Sometimes it's better to lose a battle in order to win the war
Feb/27/2008 06:03 Filed in: Current DTC
Pfizer
did the right thing in pulling the Lipitor ads. Why
continue to fight when you have the best selling
pharmaceutical product in history? What really
bothers me, however, is the fact that pharma DTC ads
are being held to a higher standard then all other
advertising. Does Derek Jeeter, for example, really
drive a Ford Edge and should it be disclosed in the
commercial that Ford gave him a free Edge?
The purpose of having Dr Jarvik in the ad was to call attention to high cholesterol which research suggests may lead to CV disease. On the Lipitor website there was a page devoted to Dr Jarvik explaining that he lost his father to heart disease and wanted to do all he could to inform people about the dangers of high cholesterol. So what's on tap next: the people in this Cialis commercial do not take Cialis and are not really naked in the bathtubs"?
If you are a tax payer you should be really upset ! With all the problems American consumers now face, losing homes, higher gas prices, I am sure this is not even on the radar screen and people could care less. The additional issue that these politicians are ignoring is that today's patients are empowered and not likely to be swayed by ANYONE. Recent research concluded that consumers are aware that if spokes people appear in ads they know that they are getting compensated. I doubt very few people went out and bough any product, much more one that you put in your body, because is was recommended by someone famous (excluding teenagers and children of course).
So now DTC ads take another step back and get more scrutiny then any other industry. Spokes people, regardless of the products, could all come into question as politicians ask "what are they being paid"? Give me a break and treat American consumers like they are not that stupid ha?
The purpose of having Dr Jarvik in the ad was to call attention to high cholesterol which research suggests may lead to CV disease. On the Lipitor website there was a page devoted to Dr Jarvik explaining that he lost his father to heart disease and wanted to do all he could to inform people about the dangers of high cholesterol. So what's on tap next: the people in this Cialis commercial do not take Cialis and are not really naked in the bathtubs"?
If you are a tax payer you should be really upset ! With all the problems American consumers now face, losing homes, higher gas prices, I am sure this is not even on the radar screen and people could care less. The additional issue that these politicians are ignoring is that today's patients are empowered and not likely to be swayed by ANYONE. Recent research concluded that consumers are aware that if spokes people appear in ads they know that they are getting compensated. I doubt very few people went out and bough any product, much more one that you put in your body, because is was recommended by someone famous (excluding teenagers and children of course).
So now DTC ads take another step back and get more scrutiny then any other industry. Spokes people, regardless of the products, could all come into question as politicians ask "what are they being paid"? Give me a break and treat American consumers like they are not that stupid ha?
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