I suppose many people think of gout as just another example of the indulgences of the past decade finally catching up with aging Baby Boomers. They remember the clichéd imagery from the likes of Henry VIII and other fat aristocrats in the past. But nothing could be further from the truth. And now we have a DTC campaign to help us better understand this painful disease and how to treat it.
The Uloric campaign from Takeda answers the key question that needs to “pop” in DTC consumer research that show that patients have “learned something new.” That’s particularly impressive for an “old” disease like gout.
Takeda did an outstanding job explaining the disease and how Uloric works to reduce uric acid, the “root cause” of gout. This awareness-generating commercial drives home the Uloric brand name while the print campaign uses multiple brand name visual reminders along with the key imagery of a man carrying a beaker of uric acid.
The beaker is a brand visual that says “acid,” but not in the flame-throwing manner that we’re used to from years of advertising in other categories like heartburn. The beaker is scientific, and since it never goes away, the viewer understands that the brand manages, but does not cure, the disease.
The instructive nature of the campaign does not reflect a creative breakthrough. But that’s OK because the brand itself is the star. Its very ordinariness underscores the commonality of gout and stresses the fact that it’s not just for 16th century monarchs anymore.
Deborah Dick-Rath is SVP, healthcare practice leader, at FactorTG. Contact: [email protected]
From the January 01, 2011 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
