Pfizer and Lilly shared their schedules for Viagra and Cialis TV ads with the Parents Television Council, which published them on its website so that parents bothered by the spots could shield their kids from them.
The group, which militates against sex, violence and profanity on television, said it began working with pharmas to address parents’ concerns about erectile dysfunction (ED) drug ads two years ago, when a representative spoke at Lilly’s annual meeting, and followed up in talks with Pfizer, Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline (which later discontinued advertising for its ED drug, Levitra).
“We applaud all three companies for their willingness to address the concerns raised by parents, grandparents and others who have been caught off guard by ED advertisements,” said the group’s president, Tim Winter, in a statement.
Pharmas typically hold their media schedules close to their vests for competitive reasons.
TV ads for ED drugs have for years been a particular sore point with legislators and the public, and PhRMA has twice in the past five years issued rules for when and where companies can air them, seeking to blunt congressional momentum for restrictions on consumer advertising.
