Promoting Pain Relievers: Flash Mob, Celebrities, Online Games

It is interesting to note how branded medicines are becoming creative and high-tech even in their efforts to create awareness. Some of them have used online contest, social networks, and the likes. In their advertisements, we see some of them using celebrities.



Alaxan FR tapped Manny Pacquiao. During major fights, we see the Alaxan brand active in promoting its product. It even had an online contest lately recognizing people who do hard labor.



Biogesic has John Lloyd. The brand is also active especially when the actor has a major movie flick in cinemas. Running an online search shows one result citing a product warning.



Cortal SQR tapped Philippine Azkals. Although this part, I find its campaign not tightly integrated, as doing a search about "Cortal" will immediately show you 3 forum results on the 1st page discussing the brand as an abortion pill. On another extreme, you also see boxing champ Pacquiao on TV giving encouraging words to the Azkals after losing their recent game, then the Alaxan ad is shown.



Advil has Jerico Rosales promoting its brand. In my observation, the brand is not active in comparison to the above 3. Although recently, the brand has engaged in a flash mob type of activity with the intent of educating the masses about its product benefits.



Watching the video taken at Market! Market!, Advil focused its message in highlighting how the new types of pain-related ailments today (such as body ache, tooth ache, dysmenorrhea, and headache) are much stronger and can no longer be handled by traditional brands (represented by tablet man) we are used to. Rather than one super-hero coming to the rescue, the Advil Liqui-Force is represented by 3 persons attacking and defeating the pain monsters. Once over, the audience clapped showing appreciation to the mini-presentation given by the brand.

Recalling how I purchase pain reliever reminds me the little difference an ad makes that can influence it:

1. Actual demonstration of pain and getting relieved by it makes the Alaxan commercial effective. Recalled times with terrible back-ache (caused by stress) and that was the first medicine that came to mind.
2. Biogesic approach to family oriented commercials makes it known as a household first-aid kit product. Its availability in sari-sari stores helps make it a common brand. Although I regard the brand for basic pain relief, initial first aid, until I get a stronger one that works best for the pain condition at that time.
3. Cortal ad has not sinked well with me yet as I belong to an age group that still recalls how its perception was like.
4. Advil - very new local player - although based on ads, it claims to work really fast, I guess it is an alternative worth exploring especially for toothache (where Ponstan is usually known) and dysmenorrhea (Midol usually comes to mind).