the five most distracting images ever to appear in drug ads, in no particular order. And just for fun, we’re throwing in a bonus video pick, courtesy of the folks at Saturday Night Live, who are not shy about picking on the drug industry. (Our apologies to Pfizer, but we couldn’t resist.)
Do you agree with our selections? What ads do you find most distracting? We’d love to hear from you, so feel free to weigh in with your comments below.
Dogs frolicking on the beach: Celebrex
Speaking of puppies, this commercial for Pfizer’s arthritis pill Celebrex is full of them. The ad depicts a relaxed-looking older gentleman being goaded into a game of catch with his spaniel on the beach. The festival of cuteness only intensifies when they meet up with their neighbors and all their dogs. If you’re a dog lover (guilty!), you may be so busy thinking “Oh, what a cute Corgi” to bother paying attention to the warnings about how Celebrex can increase the chance of heart attack and stroke.
“Pfizer is committed to ensuring that all of our advertising communicates both the benefits and the risks of our medicines,” says a spokesman for Pfizer in an e-mail. He adds that the company does not want to comment on the potential impact of the proposed rule changes, but it contributed to and supports statements made by The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the main industry trade group, on the issue.
Cartoon pipes shopping, visiting jazz clubs, and walking the dog: Vesicare
Yep, it’s another dog, though this one is made of metal and therefore, one could argue, not as cute as the real thing. Nevertheless, the pipe pup is a recurring character in this ad campaign for Vesicare, co-marketed by Astellas US and GlaxoSmithKline. The ads depict the problem of overactive bladder with animated pipe people, who delicately ask viewers, “Are you worried your pipes might leak?” The campaign continues online, where three pipe women named Bree, Jackie, and Nell host a talk show about overactive bladder. And yes, the dog is there, too. Anyone remember the potential side effects? They include severe abdominal pain, constipation, and swelling of the face, lips, throat, or tongue.
A spokeswoman for Astellas US says in an e-mail that the company did not comment to the FDA on the proposed new rules, but, “We take our responsibility to inform consumers about potential drug side effects very seriously and are committed to complying with all relevant regulations.”
Amorous couples in outdoor bathtubs: Cialis
Can someone explain this to us? Please? In this ad for Eli Lilly’s blockbuster to treat erectile dysfunction, we see a man and a woman, in separate bathtubs, holding hands, outside. Is this what happens when your love life improves? Perhaps, but it’s enough to make one overlook the potential side effects, which include back pain, muscle aches, and a sudden decrease in hearing or vision. Distraction aside, this ad clearly works for Lilly, so much so that those two happy people in their bathtubs are featured (in silhouette) on Lilly’s website.
A spokeswoman for Lilly says in an e-mail that the Cialis ads are designed to educate men about erectile dysfunction in a straightforward and honest way that’s in line with the corporate brand. “Also, the ads provide men with important benefit and risk information, consistent with current FDA guidelines, allowing men to make a decision about whether to consult with their physician about Cialis. We have and will continue to work closely with the FDA to make sure our advertising is in line with their guidelines,” she writes.
Fluttering green butterfly: Lunesta
This ubiquitous, glowing creature is the main image associated with Lunesta, the heavily advertised insomnia drug from Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. The butterfly is so famous now that Sunovion has been confident enough lately to run some ads that are only 15 seconds long and feature nothing but the insect, a reference to the drug’s website, and a soft female voice saying, “Follow the wings.” This is a brilliant marketing tactic because it saves the company from having to recite the side effects that patients taking insomnia drugs have reported, such as walking, eating, or driving while asleep, without remembering it the next day. That’s because according to the FDA’s rules, if you don’t cite the benefits of a drug in an ad, you don’t have to cite the risks either. (The long version of the ad does have to include the risks, and you can see both versions on Lunesta’s site.)
A company spokeswoman says in an e-mail, “Sunovion Pharmaceuticals is aware of the FDA’s proposed new rule regarding direct-to-consumer advertising. We will continue to adhere to all FDA guidelines and regulations related to DTC advertising, as we do today.”
Celebrity golfer with children: Enbrel
The use of famous people in drug ads has sparked so much debate in the pharmaceutical world the FDA could probably do a whole separate study just on that topic. Are celebrities inherently distracting? One could argue that they are, especially when you pair them with children. In this ad for Amgen’s blockbuster biotech drug Enbrel, pro golfer Phil Mickelson describes his battle with the painful condition psoriatic arthritis, one of the diseases Enbrel is used to treat. We see Mickelson golfing on a beautiful, rolling green course, and then playing soccer with a group of adorable children. Meanwhile, a voice in the background is telling viewers that because Enbrel suppresses the immune system, it might “lower your ability to fight infections,” and that “sometimes fatal events” such as cancer and nervous-system disorders have occurred.
A spokeswoman for Amgen tells Xconomy in an e-mail that Mickelson is the “ideal” person to call attention to psoriatic arthritis, and that early diagnosis of the condition is crucial to preventing joint damage. “This campaign was developed in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration’s guidance for industry regarding consumer-directed advertisements,” she says.
Real smokers kicking the habit: Chantix
This campaign features actual people who stopped smoking with the help of Pfizer’s Chantix. There’s nothing distracting about these compelling, real-life tales—except maybe the side effects themselves, which can include hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts or actions. Saturday Night Live certainly found the ads spoof-worthy, as you see here.
Any member of the public is welcome to submit comments to the FDA about its proposed new rules on drug advertising. Just go to the site regulations.gov, follow the instructions for submitting comments on docket number FDA-2009-N-0582, and label your comments with the heading ”ATTN: Distraction Study.” You can also download a copy of the FDA’s distraction study there.
To repeat an over-used but in this case appropriate cliché, stay tuned: It will be interesting to see if the FDA’s latest shot against the pharma industry changes the way we all experience drug advertising.
