Rats in your popcorn
Posted on 13. Feb, 2009 by neilcrump in Communications, Health, Industry
With £10 million of counterfeit drugs being purchased each year in the UK (and the figures predicted to rise significantly) the ‘fake medicine, real danger’ campaign was initiated by Pfizer to tackle this dangerous problem. The cinema ad, that is certificate 15, is really hard hitting (a rodent being pulled out of a chap’s mouth having taken a counterfeit drug isn’t everyone’s cup of tea), but this is a tough message that is delivered in a high impact way.
Philip Chin, MD of ad agency Langland who made the ad is quoted in the latest issue of Pharmaceutical Marketing (February 2009) as saying ‘…that some people perceive this as just the drug companies trying to protect their revenue’. Both the solid motives of the makers and supporters, as well as the ad itself, can be viewed at the campaign website – check it out.
This is an ace campaign that is exceptionally well executed. Let’s hope that it raises measurable awareness of this really serious issue and affects positive change.
Here is a good article in The Telegraph (8 November 2008) about drug counterfeiting – it’s a scary read.
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28. Oct, 2010
[...] are doing in this area, take a look at Pfizer’s Real Danger campaign, (as well as our related blog post from back in February 2009), and Eli Lilly’s work on [...]
Jon
21. Feb, 2009
Neil,
Thanks for posting this – I had not seen it. Brilliant campaign and carrying a very important and misunderstood message.
It is commonly thought that fakes only mean a dodgy Rolex, or the crocodile badge that falls off your Polo shirt, but the counterfeit trade takes in everything, and I mean everything.
It’s terrifying to think that the very thing that people depend on for life-saving treatments could in fact be dangerous.
neilcrump
22. Apr, 2009
The publication Brand Republic reported that following the 64 complaints (primarily because of the use of the rat) the ASA has stated that the advert is fine because of the seriousness of the issue. Good news in my view. Read the BR article @ http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/899680/Pfizers-dead-rat-ad-dodges-ban/