There was a time when drugs advertised on television were for minor problems such as headaches, indigestion or colds. The makers of Alka-Seltzer, for example, had a cute animated character called Speedy who sang the “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz” jingle. Viewers could buy Alka-Seltzer at any drugstore.
Prescription Drug Commercials Take Over
These days most of the drugs advertised on TV require a prescription. They are often quite pricey, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars a month. Big Pharma spends nearly $5 billion on such ads each year.
Many of these ads rely on attractive actors having fun despite serious conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis, diabetes or heart trouble. FDA regulations dating back to the 1980s, when prescription drug advertising was new, require companies to disclose the risks as well as the benefits of their medications.
Some voice actors specialize in reading these frightening warnings quickly and calmly, according to an article in the online journal Stat. The author of this insightful piece, Megan Thielking, points out that the FDA requires drug companies to list “a series of horrifying side effects, up to and including death.”
Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want to spend a ton of money frightening people out of taking their pricey pills. To get around the scary stuff, the companies hire ad agencies that are adept at sugar coating the nastiness. Ms. Thielking interviewed actors who are skilled at delivering the bad news in a way that doesn’t scare the viewer:
“We use the same approach medical professionals do, telling a patient calmly: ‘we’re going to perform this surgery and there’s a 60 percent chance you won’t live,’ said Joey Schaljo, who has worked as a voiceover actor on drug ads and has a knack for narrating endless lists of side effects.”
Ruth Day has a PhD in human cognition from Stanford University. She has taught at Duke University for years and specializes in how people process information, comprehend complex ideas and remember key facts. She has studied how people comprehend drug information and has served on the FDA’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. Dr. Day told Megan Thielking:
“There’s a shift in how the voice is used to make it easier to understand the benefits and less easy to understand the risks.”
Cartoon Characters Trump Skilled Actors:
As sophisticated as the drug companies are at promoting the benefits of their prescription products and downplaying the risks, human actors can only obscure the truth so much. That’s where cartoon characters come in. Increasingly you see complicated drugs messages turned into cartoons.
The FDA is becoming concerned about the proliferation of cute cartoon characters to advertise prescription drugs. It seems that these animated characters help people remember the brands better. People may also be less likely to take side effect information seriously if such characters are distracting their attention while serious complications are recited.
Lunesta and the Luna Moth:
You might recognize some of the images in these ads. The Luna moth in the Lunesta sleeping pill commercials comes to mind, flapping gently and peacefully while the family slumbers. The glowing green moth mesmerizes viewers, gliding gracefully over the landscape while a soothing voice mentions “aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion.”
The Gut Guy for IBS:
Another commercial features the “Gut Guy” for a prescription antibiotic called rifaximin (Xifaxan). This is a walking intestine all knotted up to represent irritable bowel syndrome. Our little fella looks quite distressed as he is struck with an attack of abdominal pain and “urgent diarrhea.” He dashes for the men’s room but sees a long line ahead of him.
He looks much happier after Xifaxan (pronounced zi-fax-an). As he smiles and trots back to the football stadium giving high fives to bystanders, we are told to “tell your doctor right away if your diarrhea worsens while taking Xifaxan, as this may be a sign of a serious or even fatal condition.”
Jublia for Toenail Fungus:
If you watch television at all you have probably seen the big toe Jublia cartoon guy. Sometimes he is wearing a football helmet and is tackling toenail fungus. Other times he is in a boxing ring fighting fungus or on a tennis court smashing fungus with his racket.
People have become so accustomed to hearing life-threatening complications listed in TV drug ads that they no longer seem to pay much attention to them. But the FDA is worried that cartoon characters might be too distracting when the voiceover lists possible problems. What the commercials do not emphasize is effectiveness. Want to know how well Jublia works, check out our link with the straight and skinny on this product.
Cartoon Abilify for Depression:
One of the most extraordinary prescription drug commercials involves a cartoon woman who complains that her antidepressant just isn’t doing the job. The cartoon doctor recommends a cartoon Abilify drug in the form of a big letter A with eyeballs. Soon the cartoon woman is smiling along with the smiling Abilify character and her smiling doctor. But then the bright and cheery voice changes and you hear a much more matter-of-fact voice recite:
“Abilify is not for everyone.
“Call your doctor if your depression worsens or if you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide…
“Elderly dementia patients taking Abilify have an increased risk of death or stroke.
“Call your doctor if you have high fever, stiff muscles and confusion to address a possible life threatening condition or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements as these can become permanent. High blood sugar has been reported with Abilify and medicines like it and in extreme cases can lead to coma or death.
“Other risks include increased cholesterol, weight gain,, decreases in white blood cells which can be serious, dizziness on standing, seizures, trouble swallowing, and impaired judgment or motor skills.”
While these scary messages are zipping by we see our cartoon lady smiling and interacting with her colleagues at work and serving lemonade to her happy cartoon family at a backyard barbecue.
Will the FDA Take Action Against Such Ads?
The Food and Drug Administration is planning to study such commercials to see how people react. If animated cartoons in commercials interfere with people understanding the true risks and benefits of prescription drugs, will the FDA ban their use?
Tell the FDA What You Think About Rx Drug Ads on TV:
If you would like to weigh in and tell the experts at the Food and Drug Administration what you think about prescription drug advertising employing animated characters, now is your big chance. Comments may be submitted electronically through: http://www.regulations.gov by following the instructions listed there.
People who prefer to send in comments on paper can mail them to:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
FDA
5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852.
Share your thoughts below in the comment section as well or just copy in your message to the FDA so others will see what you think and perhaps be motivated to share their own thoughts with the Food and Drug Administration. And please vote on this article at the top of the page.
