Consumer Reports recently launched a new series of videos called The Consumer Reports AdWatch Series and it’s a phenomenal service for consumers. The series is meant to offer counterpoints to the powerful and obviously self-interested advertising messages coming to you from major pharmaceutical manufacturers.
According to the AdWatch homepage the pharmaceutical industry spent over $5 billion dollars on advertising in 2007. To break it down for us they offer a helpful table that details advertising budgets and sales figures by drug for the top 25 advertising spenders in the pharmaceutical industry. By comparing what they make on a drug to what they spend on advertising you can easily see who is getting the most for their advertising dollar.
One of the first videos offered dissects an ad for Cialis, one of the three most popular treatments for erectile dysfunction. Cialis is the one that lasts for up to 36 hours allowing the manufacturer to tout benefits of spontaneity as compared to the competition (Viagra and Levitra).
Ad Watch takes us through the television spot and fills in important blanks left out by the advertiser. They deconstruct the casting of the commercial and highlight some of the fine print that’s easy to miss when you’re busy fantasizing about all that great spontaneous sex you’d be having in the middle of the afternoon if only you had an erection. One of the things I appreciate about their approach is that it feels like the health of the consumer is at the center of what they're doing.
It’s eye opening and funny and just a bit scary-cause-it’s-true (especially the part about priapism).
Watch Video – Consumer Reports: Cialis AdWatch - Deconstructing the ED Drug Ad
Related – Erectile Dysfunction
Screen shot courtesy of Consumer Reports