which also picked up gold in the Health and Wellness Lions. The campaign aims to destigmatise herpes in New Zealand by talking more openly about the subject. It is made up of a 90-second spot which uses dry humour and features former rugby union coach Sir Graham Henry as a spokesperson. Henry highlights that New Zealand has lost its purpose, so he challenges people to make New Zealand the 'best place in the world to have herpes'. Dan Wieden Titanium Lion, Direct and Creative Business Transformation Axa 'Three words' by Publicis Conseil Publicis Conseil in France received Grands Prix in the Dan Wieden Titanium Lion, Direct, and Creative Business Transformation categories for its domestic violence campaign for Axa insurance. The campaign highlights Axa's inclusion of domestic violence as a risk within its home insurance policies so that women are covered for relocation in the event of this type of emergency. Wavemaker Paris oversaw media. Film Lions Paris 2024 Paralympic Games ,'Considering what?' by 4Creative and L'Oréal Paris 'The final copy of Ilon Specht' by McCann Paris Channel 4 and L'Oréal Paris each received a Film Lions Grand Prix this year, the former for 'Considering what?' launched as part of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, and the latter for 'The final copy of Ilon Specht.' The 18-minute L'Oréal Paris film by McCann Paris followed the legacy of Ilon Specht, the woman who created the tagline 'Because I'm worth it'. Specht was an advertising assistant working for McCann Erickson when she came up with the line, at a time where women's beauty advertising was predominantly created through a male lens. The Channel 4 campaign, made by 4Creative, included a 140-second film that brought three forces to life: gravity, friction and time. It explored how these forces do not care whether someone is disabled and encouraged the world to praise athletes for their performances at the Paralympic Games, without any caveats. Audio and Radio Budweiser 'One second ads' by Africa Creative DDB Creative agency Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo, took home the Audio and Radio Grand Prix for 'One second ads' for Budweiser. Playing on audiences' lack of attention to online ads and their tendency to skip after just one second, creative used second-long excerpts of popular songs to create a 'guess that track' competition linked to Budweiser. Rather than skipping the ads, people replayed them over and over. PR Indian Railways 'Lucky Yatra' by FCB India Mumbai advertising agency FCB India was presented with the PR Grand Prix for the 'Lucky Yatra' campaign for Indian Railways. The work centred on combatting ticket fare evasion, and featured train tickets turned into lottery tickets. It also received a gold and silver Lion. Brand Experience and Activation, and Design and Digital Craft Chicago Hearing Society and Rakish Entertainment 'Caption with intention' FCB Chicago FCB Chicago, Chicago Hearing Society, and Rakish Entertainment received the Grand Prix in the Brand Experience and Activation category at this year's festival, as well as the Design and Digital Craft category. 'Caption with intention', in partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, reimagines closed captioning by emphasising that it has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s. The two-minute film uses animation, colour and variable typography to showcase dialogue alongside emotional subtitles, such as tone, pacing and speakers' identities. It is overlaid with clips from films such as Toy Story, Forrest Gump and Avatar, and highlights several of the issues deaf or hearing-impaired viewers could experience. Creative Commerce Ziploc 'Preserved promos' by VML New York This campaign tapped into the growing costs of groceries by asking people to upload expired coupons. The brand then matched the promotion when the item was bought alongside a Ziploc product. Jury president Gabriel Schmitt, global chief creative officer at Grey, said: 'It doesn't get more commerce than this. I can't think of any other brand that would do this idea at a massive scale.' Creative Effectiveness Apple 'Shot on iPhone' by TBWA\Media Arts Lab This work made use of images and videos that iPhone users had taken on their phones. The Creative Effectiveness Lions jury president Andre Diquez, global chief executive of Gut Global, said: 'When a client commits to a long-term campaign and platform that is highly creative, that uses user-generated content, that has the product and the technology … it's [a] breakthrough, it's relevant globally and locally. It's just magic and it works.' Entertainment – Gaming Hyundai 'Night fishing' by Innocean Seoul Hyundai won the Entertainment Lions Grand Prix for its film promoting its Ioniq car. 'Night fishing', by Innocean Seoul, used cameras on the car to film the ad, and jury president David Rolfe, global head of production at WPP, called it 'an extraordinary fictional film'. Hyundai described the 10-minute film (teaser above), directed by Moon Byounggon, as a 'humanistic thriller' involving a spy, played by actor Son Sukku, and an unidentified individual at an EV charging station. It was screened across 15 cinemas in South Korea with a ticket price of 1000 won (54p). Entertainment Lion – Music Rimas Music 'Tracking bad bunny' by DDB Latina Puerto Rico Independent music label Rimas Music's 'Tracking bad bunny' by DDB Latina Puerto Rico was awarded the Entertainment Lions for Music Grand Prix. Jury president Seiya Matsumiya, chief executive and co-founder of Black Cat White Cat Music, said: 'It was heavily contested. We had a long, long argument about it, but then [there were] a couple of comments made by the minority in the room who supported this work to say that it brought pride back, not only to Puerto Ricans, but to Latin Americans as a whole. And that's what changed everything. It's unique. It has a huge cultural impact. It pushes boundaries, and it's a statement.' Entertainment Lion – Gaming Mercado Livre 'Call of discounts' by GUT Sao Paulo 'Call of discounts' scooped the Entertainment Lions for Gaming Grand Prix. Jury president Sue Anderson, vice-president, creative at Roblox, said 'It's the whole package. You could not have done that anywhere else, and it took somebody to really know that mode of Call of Duty, the amount of homework that was done in what the props could be, matching those to a brand. It just feels like it's kind of classic.' Entertainment – Sport Clash of Clans 'Haaland payback time' by David New York Norwegian Manchester City forward Erling Haaland was immortalised as a character in the popular Clash of Clans mobile game, owned by Supercell, for this campaign. The film opened with a newspaper floating into the game picturing Haaland next to the headline, 'World's greatest attacker,' as the game's characters need help and embark on a mission to bring Haaland into the animated game by heading into the real world. The video features both animation and live action. Jimmy Smith, chairman, chief executive and chief creative officer at Amusement Park Entertainment, and president of the jury, said: 'The fan engagement had to have made its competitors cry, as the number of downloads was well into the double-digit millions. 'Payback Time' effortlessly pulled all of the right levers of gaming, sport, celebrity and entertainment. So effortlessly, in fact, there was no Clash of Jurors. The Jury chose Clash of Clans's 'Payback Time' for the Cannes Lions Grand Prix on the very first vote!' Film Craft Telstra 'Telstra – Better on a better network' by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire and +61 Australian telecommunications company Telstra and its agencies Bear Meets Eagle On Fire and +61 landed a Grand Prix in Film Craft for its 'Better network' ad in the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. The work – which Campaign highlighted as one of its Cannes Contenders – is a series of 26 ads directed by Jeff Low through Revolver for Biscuit Filmworks. They showcase a variety of Australian wildlife brought to life via stop-motion. Industry Craft Idomed 'Nigrum corpus' by Artplan Sao Paulo Idomed and Artplan Sao Paulo were awarded a Grand Prix in the Industry Craft category for 'Nigrum corpus' – a medical book highlighting racism in medicine. The brand based the work on research that found that in Brazil, black patients are 'six times more likely to suffer medical errors', with their appointments being shorter and their pain ignored. Innovation Spotify and the Museum for the United Nations 'Sounds right' by AKQA Copenhagen This initiative by the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live in partnership with Spotify, rebranded 'Nature' as a music artist, recording natural sounds and letting other artists use it in their music. By crediting 'Nature', it collects funds through royalties which are then used for nature conservation. Luxury and Lifestyle LVMH 'The partnership that changed everything' by Havas Play Paris The Grand Prix for the Luxury category, which was launched at last year's Cannes Lions, was picked up by LVMH and Havas Play Paris for 'The partnership that changed everything' this year. The campaign aimed to redefine Olympic sport sponsorship, where advertising is not allowed in competition areas. As partner for Paris 2024, LVMH was involved in various touchpoints, such as dressing artists and the French athletes for the opening ceremony and creating the medals, and the partnership resulted in €350m (£298m) earned media for the brand. Outdoor KitKat 'Phone break' by VML Czechia This playful campaign pokes fun at how people take breaks today — without even using the long-running tagline. It replaces smartphones with KitKat bars in everyday scenarios, such as waiting for a bus or meeting a friend for a drink, to highlight how people instinctively reach for their phones during breaks. Outdoor Lions Jury President Keka Morelle called the campaign a 'masterclass in Outdoor,' and praised its minimalism and cultural relevance. Print and Publishing Penny 'Price packs' by Serviceplan Munich This campaign was designed as a response to the uncertainty of inflation, Serviceplan redesigned the packaging of Penny's products to include the price, communicating trust and security in the supermarket. Running through print and outdoor, it generated $190m (£139m) in earned media as news channels picked it up. Icaro Doria, jury president and DM9's president and chief creative officer, said: 'This idea is print, publishing, it's packaging, it's price and it's position – the 5 Ps in every marketing book. It's such a massive yet simple and elegant statement from the brand. They've done an amazing job to set up what Penny stands for.' Social and Influencer Vaseline 'Vaseline verified' by Ogilvy Singapore This campaign showcases many of the Vaseline life hacks people have put out on the internet — including some good and some potentially dangerous. The campaign aimed to test the hacks in the Vaseline labs and 'verify' the ones that actually work. It boasted a success rate of 63.3 million social interactions, 87% positive sentiments and 7.1 million organic reach and views. This article first made an appearance on Campaign UK.
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Zealand Herpes Foundation's Groundbreaking Campaign Wins Prestigious Cannes Lions Grand Prix For Good
Press Release – NZ Herpes Foundation The New Zealand Herpes Foundation (NZHF) is proud to announce that its pioneering 'Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes' campaign has been awarded the Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good at the 2025Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – one of the most prestigious awards in global advertising and creative excellence. The campaign, developed in partnership with Motion Sickness (Auckland) and FINCH (Sydney), represents a paradigm shift in public health communications, demonstrating how bold creative strategies can effectively address sensitive health topics and drive measurable behaviour change within healthcare communities and the broader public. Launched in October 2024 on Global Herpes Awareness Day, the campaign successfully challenged decades of entrenched stigma surrounding genital herpes – a condition that affects up to 80% of New Zealanders at some point in their lives. Through innovative use of humour, gamification, and celebrity endorsement, the initiative transformed a traditionally taboo medical topic into an accessible national conversation. The campaign's 'Herpes Destigmatisation Course' featured prominent New Zealand figures including Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Sir Graham Henry delivering evidence-based health education through engaging video content. A Herpes Stigma Index provided real-time global rankings, encouraging community participation and measuring progress against international benchmarks. Within eight weeks, New Zealand rose from ninth to first place on the global stigma index. The campaign generated exceptional engagement metrics including: Over 10,700 hours of educational content consumed 12.7 million impressions across social channels 69% of participants reported reduced stigma attitudes 86% felt more comfortable discussing herpes openly 81% expressed motivation to support others with HSV The campaign's success underscores the critical importance of addressing the substantial gap between medical reality and public perception of HSV. While most people (~80%) will host a Herpes Simplex Virus during their lifetime, only approximately 20% will experience recognisable symptoms. The majority remain undiagnosed because most people who host herpes simplex don't experience symptoms ( ie are asymptomatic ) creating ongoing challenges for clinical management and patient counselling. 'This campaign demonstrates the transformative power of exceptional creative communications in achieving public health outcomes that traditional medical education approaches have struggled to deliver,' said NZHF Trustee Alaina Luxmoore. 'We're immensely proud that our bold approach to destigmatising herpes has resonated not only in New Zealand but globally. The message we're conveying is simple – herpes is a common, manageable virus that doesn't define a person's worth or relationships. 'Winning the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Good validates our belief that innovative communications can break down barriers that have prevented effective clinical care and patient wellbeing for decades. However, this recognition is just the beginning. While we're officially the best place in the world to have herpes, maintaining this title requires constant education, ongoing destigmatisation efforts, and continued advancement in clinical training on best-practice herpes management and treatment guidelines. We're committed to building on this momentum to ensure healthcare providers and patients alike have access to evidence-based, stigma-free herpes care.' The campaign's international acclaim extends beyond Cannes Lions, with awards from AdFest 2025 (Gold Lotus – Entertainment), Clio Health 2025 (multiple Gold and Silver awards), D&AD (Wood Pencils), and The One Show (Bronze – Health & Wellness). This recognition highlights the campaign's effectiveness as a model for addressing sensitive health topics through creative communications. David Ohana, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at the United Nations Foundation and Cannes Lions jury president, praised the campaign: 'This year's Lions Health Grand Prix for Good unabashedly uses humour to tackle a challenging subject and stigmatisation. Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big, bold crazy idea, and humour for days, that anything is possible.' The campaign's success provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals addressing HSV in clinical practice. By normalising conversations about herpes and emphasising that HSV-1 and HSV-2 are essentially the same virus managed through identical clinical approaches, the initiative supports more effective patient counselling and care delivery. For healthcare providers, the campaign reinforces that societal conditioning around herpes requires recalibration. HSV-1 causes approximately 50% of genital herpes cases, often through oral-to-genital contact, yet remains socially acceptable when presenting as oral cold sores while carrying significant stigma in genital presentations. The Foundation's ongoing work will focus on supporting clinical education initiatives, advancing diagnostic understanding, and promoting evidence-based treatment guidelines. With no definitive diagnostic test available for asymptomatic individuals, the campaign's emphasis on reducing stigma becomes even more critical for effective public health management. The New Zealand Herpes Foundation is dedicated to providing accurate information, support, and advocacy for individuals affected by Herpes Simplex Virus. Through evidence-based education and innovative communications strategies, NZHF works to eliminate stigma and improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders. This includes running a herpes helpline managed by nurse counsellors. The helpline can be reached on 0508 11 12 13 from a landline or 09 433 6526 from a mobile. For more information on the helpline and NZHF's other services visit: The 'Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes' campaign was supported by Sexually Transmitted Infections Education Foundation, Whānau Ora and Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa.
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Zealand Herpes Foundation's Groundbreaking Campaign Wins Prestigious Cannes Lions Grand Prix For Good
The New Zealand Herpes Foundation (NZHF) is proud to announce that its pioneering "Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes" campaign has been awarded the Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – one of the most prestigious awards in global advertising and creative excellence. The campaign, developed in partnership with Motion Sickness (Auckland) and FINCH (Sydney), represents a paradigm shift in public health communications, demonstrating how bold creative strategies can effectively address sensitive health topics and drive measurable behaviour change within healthcare communities and the broader public. Launched in October 2024 on Global Herpes Awareness Day, the campaign successfully challenged decades of entrenched stigma surrounding genital herpes – a condition that affects up to 80% of New Zealanders at some point in their lives. Through innovative use of humour, gamification, and celebrity endorsement, the initiative transformed a traditionally taboo medical topic into an accessible national conversation. The campaign's "Herpes Destigmatisation Course" featured prominent New Zealand figures including Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Sir Graham Henry delivering evidence-based health education through engaging video content. A Herpes Stigma Index provided real-time global rankings, encouraging community participation and measuring progress against international benchmarks. Within eight weeks, New Zealand rose from ninth to first place on the global stigma index. The campaign generated exceptional engagement metrics including: Over 10,700 hours of educational content consumed 12.7 million impressions across social channels 69% of participants reported reduced stigma attitudes 86% felt more comfortable discussing herpes openly 81% expressed motivation to support others with HSV The campaign's success underscores the critical importance of addressing the substantial gap between medical reality and public perception of HSV. While most people (~80%) will host a Herpes Simplex Virus during their lifetime, only approximately 20% will experience recognisable symptoms. The majority remain undiagnosed because most people who host herpes simplex don't experience symptoms ( ie are asymptomatic ) creating ongoing challenges for clinical management and patient counselling. "This campaign demonstrates the transformative power of exceptional creative communications in achieving public health outcomes that traditional medical education approaches have struggled to deliver," said NZHF Trustee Alaina Luxmoore. "We're immensely proud that our bold approach to destigmatising herpes has resonated not only in New Zealand but globally. The message we're conveying is simple – herpes is a common, manageable virus that doesn't define a person's worth or relationships. "Winning the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Good validates our belief that innovative communications can break down barriers that have prevented effective clinical care and patient wellbeing for decades. However, this recognition is just the beginning. While we're officially the best place in the world to have herpes, maintaining this title requires constant education, ongoing destigmatisation efforts, and continued advancement in clinical training on best-practice herpes management and treatment guidelines. We're committed to building on this momentum to ensure healthcare providers and patients alike have access to evidence-based, stigma-free herpes care." The campaign's international acclaim extends beyond Cannes Lions, with awards from AdFest 2025 (Gold Lotus - Entertainment), Clio Health 2025 (multiple Gold and Silver awards), D&AD (Wood Pencils), and The One Show (Bronze - Health & Wellness). This recognition highlights the campaign's effectiveness as a model for addressing sensitive health topics through creative communications. David Ohana, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at the United Nations Foundation and Cannes Lions jury president, praised the campaign: "This year's Lions Health Grand Prix for Good unabashedly uses humour to tackle a challenging subject and stigmatisation. Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big, bold crazy idea, and humour for days, that anything is possible." The campaign's success provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals addressing HSV in clinical practice. By normalising conversations about herpes and emphasising that HSV-1 and HSV-2 are essentially the same virus managed through identical clinical approaches, the initiative supports more effective patient counselling and care delivery. For healthcare providers, the campaign reinforces that societal conditioning around herpes requires recalibration. HSV-1 causes approximately 50% of genital herpes cases, often through oral-to-genital contact, yet remains socially acceptable when presenting as oral cold sores while carrying significant stigma in genital presentations. The Foundation's ongoing work will focus on supporting clinical education initiatives, advancing diagnostic understanding, and promoting evidence-based treatment guidelines. With no definitive diagnostic test available for asymptomatic individuals, the campaign's emphasis on reducing stigma becomes even more critical for effective public health management. The New Zealand Herpes Foundation is dedicated to providing accurate information, support, and advocacy for individuals affected by Herpes Simplex Virus. Through evidence-based education and innovative communications strategies, NZHF works to eliminate stigma and improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders. This includes running a herpes helpline managed by nurse counsellors. The helpline can be reached on 0508 11 12 13 from a landline or 09 433 6526 from a mobile. For more information on the helpline and NZHF's other services visit: The "Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes" campaign was supported by Sexually Transmitted Infections Education Foundation, Whānau Ora and Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa.
