Sometimes an OTC brand looks like a DTC brand—and sometimes an OTC brand helps patients using DTC brands. This is the case with GSK’s Biotene. Although Biotene is not an Rx product, it is for people who take them and suffer from dry mouth, a side effect for more than 400 drugs used to treat diseases including depression, Parkinson’s, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and even stroke.

Biotene has an effective clinical positioning as a moisturizer as opposed to a breath freshener. What is so appealing about the Biotene advertising is that it targets patients who suffer from dry mouth, and are probably not aware that relief is available.

Biotene uses television and online banners to reach its target audience. The TV ads use animation to show the effects of untreated dry mouth. The animation style is bright and simple and propels the commercial’s problem/solution format. The ads air near heavy pods of DTC in the news and early morning slots. The digital ads and the product’s website deliver straightforward, educational messages.

Dry mouth is a serious side effect that can have a major negative impact on daily life. GSK and Biotene, in true DTC awareness mode, have brought the condition and the “solve” to light in a way that is both memorable and effective.


Deborah Dick-Rath is the president of Epic Proportions, a healthcare communications consultancy. She can be reached at [email protected]