Since the FDA
began allowing drug companies to advertise directly to consumers (DTC) in 1997,
spending on DTC advertising has increased from $47 million in 1990 to nearly
$2.5 billion in 2000 (Kaphinst et al., 2004). Direct to consumer television
advertisements are pervasive, and because they tend to be formulaic, there are
as many drug advertisement spoofs as there are real DTC drug ads. Despite the
fact savvy consumers have recognized their scripts, DTC advertisements continue
to be a part of our television culture, so they must be effective. In this
psychoanalytical criticism I will explore two DTC advertisements for
anti-depressants, one for Zoloft and one for Cymbalta, to analyze what makes
these ads so successful.
