New healthcare challenge by Benchmark Middle East, AbbVie and Emirates Dermatology Society to raise awareness of critical skin condition ‘HS’ Dubai, UAE, 16 March, 2016: Two young advertising creatives from DDB Dubai have won the Gold Award in the Young Lynx Print Competition for their campaign to raise awareness of the critical skin condition Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). Impact BBDO took the Silver while JWT Riyadh was awarded Bronze by the judging panel. Chosen from a field of 17 competing teams, the judges were particularly impressed with the abilities of DDB Dubai’s Victor Haffling, Senior Copywriter, and Andreas Schwitter, Senior Art Director, to develop a meaningful campaign that would educate the masses about the symptoms and treatments of HS, a chronic disease which affects 1% of the general adult population and is one of the most under-recognised conditions in the world. Usually developed in a person’s early 20s, the symptoms of HS present as nodules or abscesses, sinus tracts, and scarring around the armpits, groin, and under the breasts. The brief was prepared by Benchmark Middle East in collaboration with biopharmaceutical leader AbbVie and the Emirates Dermatology Society and was the first time a healthcare cause has been the theme of the Young Lynx competition. It was presented to the competitors – all teams of advertising creatives under the age of 30 – as part of the Dubai Lynx Festival at Madinat Jumeirah. Each team had 24 hours to develop a unique, thought provoking and meaningful campaign to raise awareness of HS as a chronic disease, educate the masses about the symptoms and treatments, position HSonlinearabia.com as a trustworthy source of information, and encourage sufferers to seek treatment. Victor Haffling, from DDB Dubai said: “The competition brief was quite complex and building a campaign for a healthcare condition that no one knows very well was a real challenge, which we really welcomed. The 24-hour deadline adds real pressure to the competition and we worked hard overnight to come up with our idea. In the end, we were confident with the advert we created and it’s a really great feeling to have won.” The competition is part of a wider healthcare cause by Benchmark Middle East to inspire the region’s creative industry to contribute time, energy and ideas to helping people and communities in need. Mohamed Hammad, Founder and Managing Director at Benchmark Middle East FZ-LLC, is on a mission to encourage advertising associates and colleagues in the Middle East to use a small fraction of their agency resources for good causes. He said: “The calibre of submissions by the competitors was very high and we have some fantastic ideas here to raise awareness of HS and to really help those suffering from the condition. “I would love to see the very best creative minds from the advertising and marketing sectors to do more to help our local communities, to launch unique healthcare campaigns and ultimately work in a responsible, ethical and collaborative way. “This competition was a fantastic opportunity for young talent to get noticed by some of the region’s top players and, most importantly, help a worthy cause. I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Victor and Andreas on their win.” Sami Abi Nakhoul, General Manager of AbbVie South Gulf Countries added: “Throughout history, people with new ideas – who think differently and try to change things – were always seen as troublemakers until innovation was globally recognised and fought for. If you want something new you have to stop doing your old stuff, go away from your comfort zone and that's when you can conquer. “Imagination is the only foundation for invention and innovation. Abbvie is honoured to set the right foundation for health innovation for the first time in UAE. Thanks to all competing teams, it was a real honour witnessing these great moments". The winning campaign is now being considered for implementation by the healthcare advertising professionals at Benchmark Middle East later this year.
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