Creative Review
Wow! If a picture could say a zillion words, it would be this one. Don’t get mewrong, I’m a lover and strong advocate for incredibly intriguing copy, but when there is an image like this one — how could one not be affected? This picture couldn’t depict empowerment,strength,and the fight against breast cancer any better. Let’s not forget that with this type of energy,how could the prod uct not be effective? I don’t see this imagery as just being “French Revolutionesque,“ but as a woman conquering a battle that others have lost in the past,and won’t ever have to lose again. It’s impor tant to also recognize,be it con sciously or subconsciously, the incredible impact that is added by exposing the leader’s breasts. It demonstrates honesty, realism, control,strength, and liberation. looked at and could say that about?To the whole Taxotere team,my hat, and whatever else I might be wearing at the time, is off to you! Boy, do I love this ad. DoreneWeisenstein, executive VP/creative supervisor of Ribotsky Worldwide Inc., aNew Jerseybased healthcare agency,was awe struck by this Taxotere ad’s beauty,elegance,andmeaning. Brand:Taxotere — “Liberty” Client:Aventis Pharmaceuticals Debuted: March2000 Agency:Langland ADM Art: Gattaldo Copy:Sue Blitz Photography: Tim Flach Taxotere This, above all, is the most powerful statement and con nection to the product and subject matter. My philosophy has always been — a strong ad that’s done its job is one that is powerful enough to grab the audience in and keep them there long enough for them to get the message.The question is, how do you grab them? If only we all had the perfect equation for that.But I do know this, the ad had better be in your face, atten tiongetting, and be amaz ingly quick.Besides all the cool words and pictures, the ad also better hit the readers’hearts and their emotions. Make them laugh,cry, startle them,whatever it takes,but make them connect with the message. Well, this one has done it for me. I was so caught,and in aweof the beauty,elegance,and meaning, that I didn’t want to stop looking at it. What was the last ad you DoreneWeisenstein Boy, do I love this ad. laying on consumers emotions is the common theme for this month’s featured ads. Each ad touches on a human condition in a different way, using dramatic imagery, copy, and humor. Aventis Pharmaceutical’s Taxotere ad conveys honesty, realism, control, strength, and liberation through the use of a dramatic and poignant image. The ad provides a powerful connection to the breastcancer product Taxotere. WyethAyerst’s ad for Effexor uses compelling copy to hit the right emotional note. The copy addresses not just the patient suffering from depression but their loved ones — bringing patients and families back together again is a powerful message especial ly when conveyed with an equally strong image. Taking a different tact is Bayer’s ad for Adalat, which conveys its mes sage through a humorous and arresting visual and clever copy. Together they clearly communicate the cardiovascular drug’s benefit.
Creative Review
There seems to be a consensus that it’s not “fair” for pharma ads to be judged by the same criteria as “other”advertising. That’s always frustrated us at Gerbig, Snell/Weisheimer because we believe that healthcare professionals are con sumers first and clinicians sec ond.Can the message not be so clinical? Can a single,clear benefit be the sole focus of the ad? We believe the answer is “yes.” That’s why I was struck by this I have always admired the way this campaign was able to execute an insightful strategy by telling an emotionally compelling story.The idea that depres sion affects not only the lives of patients,but also those closest to them, proved to be a motivating message to both con sumers and physicians. The loved ones of those compromised by depres sion were inspired to facili tate a dialog with physi cians.This was critical to the success of Effexor, since depression is a con dition that patients rarely seek treatment for. Physicians were moti vated by the insight that they could help the larg er circle of relationships as well as the patient. The emotional appeal of the ad is in the pho tography and the lan guage. It’s impossible to say which is the patient, which is the spouse.The campaign was developed beautifully with other stories of reconnected relationships between sib lings, friends,children and parents. This campaign has a universal emotional appeal that is strategically based.Who could ask for any thing more? Brand:Effexor — “I got mymarriageback” Client: WyethAyerst Laboratories Debuted:1995 Agency:Robert A.Becker,Euro RSCG Art: Andrew Moore Copy:Howard Schamus Photography:David Leach Effexor Brand:Adalat — “Sugar Daddy” Client: Bayer Australia Debuted:August 2000 Agency: CWFSMcCann (NS/Australia) Creative Directors: Hugh Fitzhardinge and Grant Foster Art: Sam Simper Copy:AlexTagaroulias Photography:John Curnow Adalat ad for Adalat,a Bayer product. Sure, it was done by CWFS McCann in Australia for a market that has a different regulatory environment than the U.S.But what’s remarkable is that it’s a cardiology drug that did not take the usual emotional direction of pulling at the heartstrings.Frankly,humor can be a powerful emotion as well. If we think about the advertising that sticks in our memories,we’d probably agree that humor is the key in the majority of cases.You may have to walk that fine line between bad taste and stopping power,but isn’t that one of the challenges of pow erful communications? And that’s exactly what this Adalat ad does.The visual is arresting, the headline grabs you, and, together, they clearly communicate the product’s benefit. Isn’t that what great advertising is all about? Chris Snell,president,creative ser vices, inChord Communications Inc.,Westerville, Ohio,a fullservice, Fran Davies,VP,creative director of TedThomas Associates,A Vox Medica Company,a Philadelphia based healthcare agency, believes this ad executed an insightful strategy by telling an emotionally compelling story through photography and language. Chris Snell ran Davies powerful emotion healthcare advertising agency,believes effective advertising can go beyond the typical by using humor to communicate aproduct’s benefits. Who could ask for anything more?