Ad icons in pharmaceutical DTC	May 2008

Scott Hansen, VP, creative group director DTC, AbelsonTaylor Inc. (abelsontaylor.com), looks back at the history of iconic characters in consumer marketing and their gradual introduction into the pharmaceutical arena.

Using characters in advertising is about as old as advertising itself; using them in pharmaceutical advertising is relatively new. Memorable, advertising can be made without them, certainly — the MasterCard “Priceless” campaign has done pretty well. But creating characters can be an effective way to make a lasting connection with a potential audience and help build a brand, as long as it speaks to the product and stays relevant to the target.

In the early days, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of rationalization involved in choosing a character to represent a brand. “Smaxey, the Sugar Smacks Seal” is a perfect example. Snap, the first of three elves to appear on boxes of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies wears a baker’s hat, but it wasn’t until Crackle and Pop joined the team years later that the trio came to symbolize the unique sound the cereal makes in milk.

As time went by, marketers evolved iconic characters to be more of an embodiment of some aspect of their brand. The Pillsbury Doughboy first popped out of an opened tube of dough in the mid-60s, happy and poke-able, eager to help and guide housewives to simple baking solutions. He’s the ultimate personification of the product because he is the product. From the Maytag Repairman to Charlie the Tuna, The Energizer Bunny to Mister Whipple, character icons throughout the years dramatized some facet of their product — whether it was reliable appliances, a fancy grade of tuna, long-lasting batteries, or squeezably soft toilet paper.

Pharmaceutical marketers are beginning to see the advantages of using character icons in DTC advertising. They don’t have 70 years to make an impression on their core audience, after all, in an often crowded market with only a ten-year lock on their patent. So characters can cut through the clutter quickly to make an impression.

Characters in pharma ads can personify the condition, like the Imitrex migraine monster, pounding away at the poor headache sufferer’s head or the Mucinex Phlegm Guy. Lamisil effectively used Digger, the Dermatophyte to bring a misunderstood disease to light and impact their audience. When Digger lifts up that toenail like a car hood and jumps in, he’s clearly showing us that nail fungus is a nasty problem that calls for a systemic therapy like Lamisil.

Enablex personifies the patient with its water balloon people. The Twin Blue Ladies created for the Zimmer Gender Knee campaign represent the older, female target audience after they got their new knees — fun, out-going, and inquisitive. The Zoloft oval was a ground-breaking character when it first appeared. A profitable one for Pfizer, to be sure, but more importantly it de-stigmatized depression for millions of people who might otherwise have gone untreated. The character was purposefully genderless and unspeaking so it could make an emotional connection with a wider target.

Lunesta uses the Luna moth to represent the drug itself and its effect on people who zonk out as soon as they’re touched by the glowing insect. The Nasonex bee is a spokes-character for his brand, because he knows flowers and therefore allergies. By implication, he, too, may have allergies but is able to follow his natural urges because of Nasonex. Why he has an accent is anybody’s guess.

Enduring campaigns are not dependent on iconic characters for success. But under the right circumstances, characters can differentiate products in their category and create a relationship with the consumer. Above all, marketers must maintain the link between the character and the brand message at every stage of a campaign — from concept through development to execution. Whether it’s tuna with great taste or toenail fungus with a bad attitude, they’ve got to preserve that connection. Characters have got to stay relevant to the consumer, giving the audience something to identify with and remember.

As more consumer creatives and account people find their way to the pharma side of the business, more tactics like icons are sure to find success in the strategic mix. Becoming an icon in the literal sense takes time. Will the advertising character of today become the icon of tomorrow? Only time (and a decent sized media budget) will tell.