The post pandemic ad landscape is shifting to meet a changed world

If you’ve flipped on the TV for longer than a few minutes, you’ve probably noticed that pharma ads dominate commercial breaks (between my soothing albeit murdery Forensic Files episodes). I have unconfirmed theories as to why, mostly that the fractured media landscape has put a premium on airtime.

Everyone has an outdoor theater. This is tongue and cheek, but post-Pandemic campaigns have started to focus on rejoining community as a byproduct of symptom improvement. We know on a broad scale that loneliness has increased since 2020 and that loneliness became particularly acute for the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, and others with limited mobility.

This is a huge part of what many people deal with no matter their disease state. Connecting on emotional needs, not just the need to palliate their symptoms, gives a compelling depth to a brand’s message.

Very generous interpretations of life on meds. Okay, so campaigns don’t necessarily sell reality but a set of encapsulated ideas and implicit efficacy claims. It’s aspirational. It’s vibes. I totally get it. But reality suffers, and I do think we are ripe for more honest depictions of life before and after medication in different disease states.

Take this Rinvoq commercial. While ascending a mountain or travelling deep into the jungle might symbolize freedom, even symptom-free ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s present a host of issues that probably make this the “roll-the-dice” day on vacation. Maybe it’s laying out at the beach or taking a walk in the park with no discomfort.

One great example of leaning into reality would be Skyrizi’s new commercial that actually depicts plaque psoriasis. While I’m not as much of a fan of showing a roller-blading Psoriatic Arthritis patient, this is a brave approach that connects with patients communities at a more basic level.

The jingle is back. My hat’s off on this one because I’ve actively been humming Jardiance’s jingle for a week, mostly against my will. Skyrizi kicked the whole rebirth of the pharma jingle off and Ozempic also got in on the action.

A good ad jingle can stick with you forever, even when you don’t want them to stay there. (I can sing you the “Jam and Glam Barbie” jingle that played incessantly on Cartoon Network when I was a kid – be warned). Creating the musical cue to know “Jardiance is lowering your A1C” – well that’s something I can hum in an exam room.

For lifestyle diseases and GLP-1s, I’d expect a lot more to come here. Jingles probably aren’t making a return to cancer treatments soon, though.

Diversity is in (and long overdue). If you look back at the history of pharma ads, for quite some time it would appear only white folks got sick.

While it’s true that white Americans generally enjoy higher rates of insurance coverage and access to care than most minorities, the world has changed. We’ve watched a huge leap forward in the post-pandemic world where diversity and inclusion, social determinants of health, and equity have become front of mind.

The ads here are diverse and do not embrace stereotypes. 10 years ago, that was not always ta given. People can be tribal, particularly so when scared, and health issues are scary. In those situations, we know people trust people who share the same background and values as they do. Showing a broad example of the population helps everyone feel comfortable talking to their HCP about their health issues.

That’s all a very round about what to say that this: if you want to actually see what moving the needle on equity in healthcare looks like, the commercials between Forensic Files are one of the places to start.