Opella – formerly Sanofi Consumer Healthcare – has been voted OTC Company of the Year securing the top prize at the OTC Marketing Awards 2024.
At a gala dinner held in London on 21 November to celebrate the achievements of the British consumer health industry, Opella took home the award after judges commended the firm’s “impressive growth and commitment to making self-care simple.”
Read more detailed quotes from the judges here.
The annual OTC Marketing Awards – which is now in its 29th year – rewards outstanding achievement in the consumer health market, from product launches to digital campaigns, across 12 categories. Kenvue was this year’s headline sponsor, alongside category sponsors Dexcel Pharma, Precision, and Skills in Healthcare, with the event supported by UK consumer healthcare association PAGB.
Along with OTC Company of the Year, Opella also won the OTC Brand of the Year category, with allergy line Allevia taking the prize, and Best OTC Social Media Campaign for Buscopan IBS Relief.
OTC Launch of the Year was awarded to TheraTears 5-in-1 Eyecare from Prestige Consumer Healthcare, while OTC Brand Revitalisation of the Year went to Hedrin’s Thorton & Ross for breathing new life into the established head-lice treatment.
Most Innovative New OTC Product was awarded to Karo Healthcare’s E45 Sun Care Sensitive for introducing what the judges called “a unique consumer offering in the sunscreen category.”
Church & Dwight’s AnuSol secured the award for Best Big Budget OTC Marketing Campaign by taking a “light hearted approach with great imagery for a taboo topic,” while the award for Best Niche OTC Marketing Campaign went to Bayer’s Canesten for producing a creative “breaking taboos of feminine health.”
Bayer also took the award for Best OTC Digital or Mobile Marketing with its Rennie at Ramadan campaign praised for an “innovative approach targeting a specific cultural moment,” while Best OTC Audio-Visual Advertising went to Karo Healthcare’s E45 for a campaign which the judges described as “punchy, brave, inspirational, memorable, colourful and diverse.”
Tackling the misconceptions and misunderstandings of the gender pain gap ensured Reckitt’s Nurofen won the award for Best OTC Pharmacy Training & Learning, while Ceuta Consumer Healthcare’s Eroxon earned the Best OTC Public Relations Campaign for a Consumer Healthcare Product award for focusing on the emotional impact of erectile dysfunction.
Check out the full list of winning and highly-commended entries at the OTC Marketing Awards website.
