Bayer Crowned Company Of The Year At OTC Marketing Awards 2021
Executive Summary
Winners across 19 categories were announced at the OTC Marketing Awards on 1 December, with Bayer securing top honors as OTC Company of the Year.
Bayer Consumer Health took the crown at the OTC Marketing Awards 2021 winning the trophy for OTC Company of the Year.
At a Gala Dinner & Awards Presentation held in London on 1 December to celebrate the best of the British OTC industry, Bayer was the night’s biggest winner, securing the top prize in four categories.
GSK Consumer Healthcare took home three Awards, while Johnson & Johnson, HRA Pharma and Maxwellia were among the other winning companies.
Now in its 26th year, the Annual OTC Marketing Awards rewards outstanding achievement in consumer healthcare, from product launches to marketing campaigns and packaging changes, across 19 categories. This year’s event was supported by UK consumer healthcare association, PAGB, and sponsored by Maxwellia.
Principal Awards Winners
Bayer earned the OTC Company of the Year Award by achieving excellence across a number of marketing disciplines, according to the panel of expert judges, with outstanding campaigns delivered for Berocca, Canesten and Rennie.
The OTC Brand of the Year Award was handed to GSK’s Voltarol for producing effective campaigns to assist both consumers and pharmacists during the pandemic.
HRA Pharma’s Hana received the Award for OTC Launch of the Year for its engaging trade advertising, comprehensive pharmacy training program, and excellent consumer campaign.
The OTC Brand Revitalisation of the Year Award went to Supra Enterprises’ Drapolene Cream, which was successfully repositioned and repackaged, while Johnson & Johnson’s Calpol was judged Best OTC Performer Outside Pharmacy as it continued to grow market share.
Best OTC Retailer of the Year went to Boots UK, which won praise for its understanding of the consumer healthcare category and its willingness to try new things.
Entered Awards Winners
Prestige Consumer Healthcare took home the Special Award for Best Covid-19 Initiative by an OTC Company for its DenTek Temparin Max Dental Repair Kit, which helped consumers look after their oral health when they couldn’t access a dentist during lockdown.
The decision to only use models with dry skin conditions for Thornton & Ross’ Cetraben helped to secure the Award for Best Big Budget OTC Marketing Campaign, while the Award for Best Niche OTC Marketing Campaign went to Bayer’s Berocca for its use of actionable audio.
Bayer’s Rennie won the Award for Best OTC Audio-Visual Advertising for producing a distinctive creative with arresting images, while Bayer’s Canesten gained the Best OTC Digital or Mobile Marketing Award for empowering women to feel more comfortable in their own skin.
The Award for Best OTC Out-of-Home Advertising went to GSK’s Piri for its sophisticated use of multiple data and activation partners, with the Award for Best OTC Packaging Design handed to HRA Pharma’s Hana for its eye-catching pack, fit for the Instagram generation.
Supporting pharmacy staff to have confident conversations about erectile dysfunction helped Viatris’ Viagra to secure the Award for Best OTC Pharmacy Training & Learning, while Maxwellia’s Lovima took home the Award for Best OTC Public Relations Campaign for a Consumer Healthcare Product for its work to open up the conversation on women’s health.
Successfully increasing the representation of LGBTQ+ people in its advertising ensured GSK’s Voltarol & Sensodyne won the Award for Best OTC Social Media Campaign, while Reckitt’s Senokot was presented with the Best OTC Trade Advertising & Sales Support Award for effectively educating pharmacy staff on safely recommending laxatives.
The Award for Most Creative OTC Campaign went to Viatris’ Viagra Connect for its use of animation to tackle common misconceptions that exist around erectile problems, with the Award for Most Innovative New OTC Product presented to Johnson & Johnson’s Nicorette QuickMist SmartTrack Mouthspray for leveraging the power of personalization to support smoking cessation.
Check out the full list of Winners in the table below.