A Creative Communications Agency

It has been announced that Lipitor ads are being pulled by the maker Pfizer because of investigation into “misimpressions” in the advertising campaign. Pfizer made the decision to pull the ads but it isn’t likely to end there. House committee members have requested documentation relating to the campaign and could still render a final verdict on the issue.

But where does all this end up? Who is going to be left holding the bag? As someone who has worked in marketing for national ad campaigns, client and legal approvals are part of the game. Why did this come to be so soon after Vytorin, another drug claiming to reduce cholesterol, had to pull their advertising because testing showed it did nothing to reduce cholesterol levels in patients?

The number of drugs promoted on television is astounding, and the trouble is that most of us don’t have the knowledge or ability to find out the specific details of each. When a doctor is a spokesperson for a medication, we may have a higher likely hood of believing what is being said. Actors and sports stars are one thing but doctors are another. We are suppose to be able to believe what doctors say and that they know what is going to be best to help us get better. We rely on them for their unbiased, expert opinion. Now you could say they are just as easily hired as a sports star to promote a product.

The dangers of medicine are great and each person can have a different experience to a medicine. It is important that pills are not distributed like Skittles to the general public. Back to the main thought, who’s in trouble? What CEO will need to be looking for a new job? The drug maker created, developed, tested and produced the medicine. The FDA reviewed and approved the drug. The ad agency created the campaign with the copy and claims being approved, in theory, by the drug makers legal team. The amount of money involved in pulling a campaign is high but not as high as the development dollars put into creating a new drug. I’m sure we will see Lipitor ads again this year but don’t expect to see the Doc anymore.

In conclusion, like said before and proven here; don’t believe everything you see on TV or read. I wonder what happens if someone took every pill advertised in one day of commercials? Anyone want to volunteer?