JACK RYAN and NHS win at The Drum Awards EMEA 2026

We're proud to celebrate a major win at The Drum Awards EMEA 2026, where our campaign 'Don't Wipe Away the Signs', was recognised for its creative impact and effectiveness in tackling one of the UK's most important public health challenges.

ACK RYAN, alongside our NHS partners, has been recognised at The Drum Awards EMEA 2026 for Don't Wipe Away the Signs; a behaviour-first bowel cancer awareness campaign designed to challenge stigma, drive symptom awareness and encourage earlier diagnosis.

The campaign was commissioned by RM Partners and South East London Cancer Alliance to address a critical health issue. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in England, yet when diagnosed early, survival rates are around 90%. The challenge was not a lack of information, but a lack of conversation. Too many people were overlooking or dismissing symptoms because of embarrassment and stigma.

Rather than relying on broad demographic targeting, the campaign was built around behavioural insight. Using audience modelling and attitudinal data, we identified the groups most likely to dismiss symptoms or avoid screening, allowing every channel, message and placement to work harder.

The creative platform, Don't Wipe Away the Signs, transformed a routine and often overlooked moment into a powerful prompt for action. Delivered through a fully integrated media strategy spanning outdoor, digital, social, radio and search, the campaign was designed to move audiences from awareness to action.

A standout feature of the campaign was the creation of the NHS's first-ever 3D special-build billboards, installed in West London and South East London. Alongside extensive outdoor domination, digital activation and community engagement, the campaign generated significant attention and extended its reach far beyond the paid media investment.

"This campaign proved that when creativity, data and behavioural insight come together, public health communications can genuinely change behaviour. We're incredibly proud to have partnered with the NHS on work that not only captured attention but helped start conversations that could ultimately save lives."

Ryan Dunlop, Head of Strategy, JACK RYAN

The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach. The campaign delivered a 15.09% year-on-year increase in bowel cancer symptom searches, moving audiences from passive awareness to active information-seeking; a critical step towards earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes.

The award recognition is a testament to the collaborative effort between NHS partners, community organisations and the team at JACK RYAN. Together, we showed that public sector campaigns can be both strategically rigorous and creatively ambitious.

We're incredibly proud of everyone involved in bringing this campaign to life and grateful to The Drum Awards EMEA judges for recognising its impact.

Because sometimes the most important conversations are the ones people find hardest to start.