{"id":15256,"date":"2016-10-23T19:14:58","date_gmt":"2014-10-24T02:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=15256"},"modified":"2014-10-23T19:14:58","modified_gmt":"2014-10-24T02:14:58","slug":"why-are-new-viagra-ads-aimed-at-women-m1011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/erectile-dysfunction\/viagra\/why-are-new-viagra-ads-aimed-at-women-m1011\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are New Viagra Ads Aimed at Women?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, Pfizer spent $176 million<\/a> advertising Viagra, a drug that accounted for nearly $1.2 billion in sales in 2013<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Viagra<\/a>
Viagra has been a top selling drug for pharmaceutical company Pfizer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ads for prescription drugs that treat erectile dysfunction have featured amorous couples in separate bathtubs overlooking the mountains, football coaches, and nationally known presidential candidates. But it\u2019s not as if medications for erectile dysfunction need a lot of help getting off pharmacy shelves and into customers\u2019 shopping bags. When Viagra was first introduced to the market, urologists had to cope with a sudden influx of demand, and the drugs have been in high demand ever since, with most gaining \u201cblockbuster\u201d status, bringing in over a billion dollars per year.<\/p>\n

But market changes for erectile dysfunction drugs have caused the big pharmaceutical companies behind them to continue their marketing efforts in recent years. Viagra went off-patent in many EU countries and Canada in 2013, cutting Pfizer\u2019s profits. While Viagra won\u2019t go completely off-patent in the US until 2020, Pfizer has already cut a deal with generics manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals to introduce its product in the US in late 2017<\/a>. It appears the company is eager to lock down loyalty to the Viagra brand in the US while it still has patent protection. Some of the company\u2019s latest ads feature a different take: women pitching Viagra.<\/p>\n

Women Speaking to Men About Erectile Dysfunction<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of Pfizer\u2019s latest ads for Viagra has a male voiceover to cover side effects and warnings, but otherwise doesn\u2019t include men. Rather, the one-minute ad<\/a> features an attractive, pleasantly-accented woman addressing men directly: \u201cSo guys, it\u2019s just you and your honey. The setting is perfect. But then erectile dysfunction happens again. You know what? Plenty of guys have this issue \u2014 not just getting an erection, but keeping it. Well Viagra helps guys with ED get and keep an erection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sexual researcher Dr. Irwin Goldstein of the San Diego Sexual Medicine Center tells The Desert Sun<\/em><\/a> that having women in ads for erectile dysfunction medications makes sense. After all, women can be upset by erectile dysfunction too. Moreover, says Goldstein, men don\u2019t like going to doctors, and when they do, they find it difficult to broach the subject of erectile dysfunction. The new ad emphasizes that women are understanding when it comes to erection problems and want their men to not be afraid to seek help.<\/p>\n

Is the Ad Subtly Addressing Women as Well?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seeing an ad featuring Mike Ditka telling men to take Levitra is unlikely to make women feel included in the cultural conversation about erectile dysfunction. So it\u2019s possible that Pfizer\u2019s new ad could be subtly trying to reassure women and subtly prompt them to bring up the subject with their partners, the logic being, \u201cIf this beautiful woman understands the problem is physiologic and can speak in caring terms about it, maybe I could too.\u201d<\/p>\n

In earlier ads for prescription medications for erectile dysfunction, women were usually background characters if they appeared at all. But this ad puts a woman right in the center of the conversation, where she assures viewers that women \u201cget it\u201d and aren\u2019t judging men for having ED.<\/p>\n

More Straightforward Language in This Advertisement<\/strong><\/p>\n

The new ad also depicts a more direct approach<\/a> to erectile dysfunction and Viagra, after years of more subtle campaigns. For example, previous Viagra ads, designed by agency McGarryBowen, featured the captain of a fishing boat and was more oblique about acknowledging erectile dysfunction. The latest ad represents a new direction, and was created by ad agency BBDO, which took over Pfizer\u2019s Viagra ad account last year.<\/p>\n

\"Pfizer\u2019s<\/a>
Pfizer\u2019s latest ad for Viagra tells it from a woman\u2019s point of view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The idea with the latest ad is to offer the partner\u2019s perspective on the issue with both candor and compassion carefully balanced to motivate men to seek help (and Viagra) if they are having problems getting or maintaining an erection. And speaking of \u201cerection,\u201d this ad also dispenses with the more euphemistic \u201cED\u201d<\/a> that has been a staple of similar ads for a long time, addressing erections by name.<\/p>\n

Viagra Isn\u2019t the First to Have Women Address Erectile Dysfunction<\/strong><\/p>\n

But while the new ad for Viagra is a change in direction for Pfizer, it isn\u2019t the first to have a woman talk about erectile dysfunction. Back in 2004, an ad for Levitra<\/a> featuring a woman and her partner drew criticism for being too racy. In this ad, the woman implies that the effectiveness of Levitra makes him want to \u201cdo this more often,\u201d and depicts his satisfaction at the results: \u201cFor him Levitra works. Just look at that smile,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In the years following that particular Levitra ad, GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Levitra, backtracked considerably, and in 2011, the company suspended television ads for Levitra, telling The Wall Street Journal<\/em> it had \u201cstepped up its commitment to operate with integrity.\u201d The suspension also followed government investigations into GlaxoSmithKline\u2019s marketing practices.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

People are used to seeing ads for Viagra and other medications for erectile dysfunction. At the same time, the big pharmaceutical companies behind those products are either already fighting competition from generic competitors or are gearing up to do so. Viagra, which is more of a household name for treatment of erectile dysfunction than its competitors, has recently changed direction with its video advertising, emphasizing the effects that erection problems can have on relationships and offering reassurance from a female spokesperson.<\/p>\n

Erectile dysfunction does affect more than just the man who experiences it, but fortunately, the conversation around the issue has become more informed and candid. What used to be routinely written off as a psychological problem is now recognized as often a vascular problem that can be effectively treated with medication that addresses the vascular causes of erectile dysfunction. And Pfizer\u2019s latest ad for Viagra reassures both men and women that bringing up the subject of erectile dysfunction with a physician is the first step toward a healthier sex life.<\/p>\n

At eDrugstore.com<\/a>, we offer ED medications including Viagra at competitive prices dispensed by US-licensed pharmacists. Our goals at eDrugstore.com<\/a> are providing the ultimate in convenience for purchasing lifestyle medications like Viagra, and delivering outstanding customer service, including pharmacists you can call with your questions. eDrugstore.com<\/a> is committed not only to great customer service and convenience, but also the highest standards of security and privacy in online ordering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year, Pfizer spent $176 million advertising Viagra, a drug that accounted for nearly $1.2 billion in sales in 2013. Ads for prescription drugs that treat erectile dysfunction have featured amorous couples in separate bathtubs overlooking the mountains, football coaches, and nationally known presidential candidates. But it\u2019s not as if medications for erectile dysfunction need […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[22,23,184,959],"class_list":["post-15256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-viagra","tag-ed","tag-erectile-dysfunction-2","tag-viagra","tag-viagra-advertising"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t