This series takes a candid look at the advertising being crammed onto your television screens and into your heads. Is it really good advertising, or just wasting a commercial break? Reader suggestions are always welcome.
I would like to kick off the series by discussing everybody's favorite advertisements, erectile dysfunction pills (or simply ED for those of you who prefer it).
We see a myriad of crotch-centric ads these days, from getting your genital herpes under control, to naturally enhancing your maleness, to the ever popular pill-based sexual stimuli that have become their own branch of the market - you've seen the competing ads for Cialis, Levitra, Viagra, and Enzyte repeatedly, I'm sure.
I could discuss the fact that these ads (especially Levitra) mention how ED is often a side effect of high blood pressure and/or Type II diabetes. They don't, of course, mention that if you just stayed in respectable shape, you could have a great chance of avoiding those illnesses, and consequently avoid the scourge of ED.
Of course, that isn't anything new. The pharmaceutical companies are all about "have this problem? try this pill!" type marketing, while glossing over more logical (and/or cheaper) solutions.
The male enhancement advertising gurus have really done their best to infuse their ads with anywhere from tame to blatant sexual innuendo, just in case you weren't aware of what their product was all about. Viagra, on the other hand, appears to be steering in a slightly different direction.
I was vaguely put off by their brief attempt at a "There's Only Room for One Passion" campaign, featuring your choice of a) a guy who must choose between sex and the football game because for some odd reason, he doesn't own a DVR, or b) a guy who cherishes his classic car, but is dumb enough to try and hose it down with a lawn sprinkler.
Article comments
1 - jalse
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