Are medical ads playing on human emotions?
By Neeraz Manthena Friday, February 21 2003 12:00 Hrs (IST) Sex, fear and self-esteem are the strongest of all psychological appeals that the advertisers have exploited for years in convincing their audience. Not many pharmaceutical firms, however, in the past have exclusively focused on products that enhanced sexual pleasure. Whether it was the sixties or a mere six years ago, men who could not get an erection had few options. Then came Viagra in 1998 that has revolutionised the options for male intimacy. Pfizer’s Viagra (sildenafil), once developed as a treatment for angina and chest pain for those with insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle is currently the most widely used treatment for male erectile dysfunction. Undeniably, serendipity in medicine is far more outreaching especially in the case of male erectile dysfunction (ED). Following the commercial success of Viagra, Eli Lilly’s Cialis (tadalafil) is recently made available in Europe, Australia and New Zealand pharmacies.