Prescription Drug Advertising Break-Through IAG Research Reveals the Best Prescription Drug Advertising from This Past TV Season
Wednesday November 29, 10:03 am ET
NEW YORK, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- New syndicated insights from IAG Research, the TV ad effectiveness ratings company, reveal the best new prescription drug ads that first aired during this past television season. Sepracor's sleep aid Lunesta not only topped the charts as the most memorable ad but it also achieved status as the most recognized prescription drug brand advertised on primetime TV.
This past television season revealed some of the best in class prescription drug branded advertising since the direct-to-consumer launch ten years ago. Advertising in this category today incorporates a decade's worth of lessons learned, making this once unfamiliar product category exclusively marketed to physicians part of every-day consumer life.
Lunesta's success is not only a testament to the improvements made over the past ten years in communicating a complex, clinical product message to the average consumer but it is a performance that exceeds established norms for any commercial on TV today. The iconic "luna moth" that soars across the TV screen is recognized by the average adult as a Lunesta spot at a rate more than 2 1/2 times the average for all other new prescription drug ads.
Lunesta's above average performance is also significant when compared to all other commercials and product categories on air. Lunesta's break-through advertising exceeds the average consumer recall (adults 18 and older) across any product category advertised on primetime TV by a similar proportion (index of 244 vs. performance of the average commercial of any length and category).
Other prescription drug brands have also implemented communication strategies that have proven successful. Zelnorm, marketed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of Chronic Constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, has been effective with its "Tummies" campaign with a performance this past TV season that is similar to Lunesta: recall is twice the average for all other drug ads that first aired this past TV season.
"These results confirm that prescription drug advertising can achieve the same results that other product classes have reached on television if the basic principles of advertising are applied," stated Fariba Zamaniyan, Vice President of IAG Research's Pharmaceutical Practice. "The above average performances achieved by these brands confirm that direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs can achieve break-through and brand recognition even within the rigid guidelines this category faces. Lunesta and the other top performing Rx ads can meet the challenge of communicating a balance of benefit and risk messages within a minute of air-time in an environment that is highly regulated."
"This sector has come a long way in the past ten years. The use of brand icons, effective application of humor and relatable story-lines have become more widely integrated and effectively executed to achieve measurable results that extend beyond the generic beach scene and run through the hay field that was a prominent format applied in the early days of promotion," further stated Ms. Zamaniyan.
The challenges prescription drug advertisers face have not diminished now that break-through advertising is evident. Scrutiny remains on branded drug advertising and its relevance. Marketers in this space are being pressured more than ever before to increase the return on investment for promotion on TV and increase the efficiency of the television inventory purchased to validate the expense. Therefore, prescription drug advertising is fundamentally no different than other product classes.
Rank Brand Company Ad Description
1 Lunesta Sepracor A Lunesta Bedtime Story. A glowing moth
lands in a man's room and voice over
begins "are you at home trying to sleep,
but your mind is still at the office ... "
lands in bedrooms in different homes,
flies over the city and Mt. Rushmore (:60)
2 Lunesta Sepracor Questions are displayed on-screen (why's
my mind so restless? Can anything help?)
as a man lays in bed. A glowing moth flies
across night-time vistas, a bedroom where
a man and a woman are sleeping and ends by
landing on a woman's shoulder (:60)
3 Zelnorm Novartis Women's abdomens are shown and voice over
begins "if you just mention constipation
to your doctor ... " Women lift up their
shirts to reveal different words/phrases
written on their stomachs including "I
need help for all my symptoms" (:60)
4 Zelnorm Novartis Men and women turn around and lift their
shirts to reveal different words/phrases
written on their stomachs including "I
need something different." A blond haired
woman in lavender shirt speaks, saying
"... I asked my doctor about Zelnorm (:60)
5 Nasonex Schering- Animated woman sneezes and a bee talks to
Plough an owl about Nasonex. The ad ends with the
woman smelling flowers (:30)
Most Recalled New Prescription Drug Ads among Adults 18 and older
2005/06 TV season; Broadcast primetime airings only (9.01.05 -- 8.31.06)
For the complete list of top ten most recalled new prescription drug ads and brands, please go to iagr.net
Methodology for this Report
The data within this ranking is based on 24-hour viewer recall of new prescription drug ads launched within the 2005/06 TV season (9.01.05 -- 8.31.06). Data is limited to survey responses among adults 18+ and includes TV airings on Broadcast Prime only. This data excludes airings of all 15 second reminder ads and includes both sports and non-sports programming. The rankings are calculated based on an index of ad and brand recall for each new ad versus the mean score for all new ads that aired during this period. Sample minimums are applied.
About IAG Research
IAG Research measures the effectiveness of television advertising, product placement as well as viewer engagement with TV. IAG Research's suite of measurement products are used by such industry leaders as American Express, Toyota, General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Verizon Wireless, Johnson & Johnson, Home Depot, VISA, Merck & Co., Paramount Pictures and major networks such as CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, and TNT/TBS. |
