Erectile
problems ad sparks debate
NEW YORK (AP) - She asks in a sultry voice
if you want to know a secret. And when she
spills the beans, she is quite explicit.
The latest ad for an erectile dysfunction
treatment is taking the battle for dominance
in the $2 billion market up a notch with
its frank description of the medicine's
purpose.
The
Levitra ad, slated to begin airing Thursday,
features an attractive brunette saying the
drug improves erection quality and how that
experience increases her partner's desire
to ''do this more often.''
''For
him Levitra works - just look at that smile,''
she purrs.
Erectile
dysfunction advertisng has changed considerably
since a somber Bob Dole explained the medical
condition in a 1999 ad paid for by Pfizer
Inc., maker of market leader Viagra.
Levitra's initial ads, which began last
fall, were criticized by some for being
too racy and aggressive. But it was the
ad for Cialis, the third entrant into the
market, that was the first product to actually
mention erectile dysfunction in a national
television campaign earlier this year. Still,
the Cialis ads are more subtle than those
for Levitra.
Analysts
said Levitra's blunt style reflects its
underdog status as well as the more competitive,
mature market place. They say Levitra has
little that distinguishes it from Viagra.
Cialis lasts for 36 hours, while its competitors
expire after about four hours.
''Levitra
needs to be more aggressive to compete,''
said David Moskowitz, an analyst at Friedman,
Billings, Ramsey. Even so, he predicted,
''Levitra is going to be the loser in the
battle.''
Still,
with such a large market at stake, no player
will give up easily. The makers of all three
drugs are offering free trial prescriptions.
Pfizer went a step further last month and
offered patients their seventh prescription
free. In a program with some doctors, Cialis
marketers Eli Lilly & Co. and Icos Corp.
offer to pay patients unsatisfied with its
products a free prescription for a rival
drug.
David
Pernock, senior vice president of sales
and marketing at GlaxoSmithKline, describes
the new Levitra campaign as ''flirtatious
and direct.'' He said Glaxo and marketing
partner Bayer Pharmaceuticals Inc. aren't
trying to push any envelopes with their
ads. They just want to present Levitra as
a quality product that works fast and gets
good results. The ad's conversational style
with the woman speaking directly to the
camera also sets it apart from other campaigns.
Still,
he acknowledged that because of the ad's
language networks may choose to air it only
after 9 p.m.
Whether
the ad changes prescription patterns remains
to be seen.
Cialis
and Levitra debuted in the second half of
last year. Cialis has grabbed a greater
share of new prescriptions, according to
Impact Rx, which tracks prescription trends.
According
to Impact Rx, which tracks prescription
trends, Cialis' share of new prescriptions
was consistently above 40 percent in February
and March. Viagra's was in the mid-30 percent
range while Levitra's was in the mid to
low 20 percent range.
''In
this point in time, we are pleased with
our performance,'' Nancy Bryan, vice president
of marketing for men's health at Bayer,
said of Levitra. ''We've done an impressive
job in our launch. This is not a sprint.''
Sun
Trust Robinson Humphrey analyst Bert Hazlett
expects Viagra sales to be flat this year
at about $1.9 billion. He predicts Cialis
sales will reach $600 million while Levitra
will lag behind at $300 million.
By
2007, Hazlett forecasts Viagra's sales will
have dipped slightly to $1.8 billion while
Cialis revenues will have advanced to $1.3
billion. He predicts Levitra sales will
total $600 million.
''There
is no reason for anyone to take Levitra.
It is almost identical to Viagra,'' Hazlett
said.
Cialis'
marketers Eli Lilly & Co and Icos Corp.,
have no plans to substantially change their
campaign. The ads mention erectile dysfunction
because it was the only way the companies
believed they could fully explain the benefits
of 36-hour window of opportunity.
The
first ad featured middle age couples, nuzzling
to jazz music with a tag line that says,
''If a relaxing moment turns into the right
moment, will you be ready? Newer ads will
have a similar theme.
''We
feel we've got a unique message that fits
the needs of a couple,'' said Matt Beebe,
U.S. brand team leader for Cialis at Lilly.
Pfizer
spokesman Daniel Watts said the company
had no plans to mention erectile dysfunction
or spice up its ads when it launches a new
campaign later this year.
''We
have reached iconic stature. People associate
erectile dysfunction with Viagra,'' said
Watts.
Still,
he conceded the landscape was becoming more
competitive, and said the giveaway program
was designed to enhance loyalty and reward
men who stay with Viagra.
''It
is a different world out there no question,''
said Watts.
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