Anti-viral cold sore cream Zovirax lives for lips in new campaign via UrsaClemenger Sydney
February 7 2011, 10:48 pm | | 12 Comments
The cold sore virus loves a special occasion. UrsaClemenger, Sydney’s new ‘We live for lips’ campaign demonstrates that GSK’s Zovirax anti-viral cold sore cream understands this only too well.
12 Comments
I’ve never had a cold sore in my life so I don’t have the slightest interest in the category, but I would have thought that Zovirax has been sufficiently advertised previously for the viewing public to know what it’s for and where you apply it. My two cents worth is a strategic comment: The little bit about applying it at the first sign of an outbreak seems to offer a rich vein of possibility marketing-wise and seems to suggest efficacy, which I would have thought is a powerful selling idea in an area where users are desperately seeking a solution and quite possibly cynical that an over-the-counter cream can be effective.
People would only use Zovirax if they get a coldsore. Couldn’t see them using it in a pro-active way.
I think the answer here is not an ad agency but the R&D team at GSK coming up with a product that is half Zovirax and half Blistex. Then an ad similar to this or along the lines of ‘makes your lips look good and protects against coldsores’ would work.
The creative here has a nice tone to it – I like the different scenarios but some of them do feel overly-manufactured and unrealistic e.g ‘exam lips’. Nerves supposedly make your teeth chatter, not lips squirm.
Anyway, Dennis probably has more important things on his mind – like Souths! 2011 could be their year.
LIP SERVICE
BJ lips.
Good to see one of the AusNTM contestants is getting work…
Looks like a forced attempt at a big brand idea. However, inspired by Pedigree’s ‘We’re for Dogs’, the planner failed to find the insight into the key emotional need of the sufferer. And that is why the creative execution has struggled to have any relevance. So many better ways into this insight-rich category, surely. Bring back the black helmet!
The idea spends too much time selling the end result and not enough on the real point of difference getting to the site 5 times faster which in common terms means faster relief than the generic and other brands at about half the price.
They all have the active ingredient 5% Aciclovir.
Missed opportunity
The ‘real point of difference’ is very rational though Andy. That doesn’t look like it was the objective of this spot. Consumers decide on emotions, rationalise with the functional. I can see that they were aiming to build more an emotional connection to the brand. The 5 times faster message probably still exists on pack and POS, and probably other channels. However, the emotional hook is not hooky enough in this brand idea.
Dear 6.15
the old building emotional connection with the brand game.
On very planners brief as if not building emotion was an option.
You just have to be emotional about something and I think the something is not strong enough.
Check the sales in 3 months and the counter price.
.
Based on the comments above there are clearly no “Creatives” in the Australian advertising industry.
I agree. You can communicate a functional message with emotion. However, right or wrong, this ad tried to communicate an emotional brand misson. A worthwhile strategy to build more of an emotional connection with the brand.
It’s ‘We’re for dogs’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJNY64cQeuo
The only difference (apart from average execution)…no one feels the same way about lips, as they do about dogs. Hence, it will fail to connect people to the brand like Pedigree did. If this ad drives sales in the short term, or long term for that matter, i’ll be very surprised.
My son was prescribed this medication after trying nearly every other prescription strength cream for his “cold sores”. We aren’t really sure if they are cold sores, but I know that Zovirax works for him. He has had these sores since he was 11 months old, he will be 4 years in 1 month. He was recently placed on this medication about a month ago, and after using the meds, the sores were gone within a day or two, versus a week or two weeks with other medications. AND I have noticed that with Zovirax the outbreaks of the sores are more far and few between rather than the “go away and then come right back” sores that other medications could not cure. I wouldn’t reccommend this product to anyone, but for those who have tried nearly everything else and just aren’t getting the relief.