Turning Intent into Impact at Panadol

Diego Elias starts our conversation on Panadol with a throwback to his favorite ad from the brand, Elephants, which ended with the tagline ‘Strong on Pain, Gentle on You.’ The ad encapsulates Panadol’s enduring mission, which also fuels Diego’s passion for the brand – to drive meaningful change in consumers’ lives and experiences of pain. 

Diego currently works as the Global Marketing Manager at Panadol, but while by his own admission his journey into brand-building wasn’t linear, “it was always intentional.” His first role at PepsiCo was in the supply-side part of the business, “But I always knew I wanted to return to the Commercial side of the business, where you’re closer to the consumer, and ultimately, to the choices that shape the brand and the business. I’ve always believed that good marketing sits at the intersection of doing meaningful work and solving real problems—and that’s what brought me here.” 

Today, Diego works on one of the most iconic consumer health brands in the world: Panadol. Present in over 80 markets and suitable for 98% of the population. The thing he loves most about his work? “I feel like I’m contributing to something that matters.” Research revealed that last year, 91% of people in the world felt pain, and yet only 58% treated it. “That statistic drives me every day. Panadol has a bold ambition: to restore life beyond pain for all. Helping bring that to life, especially in my home country of Brazil through our recent launch, has been deeply fulfilling.” 

That ambition to better serve consumers and address the gap between pain experienced and pain treated also informs Diego’s understanding of creative excellence.

“To me, creative excellence isn’t only about creating the most beautiful and emotional advertising copy. It’s about delivering the right message to the right person, in the right way, at the right time. Sounds simple, but it requires precision, consistency, and empathy across the entire consumer journey.”

“In the world of consumer health, creative excellence also carries a unique responsibility. If 9 in 10 people struggle to understand health information, then even the most beautifully shot ad is meaningless if the message doesn’t land.” 

Addressing this gap in understanding has been at the heart of Haleon’s Health Inclusivity Screener, which Diego has played a key role in bringing to market, with Panadol as the pilot brand. The screener leverages CreativeX technology to evaluate content across three different dimensions: representation, readability, and accessibility.

The tool has fundamentally changed the way Diego approaches content production. “It’s forcing us to think not just about what we say, but who hears it, and how. Creativity still requires insight, emotion, and storytelling—but now it must also be inclusive by design. That’s not just good marketing—it’s necessary marketing. It’s how we turn intent into impact.” 

“It gives us a tangible framework to measure what we stand for—and more importantly, to act on it.”

The screener aligns with a shift Diego identifies among Panadol’s audiences, moving from interruption to integration. “Consumers no longer want brands barging into their lives – they expect them to show up meaningfully, in the spaces they care about. That might be through purpose, through culture, or through contextually relevant moments that feel authentic, not opportunistic.” 

What’s next for Diego and his team? 

For me this year? “Well, talking about inclusivity: I have the privilege of working for a company that has established a market-leading policy of parental leave from the outset, providing 6 months for both female and male employees who are welcoming a new child into their lives. So, I have the incredible opportunity to support my family and welcome my 2nd baby girl this spring, spending 6 months later this year at home with her. And while I’ll miss working and being close to the team, I’m really looking forward to that.” 

For the Panadol team: “This year, our focus is clear: continue making Panadol more relevant, accessible, and effective for more people, in more markets. We’re not just growing a brand—we’re helping fulfill Haleon’s mission of empowering people to better care for their health. That means expanding availability, yes—but it also means making sure our communication is understood by everyone, not just the few. Looking ahead, the Panadol team wants to be known not just for world-class execution but for pioneering work that moves the industry forward. We are on a mission to be the ones who show that inclusive communication is not just morally right—it’s commercially smart.”

And in 10 years? “I hope we look back and see that we didn’t just launch great campaigns, but we made healthcare marketing more human, more equitable, and more effective at scale. That we left the industry better than we found it.”