# 'What's the drug for?' and other interesting commercials **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [June 22, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644 "2022-06-22T17:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/1 "2022-06-22T17:10:46Z")
There are myriad commercials for prescription drugs. Since we don’t need any of them, it’s not important; but we never know what the drug is for. They say when the commercial starts, and then never mention what it’s for again. So even if the commercial is interesting, we don’t know what it’s about. Also: I imagine the precautions in every drug commercial to include ‘Dying horribly may occur.’ DoorDash has a commercial about delivering for ‘unexpected occasions’. I little girl’s pet fish (Mr. Bubbles) has died. She stands holding the fishbowl, with her mother standing behind her. A DoorDash bag falls onto the lawn, carrying a hand shovel, tissues, and a doughnut. The little girl is sad about her fish as dad lays it to rest in the yard, in what appears to be the doughnut box. Her little brother happily eats the doughnut. In my mind, I can see the little boy thinking, ‘Hm. Sister’s pet died, and I get a really big doughnut. I can’t wait until she gets a new pet that dies “unexpectedly”. Mwahahahaha!’ There’s another commercial I saw last night, of which I had a twisted interpretation; but I don’t remember what it was? ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/2 "2022-06-22T17:58:04Z")
Rule of thumb: If there’s a commercial for it, you don’t need it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/3 "2022-06-22T18:31:18Z")
With drug commercials, under the regulations, they have two choices: They can tell you what the drug does, in which case they also need to tell you all of the side effects. Or they can skip the side effects by not telling you what it does. Sometimes they do tell you everything (especially when they think that the side effects might be perceived positively, like “erections lasting for more than four hours”), and sometimes they tell you nothing (but usually try to at least imply what the drug does). ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/4 "2022-06-22T19:13:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > With drug commercials, under the regulations, they have two choices: They can tell you what the drug does, in which case they also need to tell you all of the side effects. Or they can skip the side effects by not telling you what it does. For the drug commercials that do list the side effects, it’s done in a muted voiceover with happy music playing and the medicated person doing all kinds of wonderful fun things because the drug has improved the quality of their life so much-- kayaking, paddleboarding, participating in a play in the park, planting flowers, playing with the kids, having dinner with family, etc. All to artfully distract from “symptoms may include diarrhea, constipation, rectal bleeding, tremors, paralysis, depression, thoughts of suicide, liver damage, loss of memory, hot flashes, cold flashes, itchy, burning rashes, etc.” ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/5 "2022-06-22T19:26:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > With drug commercials, under the regulations, they have two choices: They can tell you what the drug does, in which case they also need to tell you all of the side effects. Or they can skip the side effects by not telling you what it does. More on this premise, making one wonder just how easily manipulated this one is (ie, doesn’t _everybody_ know what Ozempic does ??): [**REMINDER ADS – FDA**](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/prescription-drug-advertising/basics-drug-ads#reminder) > [@](#): > > Reminder ads give the name of a drug, but not the drug’s uses. These ads assume that the audience already knows the drug’s use. > > A reminder ad does not have to contain [risk](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/prescription-drug-advertising/drug-advertising-glossary-terms#risks_side_effects) information about the drug because the ad does not say what the drug does or how well it works. Unlike product claim ads, reminder ads cannot suggest, in either words or pictures, anything about the drug’s benefits or risks. For example, a reminder ad for a drug that helps treat asthma should not include a drawing of a pair of lungs, because this implies what the drug does. > > Reminder ads are not allowed for certain prescription drugs with serious risks. Drugs with serious risks have a special warning, often called a [“boxed warning,”](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/prescription-drug-advertising/drug-advertising-glossary-terms#boxed_warning) in the drug’s FDA-approved [prescribing information](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/prescription-drug-advertising/drug-advertising-glossary-terms#prescribing_information). Because of their seriousness, the risks must be included in all ads for these drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/6 "2022-06-22T19:55:55Z")
The ads we see state the name and what it’s for at the beginning, then say the benefits followed by the warnings. But they never mention the name again. > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > doesn’t _everybody_ know what Ozempic does ?? Nope. I’d have to google it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/7 "2022-06-22T20:24:06Z")
Huh, OK, that is weird. Most of the drug ads I see seem to consist primarily of the drug name repeated over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/8 "2022-06-22T20:26:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > But they never mention the name again. > [@Chronos](#): > > Huh, OK, that is weird. Most of the drug ads I see seem to consist primarily of the drug name repeated over and over. I misspoke. They continually say the name. But they only say _what it’s for_ once, at the beginning. So I know the name ‘Ozempic’, for example, and even the first part of their jingle; but I don’t know what it’s for. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/9 "2022-06-23T14:57:17Z")
A Sonobello commercial features a ‘Board-Certified plastic surgeon’. I hear it as ‘ **bored** , certified plastic surgeon’. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/10 "2022-06-23T15:07:55Z")
So, it’s a surgeon that’s certified plastic? I assume that’s a step down from being certified platinum or gold. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/11 "2022-06-23T15:09:50Z")
They’re _genuine_ plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/12 "2022-06-23T15:27:27Z")
> [@solost](#): > > “symptoms may include diarrhea, constipation, rectal bleeding, tremors, paralysis, depression, thoughts of suicide, liver damage, loss of memory, hot flashes, cold flashes, itchy, burning rashes, etc.” Yeah, but it may reduce the ugly appearance of toenail fungus, so what’s to worry? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/13 "2022-06-23T16:19:01Z")
I want one of these drugs, I want the one where I get a big jolly family and woofy dog to scamper down the beach with. Beloved spouse holding my hand, grandkids capering in the surf, dog fetching a stick, bright and sunny and breezy. For Christ sake, give me one of those drugs! I’ll take my chances and keel over later. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/14 "2022-06-23T16:50:55Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > For Christ sake, give me one of those drugs! One that won’t make you nervous? Wondering what to do? ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/15 "2022-06-23T16:58:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > They continually say the name. Like in my favorite warning, “Don’t take Ozempic if you’re allergic to Ozempic.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/16 "2022-06-23T16:59:45Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Like in my favorite warning, “Don’t take Ozempic if you’re allergic to Ozempic.” ‘How do I know if I’m allergic to it?’ ‘Try it and find out. Unless you’re allergic.’ ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/17 "2022-06-23T19:23:12Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > With drug commercials, under the regulations, they have two choices: They can tell you what the drug does, in which case they also need to tell you all of the side effects. Or they can skip the side effects by not telling you what it does. > > For the drug commercials that do list the side effects, it’s done in a muted voiceover with happy music playing and the medicated person doing all kinds of wonderful fun things because the drug has improved the quality of their life so much-- kayaking, paddleboarding, participating in a play in the park, planting flowers, playing with the kids, having dinner with family, etc. It’s like the story of the three inner city kids who find $30 on the ground. They each take one of the $10 bills & run to the store. The first one buys $10 worth of candy. The second one buys $10 worth of soda; he explains because he isn’t allowed to have it at home. The third one buys a box of Tampax. When he walks outside to the other two they question his purchase. His response is. “Didn’t you see the commercials, with this I can go horseback riding, rock climbing, go to the beach, & lots of other fun things.” ---
**Author:** ![Erusiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6de8d8/32.png) [@Erusiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erusiel)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2022, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/18 "2022-06-24T13:15:01Z")
The more incessantly an ad runs, the more I try to deliberately misinterpret it, if only to preserve sanity. There was one a while ago that opened with a woman browsing in a craft store. Narration: “Alice is living with metastatic breast cancer.” At this point in the commercial, she happens to check her phone, and the background image shows a cat. Conclusion: Metastatic Breast Cancer is the name of her cat. And this reinterpretation brings delightful imagery to the rest of the commercial. “Metastatic Breast Cancer can be relentless. But I can be relentless too.” “I didn’t choose to have Metastatic Breast Cancer.” _Aww, the cat chose her!_ ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-drug-for-and-other-interesting-commercials/966644/19 "2022-06-24T16:31:45Z")
On this side of the Atlantic, we (mercifully) don’t have ads for prescription drugs. We do, however, get a leaflet with the drug that describes all the contra-indications. This is often a lengthy list and I very much doubt that more than 5% of recipients read them. We do get the Tampax ads, wonder cosmetics that will make you irresistible to whoever you want to be irresistible to, cream that will make you look like a mature actress who has had years of expensive surgery, and others that I disremember.