Among Prescription Drug TV Ads, Lunesta The Most Recalled By Viewers

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/5/2007 12:56:00 AM

IAG research, a company that measures the effectiveness of television advertising, has released the latest syndicated data for prescription drug ads. The survey was designed to identify the most recalled new prescription drug ads.

Prescription sleep aid Lunesta’s “Luna Moth” campaign was identified as the most memorable commercial campaign among adults, with an ad recall index of 155 and 153, and was also the most recognized prescription drug brand advertised on primetime broadcast television.

Another prescription sleep aid, Rozerem, which features Abraham Lincoln and a talking beaver in their ads, took the fourth slot with an ad recall index of 134, giving sleep aids three out of the five most memorable ads in the survey.

The third most memorable new ad was for allergy medication Zyrtec, and an ad recall index of 138, and for the first time, there was a tie for fifth place, with cholesterol reducers Crestor and Vytorin sharing the position with an ad recall index of 124 each.

“Prescription drug advertising is fundamentally no different than advertising for other product classes,” said Ms. Fariba Zamaniyan, senior VP of IAG’s Pharmaceutical practice.  “The keys to success continue to reside in the basic principles of advertising.  Unique copy, relevant storylines, strong branding, effective tie-in of product benefit and sometimes humor are just some of the attributes that make ads memorable and motivating to target audiences.  These top performers are strong examples of how to implement these basic principles within the rigid guidelines faced by this category of advertising.”

The data was based on 24-hour viewer recall of new prescription drug ads launched during the 2006/2007 television season. The survey measured the viewer recall of  drug ads, excluding 15 second ads, that aired in primetime broadcast TV during that period