I’m not a doctor. I don’t even play one on TV. But even I know about the portable MRI machine by Sonosite, thanks to one of the strangest DTC campaigns we’ve seen in a long time. It’s a comic-book-style campaign in which the super hero is THE REHABILITATOR, a gorgeous young superwoman who just happens to be a doctor. In the TV ads, when a football player gets hurt on the field, she’s there in a jiffy, her white coat flying about her like a fashionable cape. She looks at the problem and quickly pronounces a diagnosis that saves the day. She “sees” with her machine. She’s amazing! And the coach is so happy.
Actually, Sonosite’s portable MRIs are perfect for sports teams of all kinds, something you can learn all about on their website. You can also see demos and testimonials and even find out how to order one. But wait! Don’t you need to be a doctor or at least a technician to use one?
It’s still worth a visit to see the superhero/doctor posed with her machine—Wonder Woman in a White Coat!
Unfortunately, we consumers watching the ad aren’t really sure what to do. Although this commercial campaign is clearly aimed at doctors, it uses traditional consumer advertising tactics to generate awareness and drive viewers to the website for more information. The tagline is “Change How Patients See You.” So in the end, we’ll have to call this a DTD — Direct-to-Doctor — campaign. This could be the start of a whole new Healthcare era.
Deborah Dick-Rath is SVP, healthcare, at Symphony Advanced Media, [email protected]
From the December 01, 2011 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
