Super Bowl ads featuring a tiny ball of intestines, a foot and opioid-induced constipation made some people sick to their stomach.
In between the barrage of Super Bowl commercials hawking cars, chips and movies about superheroes punching each other, three ads for new drugs aired to little fanfare.
The ads were included in many of the “worst of” lists for Super Bowl commercials, and one even got criticism from the White House. The three ads also scored among the lowest commercials on USA Today’s Ad Meter, which is based on focus group responses to ads aired during the big game.
The problem may have been the advertisers’ choice of events.
“The Super Bowl is known for inspiring lots of eating and lavish spreads of food,” according to National Public Radio. “So why would advertisers pay millions to air ads focusing on constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and toe fungus?”
One of the most talked-about ads after the big game was the one for Valeant Pharmaceuticals’ Xifaxan, a treatment for irritable bowel disease with diarrhea.
The ad focused on the adventures of a tiny ball of intestines that was watching the big game but had to go to the bathroom because he suffered from IBSD.
“Abdominal pain, urgent diarrhea, you never know when IBSD will show up,” the announcer said as the plucky intestine made its way to the long line of people waiting to get into stadium’s bathroom.
The ad cuts to two weeks later with the ball walking up to the stadium and high-fiving tailgaters.
Even though the ad may not have gotten any love from the media, some people on Twitter fell for the tiny intestine.
“The lower intestine Xifaxan mascot should do next year’s halftime show,” one tweet said.
Valeant also ran an ad featuring NFL greats and broadcasters Howie Long, Deion Sanders and Phil Simms for the toenail fungus treatment Jublia.
The CEO of the drug company traveled to Congress last week to testify at a hearing on rising drug prices. Lawmakers criticized Valeant for buying two generic heart drugs and jacking up the price.
“We acknowledge that it was too aggressive,” interim CEO Howard Schillar told the House Oversight Committee, referring to the price increases.
Nevertheless, the site of a drug company spending millions of dollars for two Super Bowl commercials didn’t sit well with some.
“Most big drug companies spend more on marketing than [research & development],” tweeted Topher Spiro, vice president of health policy for the left-leaning think tank Center for American Progress.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough was particularly upset over the drug ads, but not about pricing.
“Next year, how about fewer ads that fuel opioid addiction and more on access to treatment,” he tweeted on Monday.
McDonough didn’t say which ad he was referring to, but there was an ad for treatment options for opioid-induced constipation.
The black and white ad describes the side effect of constipation from opioid use for chronic pain patients.
“It feels like everyone can go, except you,” the ad said as it followed a man who was having coffee and walking around a nondescript city street, passing by signs for Prune Juice and snail imagery.
“Made on behalf of those living with chronic pain,” the ad closed while noting five advocacy groups representing chronic pain patients and two drug makers, Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca. The two manufacturers jointly market Movantik, which is used to treat opioid-induced constipation.
The constipation ad was released as the White House and Congress are searching for ideas to stem the opioid epidemic. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which would dole out grants to communities for prevention and treatment.
Meanwhile, the drug industry’s leading lobbying group is gearing up for a new, multi-million dollar television advertising campaign that features ads of people helped by new treatments and cures.
The idea is to feature real stories from patients and researchers and present data on “the economic contributions of the biopharmaceutical industry,” said Holly Campbell, spokeswoman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
“As with previous years, advertisements and promotion will run on a variety of platforms in Washington, D.C., and select states,” she told the Washington Examiner.
