Klick Health launched a new spot for pharmaceutical company Novartis, one of last week’s top spenders on broadcast placement for new creative, which finds a somewhat bizarre personification for gastrointestinal issues.
That said, the anthropomorphized take on stomach issues might not be seen as so inaccurate by chronic sufferers. Klick Health imagines the pangs of stomach discomfort as a tiny, but overly annoying professional wrester, straight out of 1987 or so. The spot opens on a man reading in bed, when “The Wrestler,” appears, announcing, “It’s terror on the tummy time!”
From there, he just keeps showing up, in the break room and at a backyard barbecue. Apparently he brings along, “persistent diarrhea, stomach pain and bloating” for good measure.
TheWrestler_30 from Klick New York on Vimeo.
The spot concludes without informing viewers of what, exactly, they’re watching an ad for. Instead, it directs them to WhatAmIWrestlingWith.com to “learn more” about a “diagnosis that may not have been considered.” There, they can take a short quiz to see if they may have carcinoid syndrome. Self-diagnosis via Internet is, of course, notoriously unreliable and even the site mentions that “Most people who seem to have symptoms similar to those of carcinoid syndrome do not have the disease,” making the whole exercise (and the reasoning behind the accompanying ad) feel a tad dubious.
The integrated campaign also includes a series of live-action banner videos, and the broadcast element includes addressable TV.
Credits:
CLIENT: NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORP.
Executive Director: Vanessa Thirion-Cullity
Director: Jessica Hayes
AGENCY: KLICK HEALTH
Chief Creative Officer, New York: Elliot Langerman
Art: Anthony DiCarolis, Mark Schruntek, Lee Seidenberg, Sam Quiles
Copy: Mark Schruntek, Lee Seidenberg, Anthony DiCarolis
Senior Producer: Brian Schierman
VP, Brand Strategy: Alexis Penty
Group Account Director: Eric Presman
Sr. Project Manager: Klayton Kyle
Senior Strategist: Rachel Affoo
SVP, Strategy & Analytics: Cam Bedford
VP Group Account Director: Joan Bercovitz
VP, Program Director: Leslie Doyle
PRODUCTION: SEED MEDIA ARTS
Director: Tim Abshire
Exec. Producer: Roy Skillikorn
EP/Line Producer: Kipp Christiansen
DP: Joe Zizzo
Shot on Location in Thousand Oaks, CA and on stage in Culver City, CA
EDITORIAL: CUTTING ROOM, NY
Editor: Chuck Willis
Assistant Editor: Greg Ryan
Executive Producer: Anna Petitti
VISUAL EFFECTS: SMOKE & MIRRORS, NY
Executive Producer: Steve Intrabartola
Senior Producer: Tara Maloney
Head of Flame: Dino Tsaousis
Flame Artist: Kevin Quinlan
Flame Artist: Jenna DeAngelis
AUDIO POST: SONIC UNION, NY
Audio Post Mixer: Paul Weiss
Producers: Justine Cortale + Pat Sullivan
MUSIC:
Extreme Music stock library
TELECINE: NICE SHOES, NY
Colorist: Sal Maltifano
Producer: Matt Hubert