- Jim Edwards, Brandweek

NEW YORK If you think that marketing in the drug category is becoming less interesting and more monotonous, you're right.

A ranking of the most-recalled prescription drug ads shows that such efforts became less memorable for consumers between this year and last, as measured by Nielsen IAG, New York. (Adweek is a unit of the Nielsen Co.)

The ads consumers remembered best in 2007 were executions for Schering-Plough's allergy drug Nasonex, Takeda's sleeping pill Rozerem, Schering's anti-cholesterol brand Vytorin, Pfizer's anti-cholesterol brand Lipitor and its anti-smoking brand Chantix, and Sepracor's insomnia med Lunesta.

But midway through 2008, all of those brands have run into controversy or economic difficulties -- and several have pulled some or all of their consumer advertising.

What's left, according to IAG, is a bunch of drug ads that would not have made the grade last year: Six of the most-remembered ads this year would not have made it into the top 10 last year, based on IAG's recall index.

Among the drug ads that have hit rocky patches:

-- Nasonex's animated bee ads have become the subject of an FDA inquiry into whether visuals distract viewers when ads deliver their warnings and safety messages.

-- Rozerem, which has struggled to gain market share, cut the ad spend on its dreamlike Abraham Lincoln-meets-a-talking-beaver ads by 77 percent, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

-- Vytorin was the subject of media frenzy when Shering revealed a study that said it had no effect on narrowed arteries and may heighten cancer risk.

-- Lipitor sales were challenged when Merck's rival brand, Zocor, went generic and became available for pennies on the dollar. Then Pfizer pulled its ads featuring artificial heart pioneer Robert Jarvik after it emerged he was not a practicing doctor.

-- Sepracor went on a cost-cutting drive, slashing the ad budget for Lunesta by 39 percent.

According to IAG's svp, healthcare, Fariba Zamaniyan, creative strength also is an issue. The ads that were dialed back had strong, established characters, such as Jarvik or the Lunesta moth, and had been running for some time.

The current crop of ads, including spots for Pfizer's Lyrica and Warner Chilcott's Loestrin 24Fe, are simply less established than their predecessors. "The overall average has come down. A high bar was set, but now it's just not as high," Zamaniyan said.

Zamaniyan speculated that increased attention by the FDA and the media to drug ad controversies could lead to more creatively conservative advertising. Those types of spots often feature doctors addressing the viewer directly, or slice-of-life vignettes in which middle-aged folk recommend drugs to each other, and they tend to be less memorable.

Most Recalled Prescription Drug Ads in 2007:

(Source: Nielsen IAG. Scores indicate IAG's recall index vs. the norm. Scores are weighted to equalize the effect of media spending. Only ads with above average recall scores make the list. A score of 100 is average.)

1. Nasonex, Schering-Plough: Animated bee talks about prevention of nasal allergy symptoms. Score: 158

2. Rozerem, Takeda: Abraham Lincoln and talking beaver prove that your dreams miss you: 156

3. Vytorin, Merck/Schering-Plough: Plates of food shown next to shots of relatives such as a casserole of tuna and peas and your grandma Louise: 149

T4. Lipitor, Pfizer: Robert Jarvik in white lab coat discusses risk of heart disease: 144.

T4. Chantix, Pfizer: Smoking is a challenge not meant for sprinters; tortoise and hare on a lime-colored quitting road: 144

T4. Vytorin, Merck/Schering-Plough: Plates of food shown next to shots of relatives such as Grandpa Bo and bow-tie pasta: 144

T5. Lunesta, Sepracor: Luna moth flies into peoples' bedrooms: 142

T5. Cialis, Eli Lilly: Couples in various romantic places: 142


Most Recalled Prescription Drug Ads Sept. 1, 2007-May 31, 2008, TV Season:

1. Chantix, Pfizer: Smoking is a challenge not meant for sprinters; tortoise and hare on a lime-colored quitting road: 144

T2. Cialis, Eli Lilly: Couples in various romantic places: 142

T2. Lunesta, Sepracor: Luna moth flies into peoples' bedrooms; the best part of a Lunesta night is the way you feel refreshed the next morning: 142

3. Loestrin 24 Fe, Warner Chilcott: Two women at pharmacy counter; pharmacist says one may need blood test: 136

T4. Lyrica, Pfizer: Woman in orange sweater reads from journal about her struggle with fibromyalgia: 127

T4. Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Aventis: Hospital gurney follows man through city to medical building: 127

T5. Boniva, Roche/GlaxoSmithKline: Sally Field talks about taking just one pill once a month for her osteoporosis: 122

T5. Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi-Aventis: Keeping power flowing to thousands of homes and businesses, Paul is a formidable man: 122

T5. Veramyst, GlaxoSmithKline: Woman talks about using one medicine for seasonal allergies that treats all symptoms: 122