FCB’s Area 23 continues strong Cannes showing with Radio & Audio Grand Prix win

On the fourth day of the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, FCB’s Area 23 has won the Radio & Audio Grand Prix for “Sick Beats,” a musically improved vest from sound company Woojer to help people with cystic fibrosis. Area 23 also won a Pharma Grand Prix for the same campaign on Monday and was even named healthcare agency of the year. A video for “Sick Beats” shows how the vest works—music frequencies from the vest, which is connected to Spotify, helps loosen mucous for kids, which is an improvement from the traditional vest necessary for children with the condition. Merlee Jayme, president of the 2021 Cannes Lions’ Radio & Audio jury and global president of Dentsu McGarrybowen says deciding a winner came down to one simple distinction.“It [Sick Beats] is evolving this category,” Jayme said during a Cannes debrief session “It is the use of sound in an amazing way, taking away pain from sick kids. We felt when we were about to pick a winner, everybody’s goals were strong, but what elevates sound and audio in a big way that you elevate the category itself? 'Sick Beats' was it.” While it took about a month for the prototype vest to be made, the idea for this was years in the making, says Pam Savage, senior VP, creative director, at Area 23. “Five years ago, I was in a conversation with a colleague of mine, Dave Adler,” Savage said during a live-streamed debrief session about the win. “We were talking about CF and this vest therapy and how nobody had been paying attention to it for a really long time. The technology is pretty similar to what existed 20 years ago. There hasn't been a tremendous amount of innovation. The idea started to take hold in our minds that this is a really defeating experience for these children where they sit there strapped in being beaten essentially in the spirit of trying to keep them healthy. There had to be a better way.”

FCB’s Area 23 continues strong Cannes showing with Radio & Audio Grand Prix win

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