Did he just say four-hour erection?
Friday, February 10th, 2006You’ve probably seen the commercial. Happy couples, sappy scenes, classic ending with a couple lounging in side-by-side bath tubs looking out into the seascape. Tagline: When the moment is right, will you be ready? It’s a pretty lame attempt to get your attention for an erectile dysfunction product (and if it is so great, why on earth are they in separate tubs?). Like most TV pharma ads for erectile dysfunction, whose advertisers spend $400+ million annually; this commercial is, for the most part, completely forgettable. Except for one thing…
Picture this, a room full of friends chatting. TV on as background. Monotone voice on the commercials starts in with the facts about potential drug side effects. Completely ignored by everyone in the room…until an actual doctor on screen says “Men who experience an erection lasting more than four hours should seek immediate medical attention.” Every head in the room turns to look at the TV and the question hangs in the air: “Four hours?”
You can almost see every man’s brain frantically coming up with a mnemonic to memorize the brand name CIALIS. After all, this is probably the best reason you’ve ever heard to seek immediate medical attention. Beats incontinence.
That one sentence in the disclaimer rattled off by the doctor in the newest CIALIS TV spot that launched mid January is by far the most memorable thing in the entire commercial. Can you recite any other sentence in this high production value (read high budget) spot? Interesting don’t you think? Especially in light of the fact that those FDA required disclaimers usually undo whatever positive impact an ad may have had. But this time that one possible side effect may very well be responsible for multiplying the sales of CIALIS by untold numbers. CIALIS, the drug from Eli Lilly and the Icos Corporation launched in 2003 in the US is the only impotence drug whose sales are increasing. The disclaimer allows consumers to draw their own conclusions. In this case, for some it’s, “You can become the human version of the Washington Monument.
This example (love it or hate it) is a great demonstration that letting the viewer come to their own conclusions, without the usual blatant, agonizing justification and hard sells can sometimes be the best sell of all. The non-sell sell. When viewers can deduce for themselves (giving them credit for brains) what’s in it for them, it becomes more personal…and their idea. And people like an idea better when they think it’s their own. Of course having a high interest subject matter to work with doesn’t hurt either.