Pharmaceutical Executive-03-01-2009

AbelsonTaylor

In its campaign for Novartis Oncology's Femara, an aromatase inhibitor (AI), AgencyRx developed simple and haunting creative by keeping science as the focal point. "Its simplicity is very powerful. But at the same time, simplicity doesn't belittle it," says Michael Schreiber, managing partner, creative director. "It makes it that much more devastating."

The faces (and talent!) behind the year's best ads

When Astellas' AmBisome marketing campaign needed an upgrade to set it apart from the competition, AbelsonTaylor came up with a "fierce yet friendly" promotional tactic.

To convey how quickly Alcon's Vigamox resolves pink eye, Corbett Worldwide Healthcare Communications turned to a universally understood icon-the pink eraser-and leveraged it to make the brand stand out in the competitive market.

To educate anesthesiologists that post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is "no fun for anyone," GSW Worldwide created WoozyWorld.com, a "non-amusement" that highlights the need for MGI Pharma's 72-hour antiemetic Aloxi.

Marketers need to reach beyond disease awareness to spark "movement" communications campaigns

ClindaReach, from Dusa Pharmaceuticals, offers a simple and practical solution for patients with acne in hard-to-reach places: ClindaReach, an application wand.

Ambien CR, the sleep medication that "helps you fall asleep fast and stay asleep" caught the eyes (and ears!) of consumers with, well, a rooster.

The latest buzzword in pharma is "transparency"

It's not unusual for creative teams to ask actors to work up on-screen tears. But when you go from crying actors to crying babies, it makes all the difference.

Reporters pass on the typical litany of lightning-rod issues and instead devote more than three-quarters of all coverage in 2008 to drug safety-and the regulators who enforce it.

How do you generate excitement for 5,000 sales reps who promote a product in a changing marketplace? You give them VIP tickets to the Plavix Plan of Action Premiere and reenact a blockbuster Hollywood movie debut! Of course it helps to build anticipation, which is exactly what Torre Lazur McCann did with its six-week direct mail campaign to get Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis' sales reps ready for the big event.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into M&A, the mega merger returns. What's right about Pfizer-Wyeth, and what's scary.

The last thing on the mind of an adventurous traveler is a pre-trip immunization, which, consequently, is not top-of-mind for their healthcare providers, either.

The arms race is over, and it's time to reinvent pharma sales. Here's what forward-looking companies are experimenting with-and how it's working

Flashpoint Medica's "Little girl, big shoes" campaign was used to portray the problem of central precocious puberty for the launch of Supprelin LA from Indevus Pharmaceuticals.

The worst thing about working for most corporations is the inevitable downward pull they exert even on the best of us. That's why it's always sad to lose a company that learned to fight back.

"Tired of your old birth-control routine?" the spot asks. "Maybe it's time to break free from the pack with NuvaRing."