Frosty,Here is The San Francisco Chronicle:'
VIVUS - The San Francisco Chronicle (SFC)
BUSINESS
Sidelined at Super Bowl
Impotence ad won't play, but naked Nike spot will
Kenneth Howe, Chronicle Staff Writer
01/21/98
NBC has rejected a low-key ad for a male impotence treatment
during Sunday's Super Bowl because it was not "suitable," but has
accepted a 60-second Nike spot featuring naked athletes.
The network's advertising standards department considered the
impotence ad from Mountain View-based Vivus Inc. inappropriate for
airing during the year's most ostentatiously virile sporting event.
"The standards people look at every commercial that comes in and
determine whether it is suitable for a particular time period and
show," said Ed Markey, NBC's director of sports information.
The standards people had no problem with the nude Nike ads after
the athletic apparel company agreed to shade strategic areas. (The
ads will not use Nike's famous slogan, "Just Do It," which was
retired last month.)
"There is certainly some hypocrisy here," said Bob Hoffman,
president of Hoffmanewis, the San Francisco ad agency that created
the Vivus commercial. "NBC's rationale was that the ad was
inappropriate for daytime viewing. But just look at the talk shows
and soap operas they air. It's like we're living in the dark ages."
The annual football championship is also the Super Bowl of
advertising, showcasing the newest and most creative commercials.
It's usually the year's most-watched TV program -- 130 million
viewers are expected to tune in -- and also the most expensive on
which to advertise. A 30-second spot will cost $1.3 million this
year, up from $1.2 million in 1996. The 58 commercial spots will
bring in $75.4 million in ad revenues.
Vivus saw the Super Bowl as a superb way to reach its target
market. The company says impotence affects 1 in 10 men by age 50.
The ad for its erectile dysfunction treatment called Muse is
text-only. An announcer reads mainly what's on the screen:
"Attention, impotent men. All 20 million of you. Impotence is
usually physical, not mental." It urges viewers to consult their
doctor and "then buy some flowers."
By comparison, Nike's 60-second spot features artfully lit shots
of nude Olympic runners Michael Johnson and Suzy Hamilton, soccer
star Ronaldo and basketball's Lisa Leslie. The concept of the ad is
that Nike clothes are like a second skin.
Vivus -- a tiny advertiser compared to giant Nike -- said it will
run its Muse ad later this year on 60 Minutes on CBS and several ABC
programs.
Two other Bay Area companies will advertise on the Super Bowl for
the first time this year.
San Francisco-based AirTouch Communications Inc.'s will show a
man and his shadow going separate ways.
And Oracle, the Redwood Shores software company, will surround
itself with images of revolutions past to promote itself as the
company poised to lead the information revolution.
Intel will return to the Super Bowl with its bunny-suited
characters. But this year the Santa Clara chip company has created a
whodunit mystery commercial whose ending will be determined by
viewers casting votes on the Internet.
Among the perennials airing ads during this year's matchup
between the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos are Visa
International Ltd., Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola Co. and
Anheuser-Busch Cos.
At a time when cable TV, specialty magazines, Internet sites and
other advertising media are splintering consumer groups, the Super
Bowl remains the best venue to reach the mass market, say some
advertising experts.
But not all businesses think that the Super Bowl ad is worth the
price.
Master Lock, which spent a third of its annual ad budget during
21 of the last 24 Bowls, plans to sit out this year's game. It wants
to advertise a slew of new products individually rather than
promoting its overall brand.
Others who have retired from the field this year include Honda
Motor Co., Fila Holdings SpA, Johnson & Johnson, MCI Communications
Corp. and Janus Capital Corp.
Despite the attention that Vivus will receive from getting yanked
by NBC, Hoffman would have preferred to avoid the controversy.
"I'd rather have been in the Super Bowl," he said. "You can reach
so many men so quickly."
(1) But Nike's ad featuring runner Michael Johnson nude was OKd
by NBC, (2) These are the scenes in Vivus' impotence ad, which NBC
decided was not 'suitable' to run during the Super Bowl
PHOTO (2)
TA |
