Britain Airs First TV Ad for Non-prescription Viagra

In May, Britain ran its first television advertisement for the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra after it became available to men without a prescription.

The Viagra commercial aired during a documentary about Liverpool striker Mo Salah around 11:15 p.m. on Channel 4.

The ad opens with a middle-aged couple lying in bed, smiling at each other. The man gets out of bed, dances and makes his way down a sprawling staircase to the living room, where he continues dancing alone until his wife appears.

Then they dance together, he dips her, and then he heads outside to gaze up at the sky. Throughout the commercial, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel’s song “Come Up and See Me” is playing. An image of a Viagra Connect packet fades into the sky, closing out the commercial.

Pfizer says the commercial is meant to show the man getting over his erectile dysfunction, thanks to Viagra.

“It is the first time this product has appeared on our screens and the first time any advertising for a medicine to treat the symptoms of erectile dysfunction has been shown,” says Pfizer rep Aurore Bourdeau.

“We hope that the ad will help to normalize erectile dysfunction and encourage me to seek advice and solutions.”

Erectile dysfunction in the UK

According to an article in Daily Mail, about 20% of men in the UK have erectile dysfunction. Of those, approximately 44% don’t seek help.

Pfizer hopes that by releasing a non-prescription version of Viagra, men with erectile dysfunction will be more likely to try it.

In the UK, a four-pack of Viagra Connect pills retails for about $27 and can be purchased at some pharmacies.

In the United States, men with erectile dysfunction can see their doctor to get a prescription for Viagra. The office visit gives them the opportunity to talk about possible underlying conditions causing the erectile dysfunction, the potential side effects of Viagra, and any medications that could interfere with Viagra.