ADC Awards
ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, with an incredible legacy of over 100 years. These awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging and product design, motion, experiential and spatial design, photography, illustration and fashion design – all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
Category
Motion / Film Craft / Direction
Annual ID
ADC105_PHM013B
Background
Colon cancer is on the rise, especially among younger people and women. Yet it’s over 90+% curable when caught early. With the screening age lowered to 45, we needed to appeal to a younger crowd. But people aren’t screening because they dread the process. To reach them, we went cultural, not clinical. And leaned into the TV shows they’re binging. This time: The winter western, where the anxiety, fear and hesitation around an impending blizzard acts as a metaphor for the heightened drama of a colonoscopy. Luckily, with Cologuard delivered to his porch, our hero can skip all that.
“Blizzard” families with other Skip the Drama misdirect TV spots where what looks like a teaser for a new show is really just an invitation to screen for colon cancer with Cologuard. All put, the campaign has led to double-digit growth quarter over quarter for the brand.
“Blizzard” families with other Skip the Drama misdirect TV spots where what looks like a teaser for a new show is really just an invitation to screen for colon cancer with Cologuard. All put, the campaign has led to double-digit growth quarter over quarter for the brand.
Creative Idea
There’s a blizzard outside and a rugged pioneer has to go trudge through to get his colonoscopy. Or so his wife thinks. Instead, he tells her he’s just going to the porch for his Cologuard kit. So he can skip all the drama of the traditional way to get screened. She is relieved. As is he.
“Blizzard” families with other Skip the Drama misdirect TV spots where what looks like a teaser for a new show is really just an invitation to screen for colon cancer with Cologuard. All put, the campaign has led to double-digit growth quarter over quarter for the brand.
“Blizzard” families with other Skip the Drama misdirect TV spots where what looks like a teaser for a new show is really just an invitation to screen for colon cancer with Cologuard. All put, the campaign has led to double-digit growth quarter over quarter for the brand.
Insights & Strategy
Data shows that after their first screening, >70% of people plan to stick with the modality they first used. This makes it imperative to win with the 45-49 audience, where unscreened rates are the highest; 80% of this audience hasn’t screened and they have a lot going on in their lives, making them both a high-impact opportunity. So, we zeroed in on this newly eligible, largely unaware, and often resistant group.
Creating work that stood out with this younger audience was crucial to both steal mindshare from colonoscopy and open the door to screening relevancy. While colon cancer screening drama makes our target clam up, TV drama captivates them. when it comes to entertainment, TV.
Creating work that stood out with this younger audience was crucial to both steal mindshare from colonoscopy and open the door to screening relevancy. While colon cancer screening drama makes our target clam up, TV drama captivates them. when it comes to entertainment, TV.
Execution
We teamed up with an Academy Award-nominated cinematographer to shoot in a real cabin way up in the woods in Bulgaria, featuring wide sweeping shots for a convincing winter landscape, coupled with majestic compositions, and indoor lamp-lit 1800s intimacy, snow candles, acres of fake snow. All cinematic visual cues to stop viewers in their tracks. Everything had to feel completely believable for the misdirect to succeed.
That misdirect? Make viewers think they’re watching the drama-filled installment of their favorite prestige show, when in reality it’s about screening for colon cancer. And with Cologuard, there’s no drama to it. Nothing to be afraid of.
That misdirect? Make viewers think they’re watching the drama-filled installment of their favorite prestige show, when in reality it’s about screening for colon cancer. And with Cologuard, there’s no drama to it. Nothing to be afraid of.
Results
Early results prove Skip the Drama ads are outperforming iSpot pharmaceutical advertising norms on every performance metric tracked and truly stand out in the category.
• Persuaded 43% of all viewers to speak with their doctor about Cologuard, outpacing Rx average by 14 points
• Cologuard brand was recalled by 85% of viewers on an unaided basis, attesting to memorability
• Ranked in the 98th percentile for Relevance (well above norm), giving a nod to the cultural references being positively received as well as relatability to the overall message
• Ranked in the 97th percentile for Attention & Likeability (well above norm), proving the creative execution breaks through with the target audience. Over 50% positive sentiment after viewing White Knight, most associated with being funny, humorous, entertaining, and informative
The target audience is reacting and saying, “I thought the ad was hilarious and I loved the phrase “skip the drama.” It really gave a sense of ease and privacy for colon screening where it might normally be a tough subject for people.”
• Persuaded 43% of all viewers to speak with their doctor about Cologuard, outpacing Rx average by 14 points
• Cologuard brand was recalled by 85% of viewers on an unaided basis, attesting to memorability
• Ranked in the 98th percentile for Relevance (well above norm), giving a nod to the cultural references being positively received as well as relatability to the overall message
• Ranked in the 97th percentile for Attention & Likeability (well above norm), proving the creative execution breaks through with the target audience. Over 50% positive sentiment after viewing White Knight, most associated with being funny, humorous, entertaining, and informative
The target audience is reacting and saying, “I thought the ad was hilarious and I loved the phrase “skip the drama.” It really gave a sense of ease and privacy for colon screening where it might normally be a tough subject for people.”
2026 Awards
Total Points: 9
Bronze Cube
Credits
Agency
OLIXIR / New York
Production Company
Reset / Los Angeles
Post Production Company
BBB Creative Inc / Los Angeles
Chief Creative Officer
Kathleen Nanda
Creative Director
Luke Hughett
Sean Lee
Executive Creative Director
Daniel Mailliard
Fabio Rodrigues
Strategist
Jonah Glick
Strategy Director
Ryan Amos
Executive Producer
Dana Greengross
Senior Art Director
Marcus Doornbosch
Steven Rojas
Managing Partner
Bill Yorio
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