Vitamins and supplements manufacturer NBTY, formerly Nature’s Bounty, appointed Droga5 as its agency of record back in September. Now the agency has debuted its first campaign for NBTY’s Osteo Bi-Flex brand, entited “Made to Move,” presenting the joint comfort supplements as an aid to boomers embarrassing their kids.
“Wedding” opens with a voiceover explaining “Seven days ago Phil wasn’t thinking about dancing, he was thinking about his joints.” Now, after a week of Osteo Bi-Flex, he’s out on the dance floor “inducing hilariously high levels of embarrassment in his son” while dancing to Los Del Rio‘s “Macarena” at his wedding. In another spot, a mother is able to take a yoga class with her daughter thanks to the supplements…where she proceeds to inform the instructor that her daughter is single. The humorous approach is somewhat unusual for the category, more often populated by straightforward (and often incredibly boring) ads. The ads will make their broadcast debut this Sunday during NBC’s Golden Globe Awards broadcast, when more than a few boomers will likely be tuning in.
Derek Bowen, senior vice president, general manager for vitamins, minerals, herbals and supplements at NBTY since last April, told AdAge that they selected the Golden Globes because it is “a tentpole event” and January is an important month for the category.
“We looked at who these people really are in their lives and what they aspire to,” said Droga5 group creative director Matt Ian.
He added that the insights driving the campaign were based on a psychological phenomenon called the “Happiness U Curve” which posits that happiness reaches its initial peak when people are in their twenties, slowly decline until it bottoms out at 42 and then increases until it eventually surpasses the previous peak. If the campaign is any indication, that excess happiness comes from tormenting the younger generation.