I just got back from New York.
I watched quite a bit of TV, and one thing in particular amazed me.
Practically every pharmaceutical commercial had a similar structure.
I copied out a typical commercial:
Open on quick cuts of various worried looking people.
1st Woman: “I don’t want to feel depressed.”
2nd Woman: “I’d like to enjoy things again.”
3rd Woman: “I feel these aches and pains.”
4th Woman: “The guilt”
1st Man: “My sleep just isn’t right.”
5th Woman: “I’m so anxious.”
2nd Man: “I need to focus.”
FVO: “Depression hurts. Cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression.
Tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behaviour, or thoughts of suicide.
Anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults.
Cymbalta is not approved for children under 18.
People taking MAOIs or Thyroizadine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take Cymbalta.
Taking it with pain-relievers, aspirin, or blood-thinners may increase bleeding risk.
Severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported.
Signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine or if you have high fever, confusion, and stiff muscles.
To address a possible life threatening condition tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce, or stop taking, Cymbalta.
Dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing.
Side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation.
Ask your doctor about Cymbalta.
Go to Cymbalta.com to learn about our free trial offer.
Depression hurts. Cymbalta can help.”
And I’m looking at the TV screen thinking “Wait a minute, your disclaimer is literally twice as long as the advert.
You’re spending two thirds of your media money to tell me your product can make me have thoughts of SUICIDE.
You’re telling me it can cause FATAL liver problems.
You’re saying using it could result in a LIFE-THREATENING condition.
You’re spending sixty seconds of your ninety-second ad to tell me this?
Are you nuts?
Then, almost immediately, it was followed by another ninety-second ad for another pharmaceutical brand.
With the same sixty-second disclaimer.
Later on another pharmaceutical ad.
All with the same sixty-second disclaimer.
And I realised everyone was saying the same thing.
Since everyone was saying it, it must just be some government thing that everyone was forced to put on their ads.
So it was just arse covering.
And so it just became background clutter.
So it had to be there, but no one listened anymore.
And that’s a valuable lesson for anyone trying to get a message across.
However shocking or daring we think something is, if everyone’s doing it, it becomes part of the wallpaper.
Then it doesn’t stand out.
Then it’s invisible.
If everyone’s doing it, no one’s doing it.
Yes nuts. Does contain nuts.
Who said the yanks aren’t straight up guys?
Jim Powell - 28 January 2013 10:33 am
Maybe you should do that with your blog posts from here, 30% blog, 66% disclaimer. Watch your numbers soar and thank me later.
The Cabbie can look after all your transport needs, however if the cab blows up, we crash and die, you arrive at the wrong destination or the driver breaks wind, this is at your own peril
The Cabbie - 28 January 2013 10:57 am
Cabbie, maybe you’re right.
(Reading blog-posts can lead to facial damage such as permanent squinting, wrinkles round the eye, furrowed forehead, and grinding teeth. Complications such as bleeding may stem from absently picking nose while reading. Some blog readers have been fired for wasting company time and resources while reading blogs. Please consult your doctor or optician before reading blogs.)
Dave Trott - 28 January 2013 11:14 am
HA HA, SAME with financial advertising in Asia, Dave. The terms and conditions are longer than the ads.
AND not just that, approval time is actually longer than the time agencies are given to produce the work. (And the time given to agencies is shorter BECAUSE clients need more time to clear the different levels of approval.)
Remember that ad you once put up? The one where the writer was leaving the agency and afraid his CD would take credit, so the first letter of the each part formed a sentence that named the person who wrote the ad? Would never work now because compliance (the lawyers) would change everything.
Robin. - 28 January 2013 11:19 am
Same thing can be said for a lot of other category of products.
When was the last time you’ve seen anything else than happy, lovey-dovey, tiptoe-through-the-tulips people on ads for airlines?
When was the last time you’ve seen anything else than a celebrity for perfume ads?
When was the last time you’ve seen anything else than motivational bullshit for sports gear ads?
When was the last time you’ve seen anything else than [insert lazy idea here] for [insert generic brand category here]?
And the supposed “cool and hip” agencies are doing the same thing. Cause that’s what brings in the big money. Keep the client happy, rake in the profit, and keep yourself sane with some scam ads for cannes.
steakandcheese - 28 January 2013 11:21 am
Dave, because 4 some reason it both amuses me and makes my fur crawl in equal measure, with ads like these the speed with which the v.o. races thru the shit @ the end is the only part I pay attention 2.
Grilla Login - 28 January 2013 12:18 pm
Grillia, IosoTRY2follow the machine-gun VO at the end but it is almost impossible 2 keep up.
Robin. - 28 January 2013 1:14 pm
Grilla,
I know what you mean, it’s like one long word.
It’s different in the States.
They say it slowly enough but you can tell no one is listening.
Even the editor.
He’s used a shot of a man smiling over “Side effects may include constipation.”
Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d6Ra0n2pUA
Dave Trott - 28 January 2013 1:19 pm
Wouldn’t it be great to spell out, very graphically, all the side effects, possible consequences, major problems and fatality rates caused by a particular pharmaceutical product, and then use your pharma brand’s biggest rival for the packshot!
Tom - 28 January 2013 1:34 pm
Dave, if the act of living came with a disclaimer like that, I’m not sure I’d want 2 be born.
Grilla Login - 28 January 2013 1:52 pm
you seen this classic dave? http://youtu.be/a5HTLcAOx38
vinny warren - 28 January 2013 3:04 pm
After watching, I think I’ll take my chances with depression.
Shane - 28 January 2013 3:10 pm
That is amazing Vinny.
The jolly little plinky-plink soundtrack alongside the VO:
“In depressed patients worsening of depression including risk of suicide may occur.
Allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and can be fatal.”
Cognitive dissonance or what?
Dave Trott - 28 January 2013 3:25 pm
When they sleep do they mean the big sleep?
john p woods - 28 January 2013 3:41 pm
Dave, I write that commercial about once each month. It’s a tired old formula. We can’t touch what’s known as the fair balance in pharma ads and they can be pretty frightening. And the press ads are even worse with legal. Sometimes we’re not even allowed to say what a particular drug is for, we just hint at it. It’s all very strange, but it’s a huge industry here and it employs lots of creatives who might otherwise be working at fast food jobs.
Cal - 28 January 2013 8:58 pm
Look on it as a great opportunity to do brilliant work.
Think Silk Cut.
Kev - 28 January 2013 9:31 pm
I once had to do an ad for a drug that claimed it could cure every disease. I’m serious.
So the line was, ‘good for everyone, except hypochondriacs’. Almost got made because the suits and clients didn’t know what hypoc meant.
Then the Ministry of Health, who have to vet the ad, saw it.
And not even the wonder drug could cure it.
Robin. - 29 January 2013 3:00 am
Hi Cal,
I understand that, my point wasn’t about the people who write the ads.
That’s the law, you have no choice.
My point was about context.
However shocking something is on its own, once it becomes standard it’s not shocking anymore.
The whole litany isn’t even noticeable.
Dave Trott - 29 January 2013 10:21 am
John Hegarty used to call it Wallpaper
Kev - 30 January 2013 1:49 pm
There’s a baby milk ad that is the same, the first 10 seconds are spent solely talking about how you shouldn’t really need to use the product yet.
Rob Mortimer - 30 January 2013 4:30 pm
Very true about the central point though. It’s the same as with Tobacco products for years, the warnings just become background.
Rob Mortimer - 30 January 2013 4:31 pm