A quirk of Arnold’s client roster is that it happens to include a number of high-profile co-marketed brands, notably CNS drug Rexulti (from Otsuka/Lundbeck), Alzheimer’s treatment Leqembi (Eisai/Biogen) and anti-inflammatory Dupixent (Sanofi/Regeneron). “We do a specialty in co-promotes,” jokes co-president Claire Capeci. “We seem to be pretty good at it.”
Arnold was pretty good at a lot of things during 2023. The health units of Arnold NY and Arnold Boston grew considerably, driving up head count to 230 and revenue to an MM+M-estimated $67.5 million. Growth came on the back of additional Dupixent indications as well as Sanofi Pasteur’s Beyfortus RSV shot.
The agency held onto Xiidra even after Novartis sold the eye drug to Bausch + Lomb. Arnold also grew its relationship with Amgen, adding hyperlipidemia drug Repatha to autoimmune biologic Enbrel and migraine therapy Aimovig.
And it provided service to Amgen that transcended the usual agency-client relationship. When an Amgen brand lead shared that her daughter was considering giving up violin lessons out of frustration, Arnold sprang into action.
“I said, ‘Let me get her on a Zoom call with Damien,’” recalls co-president Rich Russo, referring to Damien Escobar, the world-class violinist Arnold hired two years ago as music director and recently promoted to chief music officer. The reluctant student is reluctant no more.
“We try to pay attention to what clients need to succeed as people and at the business they’re running, because the two are linked,” Russo adds.
Historically a strong player in health and wellness, Arnold grew that side of its business as well, courtesy of repositioning work for AirSculpt body contouring. The agency also produced a series of mental wellness videos for Child Mind Institute and an integrated campaign for Coalition of the Homeless designed to stall efforts to dismantle New York City’s “right to shelter” rule.
Through it all, Arnold has continued to pride itself on the lack of silos between such work and its Rx product promotion.
“Some agencies do DTC-versus-OTC, but we look at it all as consumer,” Capeci says. “It’s all integrated creative strategy.” The surest proof? That two recent AOR additions — J&J anticoagulant Xarelto and Twinings, the British tea company — easily coexist on the same roster.
Arnold also stood up its own production facility, which produced TikTok videos for Dupixent and Pfizer’s internal comms team. The agency created a digital avatar of Pfizer’s chief digital and technology officer, Lidia Fonseca, that featured in an internal presentation about the drugmaker’s AI capabilities.
“We’re proud of not just the growth, but the way we’ve grown,” Russo says.
To that point, Arnold has its sights set on further expansion into beauty, food/nutrition and animal health — and possibly beyond.
“I would love to see us get a financial brand or a cruise line, or something else you don’t see in the health space, and put a wellness mindset on it,” Russo says. “People would look at it and say, ‘That brand is interesting,’ which in turn would show that wellness has more elasticity than people think.”
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Work we wish we did
I usually root for the under-spenders of marketing, the Davids who need to be smarter and faster than the Goliaths. Having said that, I’m going with Goliath: Dunkin’. The DunKings Super Bowl spot and its pull-through were brilliant. The idea, writing, casting, performances, humor, dancing and every line and look were perfect. Then there’s the pull-through: It sold the track suits, released short- and long-form content and released the song. Unexpected perfection. — Russo
