Can we talk? No, we don’t want to talk about erectile dysfunction advertising. We already get a daily overdose of erectile dysfunction advertising on the evening news. Instead, we want to talk about premature ejaculation. No, this is not a medical blog, and we do not intend to dispense medical advice. Instead, we feel obligated to let readers know that we learned from
Media Post Publications (free registration required,) that Johnson & Johnson is seeking FDA approval for dapoxetine, a drug intended to
treat premature ejaculation. The FDA already rejected the drug once, when it was submitted as an antidepressant compound intended to compete with Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil. But the folks at J&J are shrewd scientists and marketers, and they must have reason to believe the drug can be approved a second time around. Okay—so much for the background. Here’s the deal. There is certainly a target market for this drug. We are just afraid—
very afraid—of the mass marketing advertising we can expect to see for such a product. Will Johnson & Johnson be satisfied with a targeted print campaign, or must they seek the same mass market television audience already subjected to erectile dysfunction advertising? Note we said
mass market television. We have no objection to drug makers advertising these products prudently to targeted television audiences. But, these advertisement air in prime time slots which include an significant audience of children under twelve. Do we need to complicate childhood with these messages? Creative Directors—please think carefully before your craft the campaign for this one--thanks. Media Buyers--can we talk?
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