What Area 23 does

Area 23 is a full-service healthcare advertising agency operating as a division of IPG Health, LLC (a subsidiary of NYSE-listed The Interpublic Group of Companies). Founded circa 2007 and headquartered at 622 Third Avenue in New York, the agency employs over 1,100 people and serves 18 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies as well as small and midsize biotechnology firms. Its client roster spans Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, AstraZeneca, GSK, Lilly, Sanofi, Takeda, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Amgen, Biogen, Regeneron, Otsuka, UCB, Vertex, and others across a wide range of therapeutic areas. The agency's underlying capability is creative campaign development under a 'What If' working framework, producing animated content, digital experiences, brand strategy, and patient engagement programs delivered as professional services on a project/agency-of-record basis. Operational infrastructure is supported by standard marketing technology integrations (Google Analytics, Google Ads, Vimeo, social media platforms) and the recently launched Area 23a film production sub-brand.

The agency's commercial model is classic professional services: revenue is generated through fee-based engagements for creative campaign work, paid on a project or retainer basis typical of B2B healthcare advertising agencies, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct enterprise sales to pharmaceutical and biotech marketing/communications departments, with no intermediaries. The go-to-market is anchored on industry award recognition (Cannes Lions, Clio Health, MM&M, Manny, ADC, Titanium) as top-of-funnel credibility, supplemented by case study showcases and healthcare industry events. Area 23 has expanded its creative leadership into Canada via IPG Health Canada offices in Toronto and Montreal under CCO Tim Hawkey.

The agency's competitive position is anchored in sustained creative excellence and human talent rather than proprietary technology or data assets. It has accumulated 50+ Cannes Lions over six years including Grand Prix wins in Innovation, Radio and Audio, and Pharma categories, and has been named Health Agency of the Year by nearly every major healthcare creative award body across multiple years. Notable outcomes include the Storied Eyes campaign for Horizon (Thyroid Eye Disease), which generated $800M+ in sales and 157,000 unique visitors to TreatTED.com. As a wholly-owned subsidiary within IPG Health, Area 23 does not raise independent capital, has no public ticker, and operates within corporate parentage rather than independent ownership.

Name

Area 23

Legal name

AREA 23, a division of IPG Health, LLC

Website

https://area23hc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Area 23 is a full-service healthcare advertising agency and division of IPG Health (Interpublic Group) with 1,100+ employees serving 18 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms through creative campaign development, digital experiences, and brand strategy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Advertising Services

NAICS

Media Representatives (541840)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare/Pharma Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creative & Brand Campaign Development (BPAFAAAB)

Keywords

• Healthcare advertising services
• Pharmaceutical marketing
• Creative campaign development
• Patient engagement programs
• Disease awareness communications

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Advertising Services: Full-service healthcare agency providing creative advertising services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare companies. Revenue generated through professional services fees for campaign development, creative work, and marketing services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Area 23 is a full-service healthcare advertising agency that develops creative marketing campaigns, brand strategy, digital experiences, and communications services for pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare companies. The agency operates with a "What If" creative framework designed to deliver breakthrough creative work within the highly regulated healthcare advertising environment, employing over 1,100 people across New York, Toronto, and Montreal.

Product overview

AREA 23 is a full-service healthcare advertising agency and division of IPG Health, employing over 1,100 people. The agency provides creative campaign services including animated content, digital experiences, video production, and visual storytelling for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. The portfolio comprises distinct client campaigns such as Lil' Sugar for Hip Hop Public Health, The Unwearable Collection for Boehringer Ingelheim, Eye Dar, Gout Revisited, Beyond Words, PD Stepfinder for Pace Inc., An Animated Anthology for Insmed, Storied Eyes for Horizon, Social Bullets for Stand for the Silent/Kazoo, Cards to Heroes for Neurocrine, Inevitable News for Columbia Journalism Review, and Max and Maxine for Lilly. The agency has been recognized with multiple Agency of the Year awards including Cannes Lion, Manny, Clio Health, and MM&M.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Area 23a: Film production division of Area 23 that produced 'THE GARDENER' film in partnership with SunflowerFilms.

Products and services

• Area 23 Healthcare Advertising Services Full-service healthcare advertising agency providing creative campaign development, brand strategy, digital experiences, and marketing communications for pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare companies. Serves 18 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies as well as small and midsize biotech firms.
• Area 23a

Quantifiable outcome

• Sales exceeding $800 million—well more than 10x original estimates—for Horizon's Storied Eyes campaign
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers45 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IPG HealthcoreOthersArea 23 is an IPG Health Company and part of the Interpublic Group of Companies. IPG Health is the parent holding company overseeing the agency's operations within the healthcare advertising network.
• Omnicom HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArea 23 operates within the Omnicom Health network. On May 15, 2026, Omnicom Health became the first healthcare network to win ADC 'Network of the Year' while Area 23 simultaneously won 'Agency of the Year' at the same event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Syneos Health Communications: Larger clinical and commercial services organization with healthcare advertising and communications capabilities (formerly GSW, now part of Syneos). Competes with Area 23 on integrated pharma commercialization work, especially when clients seek clinical + creative bundling.
• Omnicom Health Group: Parent network housing TBWA\WorldHealth, DDB Health, and other healthcare creative agencies. Competes with Area 23 / IPG Health at the holding-company level for global pharma network-of-record mandates; broader portfolio but overlapping capabilities.

Direct peers

• McCann Health: Interpublic/McCann Worldgroup's global healthcare creative network, consistently ranked alongside Area 23 among the most-awarded healthcare agencies globally. Directly competes for the same pharma AOR contracts.
• Havas Health & You: Global healthcare communications network offering creative, medical, and digital services to pharma and biotech clients. Competes head-to-head with Area 23 for pharma AOR mandates and Cannes Lions Health Agency of the Year recognition.
• Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness: Publicis-owned healthcare creative agency specializing in pharma and wellness brand communications. Comparable in scale and offering, frequently appearing alongside Area 23 in health creative award shortlists.
• DDB Health: Omnicom's DDB-aligned healthcare creative agency, offering full-service pharma advertising and brand strategy. Direct competitor for AOR pitches within the same pharma client universe that Area 23 serves.
• Wunderman Thompson Health: WPP's healthcare-focused brand and creative network offering creative, CRM, and data-driven pharma marketing. Direct peer in the global pharma AOR market and a consistent competitor for the same blue-chip clients.
• TBWA\WorldHealth: Omnicom's TBWA-aligned healthcare creative network serving major pharma clients globally. Closely comparable in offering (creative AOR for pharma) and competes for the same Cannes Lions Health accolades.
• FCB Health Network (FCB Health New York / FCBCURE / FCB Health Brasil / etc.): Sister healthcare creative agency within IPG Health and a direct competitor of Area 23 for the same pharma AOR business. Both networks share parent infrastructure and target the same blue-chip pharma client base, making this the closest functional peer.
• Publicis Health / Publicis Health Media: Publicis Groupe's dedicated health communications network, providing creative, media, and digital services to pharma clients. Directly comparable in scale, scope, and client base to Area 23 within IPG Health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/area-23

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Area 23