CREATIVE review There are many times in healthcare advertising when humor is not appropriate,but for every ad that misuses humor there are hundreds of others that have wasted the opportunity to elicit a chuckle or to add a touch of irony. Humor is one of the most underutilized tools that we have. Humor is a powerful tool. Because of its rarity alone humor stands out.But more than that, humor can be engaging — and what readers engage with they find memorable. (Think how many people you know Brand:Tylenol Client: Johnson& Johnson Agency:Ginko Saatchi &Saatchi, Montevideo Art Director: JC Rodriguez,G.Lopez Copywriter:R. Roman,R.Barthaburu, L.Gomez Tylenol who can quote from “Seinfeld”!) This beautifully understated campaign for Tylenol is an example of advertising at its best. It’s quick. It’s funny. It says headache. It says Tylenol. I get it and I’m going to remember it. Furthermore, I’m going to look forward to the next ad in the campaign because each execution is so wickedly topical. According to Shirin Bridges, creative director at Lena Chow Euro RSCG,a Palo Alto, Calif.based health care advertising agency, this campaign for Tylenol uses humor to its fullest, conveying the message in a topical and memorable way. It’s quick. It’s funny. It says headache. his month’s selections of creative healthcare executions are good examples of how innovative and solid branding can make the product memorable to its audience, whether that audi ence is consumer or physician based. The Tylenol series of advertisements, developed by Ginko Saatchi & Saatchi use humor to convey the message of headache relief. These ads were found to be “wickedly topical,” thus making them memorable to the public. The Celebrex campaign, developed by Leo Burnett Chicago, is equally memorable but for other reasons. By using the root “cele” from celecoxib, the active compound in Celebrex, comar keters Pharmacia and Pfizer have created a memorable brand name and the foundation for the ad campaign. They created a name that is easily recognizable by physicians and a catchy execution that appeals to patients who suffer from osteoarthritis, adult rheuma toid arthritis, acute pain, and primary dysmenorrhea. Shirin Bridges T For Art’s Sake PharmaVOICE PharmaVOICE CREATIVE review I don’t know who has better cause to celebrate: the patients who take Celebrex;the physicians who prescribe the drug; or the product managers at Pharmacia/Pfizer responsible for the simple, yet emotive “C’mon and Celebrate” campaign. As a brand name development firm, Catchword is inclined to evaluate advertising from a textual basis. For us, a successful campaign is often one that skillfully uses verbal communications to deliver brand messages. Our hats are off to the folks at Pharmacia/Pfizer for developing a campaign that uses just one word to communicate so many key messages. Celebrate: Not only is the word a call to action for patients suffering from arthritis pain, its similarity to Celebrex is a memory hook for doctors and patients alike. For patients, the consistent use of the word part “cele” in both “Celebrex”and “Celebrate” helps to establish a bridge between the product and a sense of wellness, activity, and happiness.The two words blur into each other as Celebrex becomes virtually synonymous with Celebration. Even the tag line,“Celebrate Celebrex” serves to reinforce the phonetic hook.Here, text takes center stage,and the image,of a grand mother helping her grandson swing a baseball bat, merely supports the word and the brand message it’s delivering. For doctors,this brand campaignprovides multiple hooks. The Celebrex/Celebrate link designed for patients will certainly resonate with doctors as well.But perhaps more importantly,this brand reminds doctors of the primary drug compound,celecoxib, in the medication. In our work, we strive to find brand names that help minimize prescription confusion,and Celebrex is an ideal example of how good brand marketing can make life easier for doctors. While the advertising isn’t flashy, it is effective. Usually, the most impactful and enduring brand ing campaigns are the simplest, and “Celebrate Celebrex” is a wonderful example of such a Actionpacked MarkSkoultchi campaign. The message is direct, unique,easy to understand, and relevant. It speaks to both the patient and professional communities,and all other brandbuilding efforts work to support the core messaging — including a very catchy jingle. Be honest: who hasn’t hummed a few bars of “Celebrate, Celebrate,C’mon and Celebrate”? According to Mark Skoultchi,managing director of Cambridge,Mass.based Catchword Branding,a brandname development firm that works with small and large pharmaceutical companies,this ad campaign for Celebrex is an ideal exampleof good brand marketing. Brand:Celebrex Client: Pharmacia andPfizer Debuted:August 2001 Agency:Leo Burnett Chicago Art Director: Marlene Marino Copywriter: Kevin Moriarty, John Sapienza Photographer:Joel Baldwin Celebrex WeWantYour Input:WhatWorks andWhy? In addition to continuing to cover a review of advertising campaigns,as selected by the creative community,PharmaVOICE is broadening the scope of its For Art’s Sake department to include submissions for medical education andpublic relations executions.The premise remains the same,“Ads or campaignswe wish wewould have done!”or “An ad or campaign to beproud of!”from the creative perspective — art and copy. We are inviting creative personnel from the healthcare advertising,medical education,public relations,and communications communities to choose an advertisement, medical educational program,or publicrelations campaign that was produced by another agency/company and highlight in a 100word to 200word letter as to why the ad or campaign is notable or memorable. In addition,we include a photograph of the executive submitting the campaign for publication in the department.We also include a graphic of the ador campaign being reviewed. Campaigns are not limited to current executions,they can include tactics that have withstood the test of time,broke newground,or remain memorable for any variety of reasons.

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