Heartburn Cancer UK is proud to celebrate Costello Medical – our creative partner behind the “Don’t Swallow Your Discomfort” campaign – as finalists in two categories at the PM Society PMi Awards 2025:
✨ Disease and/or Health Awareness (Public)
✨ Healthcare Charities, Patient Associations & The NHS
The PMi Awards, the UK’s top honours for healthcare and pharma communications, recognise innovation, creativity, and measurable impact across campaigns from integrated PR to digital strategy.
Launched during Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Month 2025, “Don’t Swallow Your Discomfort” challenged the misconception that persistent heartburn is “just heartburn.” In partnership with national Cancer Alliances and real patient voices, the campaign combined powerful PR, patient storytelling, outdoor advertising, and social media to reach an astounding 278 million across the UK, leading with the #MoreThanJustHeartburn hashtag.
“We are proud of the tangible impact this initiative has made in educating the public and supporting early diagnosis,” said Costello Medical upon the shortlist announcement.
Their strategy-driven, creative approach – developing campaign assets, leading weekly planning sessions, and ensuring seamless delivery – has resulted in engagement that exceeded every benchmark. The materials continue to be used nationally by Cancer Alliances, amplifying the campaign’s reach even further.
Heartburn Cancer UK would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Costello Medical. Their pro bono support was nothing short of transformative – without their expertise, dedication, and collaboration, this impact simply wouldn’t have been possible.
We look forward to the awards ceremony on 11 September 2025 – no matter the outcome, this nomination recognises excellence and shines a spotlight on the importance of raising awareness around Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal cancer.
