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Schering Puts on a Marketing Clinic
Schering, which pioneered direct-to-consumer drug advertising…..Its once-ubiquitous Claritin ad campaign -- featuring people happily ambling through meadows, unaffected by numerous allergens all around them -- was one of the industry's biggest marketing successes after federal regulators relaxed rules on pharmaceutical marketing in 1997.
Ten Years Later: Direct to Consumer Drug Advertising
Launched by 1996 Claritin Spot
Things were relatively quiet until 1996, when the Claritin ad appeared and all but forced the FDA to make a decision.
It was in 1996 that the unmistakable sound of Cole Porter (sic) came singing through TV sets across the country, ushering in a decade of what has been a watershed for the advertising and pharmaceutical industries.
"Blue skies, shining on me. Nothing but blue skies do I see."
Groundbreaking Claritin Spot
The spot, from Schering-Plough for allergy medication Claritin, never mentioned what the product treated, advising viewers instead that "Clear days and nights are here" and to "see your doctor" -- a phrase that would become a veritable tagline for pharmaceutical ads.
"That campaign was a landmark,...Claritin was clearly the most visible, the most expensive and skilfully executed, and the bottom-line results were immediately apparent. It had a huge impact, because everybody is watching everybody else very closely."
Brian Mercer. Creating foundational, memorabile and compelling communications for your brands
Rolls Royce’s Barrier to Cool Is a Mustard Ad from the 80s
“A Grey Poupon ad from 1984 (sic) still influences the public image of the luxury car brand.”
“Most companies would pay handsomely to have an advertisement remembered for decades.”
…has worked hard in the past couple of years to reinvigorate the Grey Poupon brand, which has such an iconic advertising history.
Kraft Foods…."We're not surprised that people may have some fun with an iconic and loved brand like Grey Poupon.
ADWEEK
March 2013
Pardon me, are you a brand whose only real equity comes from a campy TV spot made 30 years ago that's been parodied to death in pop culture? Grey Poupon, of course, is exactly that brand. And that 1981 (sic) "Pardon Me" ad loomed large over Crispin Porter + Bogusky as it began rebuilding the Kraft Foods brand after 15 moribund years. "That was the first thing everybody was saying. When are you going to do 'Pardon Me'?"
Although the original Grey Poupon ad first aired in 1981 (sic), with variations running through 1997, it's become so ingrained in pop culture that even teenagers today are familiar with its general spirit, says Sara Braun, who heads Grey Poupon, Miracle Whip and Mayo at Kraft Foods.
Gold Award: Best Online Patient Relationship/Support Program
MerckEngage Health Partnership Program
6 years after formation, now a $50 million global initiative.
The agency reported that satisfaction surveys revealed 90.3% of visitors agreed that information was unbiased and accurate and 88.4% said the site increased desire to interact with Merck as a company.
MerckEngage
Welcome to the New Face of Big Pharma
On the eve of Obamacare, brands shift marketing from pill pusher to best friend
Merck’s educational and marketing program MerckEngage is a good example of what to expect. It’s a website that offers registered members free personal health tracking, daily planners, food and exercise tips, email messages, and content updates. Tucked between lists of healthier fast-food choices and videos on preparing for a doctor’s visit are popular features including interactive tools that inform users how many calories they eat, drink and burn each day, and trackers that monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, cholesterol, migraines and asthma symptoms. Doctors who sign up with Merck receive regular updates of their patients’ activity. Since its launch in February 2010, the site has attracted 8.2 million visits, according to a Merck rep. This year, the program added mobile versions for both patients and healthcare providers. Since April, a mobile site has attracted about 102,000 visits.
In this culture of victims and villains, of divisive thinking and accusatory finger pointing, we would be hard pressed to say that a pharmaceutical giant could actually be dispensing advice that’s good for your health. After all, their bottom line rests on your being sick.
Merck & Company may be at the forefront of changing that policy. With the launch of their campaign “MerckEngage” they have created an entire website merckengage.com separate from their company website to help people with diabetes live healthier lives.
I know; I know; I laughed, too when I heard this one. I watched their television ad and snickered “yeah, right.” But then I went to the site, intent on exposing the ruse and trapping them in their deception. What I found was a website designed for people with health conditions and some sound advice on how to manage life with a health concern like diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
MerckEngage seems to be designed for that segment of the population who is sick, scared, not sure what to do to change habits...and for those living with or caring for those same people. It is written to be easily understood with advice that is neither overwhelming nor scary. It seems to have been built for people whose lifetime of bad habits has landed them in hot water in terms of their health. The advice offered, on topics ranging from eating, cooking and kitchen set-up to recipes to fitness tips and inspirational tips to engage people in healthier lifestyles is easy to understand, not radical and written in a way that draws you in.
© 2020 Brian Mercer
