Television

P&G signals plans to cut ad costs by shifting to digital media

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

Procter & Gamble is looking to lower its promotion costs by leaning more on digital media, Chairman and CEO Bob McDonald told analysts in an earnings call.

FDA study casts doubt on danger of "distracting visuals"

Matthew Arnold January 31, 2012

An FDA study looking at the power of background visuals to distract viewers from the often-ominous risk info read in the "major statement" section of TV drug ads found no evidence that consumer understanding of risk info is affected by the "emotional (affective) tone of images.

Bon Jovi enlists in Advil's battle with Tylenol

Matthew Arnold December 21, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi is the latest celebrity pitchman for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare's Advil.

Ethnically insensitive Summer's Eve ads draw eyeballs and brickbats

Matthew Arnold July 20, 2011

A feminine hygiene brand known for its boffo advertising is back with an anatomically-explicit ad campaign that's generating tons of publicity but also charges of racism.

Network TV show in the works for Everyday Health

Matthew Arnold July 11, 2011

Everyday Health is planting its flag in network television with an ABC show that is being produced by "The Biggest Loser" creator Mark Koops.

Pradaxa DTC goes the white coat route

Matthew Arnold May 09, 2011

Boehringer Ingelheim is launching its Pradaxa DTC campaign with a first wave of white-coated doctors talking up the blood thinner for atrial fibrillation.

Roche maintained DTC spending on Boniva, while competitors cut back

Ben Comer March 03, 2011

Sally Field's winsome smile may have helped to curb declining sales of Roche's Boniva in 2010, but it didn't carry the drug past Warner Chilcott's Actonel, despite a substantially higher DTC spend.

To dial down DTC, let companies collaborate on ads, says ex-Merck exec

Matthew Arnold February 10, 2011

A former Merck exec says it's time to wind down the DTC arms race by letting companies with brands in competitive categories collaborate on disease awareness advertising.

GSK launches new Alli spots, hands five OTC brands to Meda

Ben Comer January 05, 2011

GlaxoSmithKline launched new commercials for Alli, in time for New Year's resolutions and holiday overeating remorse, and handed off five OTC products to Meda Pharmaceuticals.

Lysteda TV ads make some networks squeamish

Matthew Arnold October 20, 2010

Ferring Pharmaceuticals is launching its first branded TV ad with spots for its Lysteda treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. The company had to soothe some network execs who at first balked at the ad's blunt talk of the condition.

Ads about family health risk prompt lifestyle changes

Matthew Arnold August 24, 2010

Drug ads emphasizing familial health risks prompt at-risk patients to adjust their lifestyles, not just pop a pill, a study found.

Bayer unbranded effort aims to counter bad birth control info

Matthew Arnold June 30, 2010

Bayer wants women to come to the company for information on contraception instead of relying on coworkers, bloggers or the tube for advice.

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon to lead Sanofi whooping cough awareness campaign

Ben Comer June 30, 2010

In an effort to throttle up awareness of whooping cough, or pertussis, Sanofi Pasteur and the March of Dimes have enlisted NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon to lead their ongoing Sounds of Pertussis campaign. Jennifer Lopez was previously the celebrity face of the campaign.

Nicorette launch features Facebook contest with Dr. Drew

Matthew Arnold April 28, 2010

GlaxoSmithKline is launching a Nicorette lozenge with a new iteration of the "Quitting Sucks" ad campaign and a Facebook contest starring TV shrink Dr. Drew Pinsky.

GSK rolls out new DTC ads for Lovaza

Ben Comer April 06, 2010

GlaxoSmithKline launched new TV spots last week for Lovaza, a prescription omega-3 fish oil capsule indicated for the lowering of very high triglyceride levels.

Aricept TV spots hype benefits, says DDMAC

Matthew Arnold February 24, 2010

Eisai got an FDA untitled letter for two Aricept TV ads that the agency said overstate the efficacy of the drug.

Nexium ad campaign promises nighttime relief

Matthew Arnold February 03, 2010

AstraZeneca is answering OTC Prevacid with ads touting Nexium's nighttime benefits and taking a comical look at the lengths to which acid reflux sufferers will go for a good night's sleep.

AstraZeneca airs "consuming" consumer for Seroquel XR bipolar depression

Matthew Arnold December 17, 2009

AstraZeneca launched the first consumer TV and print ads for Seroquel XR for bipolar depression, playing on the all-consuming way in which patients experience the disease.

Hey, big spender! Pfizer joins top 10 advertisers

Matthew Arnold December 08, 2009

Pfizer boosted ad spend 12% for the first nine months of 2009 over the same period in 2008, even as ad spend for the sector remained static and spending across all sectors plummeted 14.7%, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

Info overloaded, consumers tune out risk info, says survey

Matthew Arnold November 30, 2009

Consumers tend to block out risk info in TV and print ads for prescription drugs -- particularly those over age 55 -- according to a study by ORC Guideline.

In DTC TV, longer doesn't have to mean less memorable, says Nielsen

Matthew Arnold November 05, 2009

Prescription drug advertisers are running longer broadcast spots to accommodate more expansive fair balance statements, a Nielsen IAG analysis suggests, as 75-second spots proliferate.

Rx ad spend down 7.8% for first half of 2009, says TNS

Matthew Arnold September 16, 2009

US advertising spend for prescription drugs declined 7.8% to $2.3 billion for the first six months of 2009 over the same period in 2008, according to TNS Media Intelligence data.

DTC ads made some cancer patients doubt their docs

Matthew Arnold August 17, 2009

A survey of patients at Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that 11% said ads for cancer-related drugs had made them less confident in their providers' judgment.

For Pristiq, Wyeth deploys wind-up doll

Matthew Arnold June 10, 2009

Wyeth is cranking up consumer advertising for Pristiq with spots that aim to capture depression sufferers' struggle to get through the day, as represented by an iconic wind-up doll.

Last chance to grab glory

June 04, 2009

If you still haven't entered the MM&M Awards 2009, then you'd better move fast--today (June 5) is the final deadline for submissions.

DTC spend set to slide, loyalty cards up, says survey

Matthew Arnold May 13, 2009

Marketers anticipate substantial cuts in DTC spend in 2009, according to a Cegedim Dendrite survey in which 58% of respondents said they'd cut consumer ad spend this year. Last year 28% said they'd cut back on consumer advertising.

Rx TV ads more memorable in '08, Nielsen says

Matthew Arnold April 02, 2009

TV ads for prescription drugs loosened up a bit in 2008 and exercised greater creativity despite intense scrutiny, The Nielsen Company found in a review of advertising recall rates for 2008.

Pharma US ad spend fell 18.4% in '08, says Nielsen

Matthew Arnold March 13, 2009

Pharmaceutical industry ad spend fell 18.4% in 2008 to $4.3 billion in the US, according to The Nielsen Company. J&J, the sole drug company among the nation's top 10 advertisers, spent $1.2 billion on advertising -- a drop of 5.4% from 2007 spend.

As patients scrimp, BMS ads offer to pay Orencia co-pays

Matthew Arnold March 11, 2009

Recession got you down? Having second thoughts about filling that prescription? How about some help with your co-pay? That's the tack Bristol-Myers Squibb is taking with its Orencia Promise program.