Merck Launches No Disclaimer Drug Ads

If you're tired of those drug that dedicate 75 percent of their time to the ridiculous disclaimers that must legally be attached to ads that promote drug products, you can now wallow in the lush beauty of drug brand advertising. That's right. You remember branding. It's those emotional, feel good campaigns that say nothing, sell nothing, yet seem to have this ability to allow marketing managers to look at post buy analysis and say, importantly, "We moved the needle."

Merck will spend $20 million to convince us it's people the company cares about, not the billions it makes off drug sales. Ogilvy & Mather created the campaign which includes television, print and online.

by Steve Hall    Jun- 2-05   Click to Comment   
Topic: Campaigns   

Enjoy what you've read? Subscribe to Adrants Daily and receive the daily contents of this site each day along with free whitepapers.



Comments



Comments

"Merk will spend $20 million to convince us it's people..."

Merck, not Merk
its people, not it's people

Seriously, you need a copyeditor.

Posted by: Cocoa Hill on June 2, 2005 1:35 PM

You're right on the first one. Wrong on the second. Re-read that sentence. the "it's" is meant to read it is, therefore the contraction is correct.

Posted by: Steve Hall on June 2, 2005 2:12 PM

Shish Kabob. We're correcting grammer when we should be discussing zee ladies etc. On drug adverising I loved the first generation ED ads -- like the graying bloke who was trying to throw a football through a suspended car tire.....and kept missing. Until he popped the pill and sent a zinger straight thru first time.

Much better than the crap you get these days: some mature lady telling us she's happy with the satisfaction her baby-boomer hubby is giving her. That's just creepy that is.

Posted by: Mcthingy2 on June 2, 2005 2:46 PM

Whoa, Cocoa. Looks like you could use a Diazapram. Its made by Merk.

Posted by: Mocha Bluff on June 2, 2005 3:04 PM

Actually, shouldn't it be, "Merck will spend $20 million to convince us that people are what the company cares about, not the billions it makes off drug sales."?

Anyway, who cares. I'm more interested in finding out exactly what a doctor does if you visit the ER complaining about a four-hour erection. (The SNL fake commercial "disclaimer" was funny: "If you experience a four-hour erection, call your friends and brag.")

Posted by: Bob on June 2, 2005 3:34 PM

I think the doctor shows you photos of Barbara Bush (senior) and then makes you watch three hours of CSPAN.

Posted by: Mcthingy2 on June 2, 2005 3:50 PM

I always did enjoy the disclaimer portion. What about the one that suggested "..you may experience an oily discharge..." Can you imagine the general council sitting around discussing that point! Uh, if I could have only been a fly on the wall!

Posted by: John Boy on June 2, 2005 4:37 PM

"Oily discharge" is indeed a classic, right up there with the 4 hour boners. Though I think they missed a USP for NASCAR dads -- they love oily discharges and the like.

Posted by: Mcthingy2 on June 2, 2005 5:46 PM

My bad on the "it's," but honestly, your otherwise excellent blog could really use an editor's eye--not mine, obviously!

Posted by: Cocoa Hill on June 5, 2005 12:46 PM