Each year, the Global Awards recruits some of the world’s most prominent award-winning industry creatives and thought leaders to serve on the Global Awards Grand Jury. Aaron Sidorov is an award-winning SVP, Creative Director at The Bloc who enjoys building teams that embrace a good challenge. He was awarded by The Creative Floor—along with his copy partner, David Stemler—as the 2014 Best Young Talent in the health creative industry. Most recently, his session at the 2019 Cannes Lions festival, CBD & The Marijuana Revolution: From Stigma to Serious Medicine, helped break down pharmaceutical walls and CBD misconceptions. Aaron is also an artist, former small-business owner, former MAD Magazine intern, and father of two.
Global Awards: How has mobile affected the advertising and marketing mix in the health sphere?
Aaron Sidorov: Mobile is not a channel, or a strategy. It is just a core part of everyday life. Any good initiative should try to connect with people where and how they live.
Global Awards: As you make your way through life, you encounter inevitable health issues with friends and family. Are there any diseases, issues, conditions that you have a yearning to work on? Why?
Aaron Sidorov: The one condition I am really yearning to work on is the human condition. This is where the most relevant work will emerge and touch lives appropriately through honesty, conflict, and yes — humor.
Global Awards: Is Wellness advertising increasing, if so, how has the market changed within the last few years?
Aaron Sidorov: In the last few years, the world has become increasingly unwell. In 2019, wellness is not a trend, it’s a common need for any country, company, and collaboration. That’s why we see large corporations looking inward to see how their own values can help raise a helping hand and not just a bottom line. I expect that within the next 2 years, we’re going to see even more non-traditional health companies emerge in the wellness space and we’ll continue to see that goodwill is also good business.
Global Awards: This is more of awards and advertising question. There seems to be varying opinions about the nature of the content awarded top honors at Healthcare Awards show 5-10 years ago, and what tends to win in today’s competitions. There are some people that believe the bar is being raised, and there are some in the industry that believe the everyday work is getting outshined by causes. What are your thoughts?
Aaron Sidorov: Anyone who complains about everyday work getting outshined by “causes” is not putting enough cause behind their everyday work. The healthcare creative bar has never been higher. Here’s to the clients, teams, and hearts that care enough to keep pumping out revision after revision for the causes that drive brands, ideas, and communities forward. I’m proud to review work for the 2019 Global Awards from agencies and clients around the world that I know will continue to raise that bar.