The MAHF Class of 2017: Ryan Abbate and Mike Lazur

 

Ryan Abbate – innovator, founder and former CEO of Pacific Communications – and Mike Lazur – former partner and award-winning creative director of Torre Lazur – were honored as the 2017 inductees for the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame (MAHF). The black-tie event was held on Feb. 22 at The Pierre Hotel in New York City.

The evening kicked off with an introduction and welcome from David Gideon, executive director of the MAHF. The master of ceremonies was Robert Palmer, MAHF chairperson and EVP, managing director at JUICE Pharma Worldwide.

Next up during the evening was the recognition of the Future Famers, with help from Robin Shapiro, group president of North America for TBWA\WorldHealth, and Ken Begasse Jr., founder and CEO of Concentric Health Experience. The MAHF Future Famers program gives each member agency the opportunity to designate one individual they believe is destined to leave their mark on the industry. The program honors younger individuals who have already made significant contributions both to the industry and as volunteers dedicated to community service. Nineteen Future Famers were recognized at the 2017 MAHF Hall of Fame ceremony.

Following dinner was the revelation of the MAHF Heritage Ad Awards and Digital Pioneer Awards. In 2014, the MAHF introduced a way to recognize and honor historical ads that have stopped readers and communicated their message in an innovative and effective manner. These awards are for ads that are no longer being run that unite copy, graphics and focus to create outstanding advertising. The 2017 Heritage Ad Awards honored AbelsonTaylor’s Biaxin spots featuring Bix the Bulldog as well as that Chicago-based agency’s Prevacid Tummy campaign.

The MAHF instituted the Digital Pioneer Awards to honor early efforts toward the growth and continuing evolution of digital communications. The 2017 Digital Pioneer Award went to AbelsonTaylor for the Rozerem website that the agency launched during 2006. AbelsonTaylor invented the technology that went into the development of Rozerem.com.

Then came the lead highlight of the festivities, the induction of the newest MAHF electees, Ryan Abbate and Mike Lazur.

During his three-decade career in pharma marketing and advertising, Ryan Abbate quickly earned a reputation as a visionary and innovator. He was a leader in the use of DTC communications with programs for Nicorette. Beginning with sales, and then advertising management at Merrell Dow, he became – at 29 years old – the youngest department head in the Dow Chemical organization. During 1990, he joined Allergan Pharmaceuticals, where one of Ryan’s responsibilities was running a small, in-house agency group. When Allergen decided to divest this operation, Ryan took it over, forming Pacific Communications with just 18 employees. By the time of his retirement in 2014, he had built the agency into the largest healthcare advertising agency on the West Coast, with 250 employees, and one of the fastest-growing and most successful agencies in the business.

Ryan was an early supporter of having all content, regardless of medium, created by a single agency. He knew that digital capabilities, along with print and video expertise, would be critical to the ongoing success of Pacific Communications. As a result, Ryan championed full integration of digital into the agency’s offerings. 

Ryan has also given back to the industry through participation in its organizations. A long-term member of the Coalition of Healthcare Communications – and the only West Coast representative on the Board of Directors – Ryan provided quiet advocacy for the healthcare communications industry in New York, Washington, D.C., and the West Coast for more than 15 years. He was also a long-term member of the Medical Marketing Association (MMA), the Medical Advertising Action Committee (MAAC), and the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame.

In the midst of creating an agency business model never before seen, in harnessing individual ambitions to agency objectives, Ryan mastered the art of balance – no easy feat while maintaining the nurturing, supportive environment so seldom seen and so often sacrificed in the frenetic healthcare business.  

“I’m trying to keep the focus on the agency,” Ryan told Med Ad News when asked about his thoughts on being inducted into the MAHF. “This is well-deserved recognition for Pacific Communications.”

Mike Lazur began his career as an assistant art director with a consumer agency, honing his skills on such brands as the Triumph sports car, British Leyland’s Land Rover, and Prince Matchabelli perfumes.  In 1976, he was hired to work for a fledgling new healthcare agency in New Jersey called Thomas G. Ferguson Associates. During 1981, Clyde Davis of Klemtner Advertising hired Mike as senior art director to work on brands from Pfizer, Squibb, and USV. In 1983, Mike received a call from Joe Torre asking him to work for his new agency. After helping build the firm, in large part with a string of new product campaigns that garnered it the title The Launch Agency, he became a partner in the renamed Torre Lazur Agency. In 1996, Torre and Lazur partnered with McCann Erickson to take the agency global, and he became Chief Creative Officer for McCann’s worldwide healthcare activities.

Mike attributes his personal success and that of the agency to constant creative innovation, mentoring his creative staff and always closely guiding the creative people and the agencies creative process to do the best possible work with the utmost in client service. Torre Lazur’s creative culture today is a reflection of Mike’s easy-going manner, his creative spirit, his mentoring and managing abilities and his absolute attention to clients’ needs. Mike never managed with a heavy hand, but rather guided and coaxed the best from his subordinates.

Mike’s talent can be witnessed through the many awards that line the shelves of Torre Lazur. Because of that talent, Mike was asked and has served as Chairman of The Global Awards for many years. Under his leadership and while carrying clout with the title of Chief Creative Officer Worldwide for Torre Lazur McCann, The Global Awards flourished, especially on the international scene.

Mike has lectured numerous times to industry creatives and clients alike regarding the importance of honesty in creativity and strategy so that the ultimate audience – the practitioner – will learn, understand, prescribe and use the brand safely.

After 35 years in the industry, Mike has left an indelible mark and a legacy of creative and business success.

“I am thrilled to be inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame,” Mike told Med Ad News. “For me to be placed along side the many great men and women who have helped make this industry one of the best in the world, is an honor indeed. Thank you MAHF, for continuing to recognize the industry and its people, who might have otherwise been forgotten.”

The MAHF was founded during 1996 with a mission to preserve the history and heritage of the medical advertising profession and honor those who founded and built the industry through their induction into a Hall of Fame.

Since its founding, the mission of the organization has been broadened to include recognition of past excellent creative work via its Heritage Advertising Awards, and creation of educational resources through a Young Executive’s Program that holds multiple educational seminars throughout the year. The organization seeks support from the industry for its efforts, with a focus on the Annual Awards Dinner held in February.

For more information about the MAHF and its events, please contact David Gideon, executive director, at [email protected]