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.
The
Zoloft ad features an animated, androgynous, limbless, soft, pill-like
character. In the first ad s/he is in a cave with light shining through an
opening. A butterfly lands on the edge of the “window” then flies away as the
male announcer is saying, “You know when the world seems like a sad and lonely
place? You may feel tired, hopeless and empty inside…”(Pfizer, 2003). Then a
diagram of two bulbous images labeled “Nerve A” and “Nerve B”appear on the
screen (Pfizer, 2003). There are black dots moving from “Nerve A” to “Nerve B”
as the announcer says, “Zoloft…can help. It works to correct chemical
imbalances in the brain which may be related to symptoms of depression…”(Pfizer,
2003). Then the character emerges from the cave where there are friends
waiting, and the butterfly is fluttering overhead. The friends bounce off
together in pursuit of the butterfly.
The
Cymbalta commercial is not animated, but it shares the same arc as the Zoloft
commercial. It begins with a close up of a woman’s face and then flashes to
another woman’s face. They both look sad. The camera backs up, and there is an
upper body shot of a woman sitting on the stairs inside of a house. The next
shot looks through a doorway into a kitchen. A child is on one side of the
doorway looking at the viewers, and his mother is in the kitchen with her back
against the counter. The child’s gaze moves towards his mother as the camera
zooms in towards her, and the announcer says, “The guilt.”(Lilly, ) Then there
is another close up of a man’s face, a woman’s face through what is perhaps a
chair back, and another man’s face leaning back against a cushion. With each
change in image the announcing voice changes, and viewers recognize the people
as the ones who are speaking: “I don’t want to feel depressed…”(Lilly, 2005)
The Cymbalta logo is shown, and then a woman is looking out of a window. We see
the people who had been depressed now appear happy. They are engaged in
activities like walking outside with a dog, finishing an organized run, window
shopping, walking on the beach with a partner and cuddling with a child.
In both the Zoloft
and Cymbalta advertisements the side effects are listed during the “happy”
segment. This is consistent with a Kaphingst et al. (2004) study which found that
91% of DTC advertisements showed positive or neutral visual images while the
risk information was being presented. In both ads the pace of the music is slow
during the first scenes, and the pace and volume of the music increase during
the happy segments, indicating an optimist outlook. Cymbalta’s tagline is
“Depression hurts.”(Lilly, 2005) The
intent being to link depression to physical pain, an ailment frequently
medicated. No one is expected to live with pain if it can be avoided because it
can be so debilitating.
Many
DTC advertisements use symbolism, and the imagery is consistent from ad to ad. The window appeared in the two ads I analyzed as
well as others I watched from the same companies. A window or opening appears
during the transition phase of the ad, and looking out of the window or emerging
through a door symbolizes that a change has occurred; viewers are to assume it
has taken place because of the drug advertised. Both ads begin indoors with
characters that appear sad. In most cases the lighting is dim and gloomy
feeling, echoing depression. They almost always are seen alone or separated
from other people and physically inactive during the depressed phase of the ad.
Viewers can identify with these characters, even the animated blob, because
everyone has felt sad, hopeless or disappointed. These ads challenge the
normalcy of these feelings, and create a viewer responsibility to take control
of his/her life and “Ask your doctor about Cymbalta.”(Lilly, 2005) After the
transition, characters appear to be happy and are almost always outside. The
sun is shining, and they are actively engaged in activities, usually with a
companion. The outdoors, sunshine, walking on the beach, symbolize the
happiness we will feel when we take the drug. Does that mean then that the drug
is the archetypal hero? Is it the vehicle by which the ego is liberated from
repression? These advertisements indicate that Cymbalta and Zoloft are today’s
heroes, rescuing us from depression.
“The
ego carries out its functions by storing up experiences in the memory, avoiding
excessively strong stimuli through flight, adapting to moderately strong
stimuli, and bringing about changes in the world through activity.”(Berger,
2012) By this definition DTC advertisements are ego texts. Anti-depressant ads
especially fit this format as they are about taking control of one’s emotional,
or id, health. “You know when the world seems like a sad and lonely place?”
says the announcer of the Zoloft advertisement. (Pfizer, 2003) Extreme emotions
are not acceptable. Even in the “happy” segment of the ads, everyone is having
fun in socially acceptable ways, like walking on the beach or cuddling with a child
and no one is having too much fun. DTC ads play a role in “educating” viewers
about what options are available to help keep emotions in check. The Zoloft ad
even features a diagram of a nerve synapse, lending scientific credibility.
The
reason DTC advertisements are effective is because they are one minute
narratives in which the hero always wins, providing us with a happy ending.
Accompanied by upbeat music, sunshine and smiling faces DTC ads are also
selling us mostly white, middle class values, implying that the drugs will not
only change your mood but your lifestyle. They encourage the viewer/consumer to
take responsibility for her emotional health by asking her doctors about the
drug, reinforcing the idea that happiness can be bought.
Works Cited
Berger, Arthur A. (2012). Psychoanalytical Criticism. Media Analysis Techniques, 74-104 .
“Depression hurts.” Cymbalta/Lilly. (2005).
Commercial. Reviewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d6Ra0n2pUA
Kaphingst, Kimberly A., DeJong, William, Rudd, Rima E. & Daltroy,
Lawren H.(2004). A Content Analysis of
Direct-to-Consumer Television Prescription Drug Advertisements. Journal of Health Communication, 9, 515-528.
“Zoloft –
Cave.” Zoloft/Pfizer. (2003). Commercial.
Reviewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIFnHfdgXaA&feature=relmfu
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