Raising the barrier on Viagra ads

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Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction treatment did fantastically well on its debut in 1998. However the other drugs companies have not been content to leave this lucrative territory to Viagra and the competition is intensifying. In the Austrian market FCB Kobza was charged with convincing the local male population that Viagra remained the best prescription drug available to treat this delicate problem.

Legal restrictions meant that it couldn’t simply advertise on the traditional channels. With a limited budget the agency found a unique medium that would not only reach men but would also demonstrate the product benefits. The media execution was witty, charming, beautifully understated and oddly quite intimate in the way it conveyed its sensitive message. It was to be found in car parks, using the movement of the entry barrier as the impressive demonstration of Viagra’s efficacy every time it rose to allow a car to pass through. Legal rules meant that the Viagra name could not be mentioned but with the Pfizer brand closely associated with its most famous product this was not a problem. The message was also integrated into the car parking tickets that every driver picked up when they entered the car park.

The message ‘Let’s see what Pfizer can do for your love-life. Please insert the ticket’ made it very clear what was being promoted and the web address provided a call to action. The ad drove a “significant” increase in visits to the Pfizer website in Austria and cost little more than $5,000 – proving that a good idea, as well as a little blue pill, can make a small thing very much bigger.

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