How to Gloss Over Warnings in TV DTC Ads

Julieta Smith, group strategy director, McCann Humancare -- part of the same healthcare agency that won a Lions Health 2014 GOLD award for Fictional Patient Story (not that that's a good thing compared to a REAL patient story that only won a BRONZE award) -- thinks that the same “generic” warning repeated in all direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug ads would be more effective than SPECIFIC warnings now required by the FDA.

In an article/blog post written for MM&M (here), Smith suggests ALL drug DTC ads on TV just end with this warning message:

“All drugs carry certain risks and should not be used by everyone. These risks can range from inconveniences to the risk of death. You should talk to your doctor to determine your specific risks, reasons you might not be a candidate to use this drug, and any side effects and warnings that may pertain to you personally before you take it. To learn more visit brandx.com.”

Pardon the phrase, but this is an example of “putting lipstick on a pig.” Maybe it's not PC, but I think that's an appropriate analogy.

Smith believes this is a solution to a major problem with TV DTC advertising.

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