Erectile dysfunction doesn't usually spark thoughts of women, but rather rugged, manly men in their middle age. The commercials generally follow the same pattern. But a new ad for Viagra is flipping the script and putting a woman front and center in its new commercial for the medication, The Week reported Tuesday.
The commercial is set to air during Tuesday shows including "CSI," "48 Hours" and "Blue Bloods." Pfizer, the maker of the drug, featured a middle-aged blonde model with a European accent in the new ad. She speaks directly into the camera while lying on her stomach on a bed, propped up by her arms in a relaxed position, Medical Daily reported.
"Plenty of guys have this issue, not just getting an erection, but keeping it," she says, before walking along a beach, her dress flowing in the wind behind her. Previous ads for the sildenafil citrate drug have featured older men working on construction sites or a fishing boat. Therefore, the commercials are not only trying to target a different gender, but a different class as well.
The new strategy for Pfizer comes at a time when the company is trying to remain competitive even after it loses the monopoly on the drug. Its European patent expired 15 months ago - resulting in an 8 percent sales drop as generics hit the market - and the U.S. patent is set to expire in three years. The new marketing strategy also seeks to encourage men who may be suffering from ED to talk to their doctor. Half of men over 40 suffer from ED, occasionally or always, but only 10 percent take medicine regularly.
But the commercials don't necessarily miss the mark by using a woman in the commercial. Women make approximately 80 percent of health care choices for their families, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report. Women's influence is also increasing in contemporary culture, with nearly 70 percent of women using social networking sites and listening to their online communities regarding their health care options, according to Pew Internet Project research.
