Dear Streaming services and Drug Companies interrupting my programs:
I understand that you wish to sell your overpriced drugs to the streaming public. In 30 to 60 seconds or longer, do you think we’re going to act on your ads?
Streaming services: we get that no one can afford to sponsor your programs except drug or car companies.
How about incorporating funds from those companies to more Public Service Announcements? PBS, Sierra Club, American Heart Association-CPR info, Mental Health, ARC. Etc. Pimping the drugs to us is not a good look for your company.
PSAs don’t pay the bills. Drug ads are about awareness. I think they’re silly too but there’s some level of customer base they are hitting. The advertisers try to hit the demographics of an audience.
Why are all the actors in the commercials always happy and never seem to be affected by the 1000 potential side effects like nausea, chest pains, heart disease, stroke or death.
What streaming services are you all watching? I have yet to see a drug ad while watching my “with ads” Prime. It is dog food and insurance company commercials galore! That said, they are not very intrusive, just once during a documentary or maximum twice during a longer movie. I don’t mind a bathroom break.
We were watching Hulu tonight. The Progressive one with Flo, Jamie and two others - where they were having a sleepover and Jamie says let’s prank call each others.
I don’t really get the purpose - other than to buy Progressive Insurance - which I’ve never had a quote for, etc.
But it’s on all the time….that one ad.
Oh, and Charles Barkley taking a shot in his arm for some wait loss thing.
On a related note, during the Christmas season we like watching the movies on Hallmark. Very predictable plots and happy endings, although still enjoyable. But the ads! My gosh, I don’t know who their target audience is for these shows but the ads seem aimed at people with really terrible illnesses.
We use streaming services that don’t have ads. We rarely watch broadcast TV specifically because the ads have gotten so bad.
I find it annoying to have ad after ad after ad for some drug which treats some illness that I have never heard of and as far as I know do not have.
One counter argument that I have heard is that for people who do have whatever illness they are talking about, if the potential treatment is relatively new, then the person might not know that a treatment exists.
I do wonder what all those ads cost, and what this does to drug prices.
Like any product, there’s no doubt an ad budget. But if patients didn’t ask their doctors about certain drugs they’ve learned about, the drugs might not find an audience. So for the drug companies, it’s likely money well spent. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I can’t tell you how many times I googled Keytruda after seeing their ad, even though it wasn’t for the specific cancer I had. I must have googled it 100 times, after seeing ads.
So it’s audience might be small - but if someone has what the ad is for, they’re probably paying attention.
I don’t know what Crohns disease is, but if I had it, I’d be looking up Skyrizi - it’s on as I type - on Charge TV - which is just a channel you the youtube tv streaming I have.
Oftentimes, when it looks like a company advertises its product, the company is actually advertising itself (and its stock). If you have seen Boeing ads, you might have wondered who the heck would be able to afford to buy that plane other than a handful of customers who were unlikely to even watch those channels. Same with pharma: Eli Lilly runs ads that do not promote any specific product, just the company itself.
I can’t recall the last time I saw a (human) drug ad while watching a streaming service. Many of the streaming services target based on which show is viewed. Some target based on the specific viewer as well. I’m apparently not in the target audience for drug commercials, which is an accurate assessment, as I don’t take any prescription medications.
My most recent ads were for Airbnb in a wooded area, dog tick protection, and athletic clothing. If paused I get a coupon code for 40% off UberEats grocery. While none of these will influence my purchase decision, I could believe any of the 4 were targeted specifically for me based on my online history. I go on short trips to hiking locations regularly and have stayed at nearby VBRO/Airbnb in wooded areas; I have a dog who regularly goes in areas where ticks may be present; I work out near daily and am in need of replacement athletic clothing; And I regularly use online grocery, including having previously used the coupon code that is displayed while paused.
For some of us, the fact that our loved ones are living longer because of a drug that completely changed their life. Or a drug that helps the cancer from coming back.
It’s a small price to pay. To watch a commercial that isn’t that intrusive to my personal viewing habits.
Please boycott big pharma and the drugs they develop. For my family it’s changed our lives forever
I ponder the fact that I have no idea what disease/condition most of these drugs are supposed to treat. Or that the name seems to be a random Scrabble draw of letters with multiple potential triple X points. It would be nice to have a pill that magically takes me to outdoor fairs or wine tastings or seaside retreats.
I watched one show and EVERY SINGLE COMMERCIAL BREAK was the same Airbnb ad with parents and a very obnoxious teenage daughter at a cabin to replace the one with a broken hot tub. My finger stays on “mute” whenever I stream.
That’s my complaint. The ads go by so fast that even if I might be interested, once they get by the people smiling and sailing or doing yoga, I don’t even know what it is going to cure.
I asked my doctor if people actually ask for certain drugs and she said rarely. At the retinologist office the walls are covered with posters from the drug companies. If I see the poster and then see the ad, I do make the connection. Do I know whether I need Vybizmo or Mylea? No, I leave that to the doctor and only care if one costs a lot less than the other (they are all very very expensive)
I agree with that H and I won’t catch what the problem is until after they run through the list of possible side effects. Anal leakage is our favorite. We always then say “what in the world are you trying to fix to put up with THAT?!” Of course, occasionally it will be aggressive cancer or what not. But most of the time? Umm. No thanks.
We’re in the group that always seems to get these ads. And we almost never watch regular TV. But honestly most of the time if commercials come on, I just play on my phone until they’re done. I love now how they tell you how many seconds until the ads are done
I will say I questioned my doctor on the side effects of Jardiance (after watching the happy walk through the park, the yoga, and the sailing) and she had previously said those weren’t side effects. I said even the commercial says those are side effects. Oh, she said, they are rare!
I guess I’m extra special as i seem to have the ‘rare’ side effects. And I stopped taking the drug.
That said, they are not very intrusive, just once during a documentary or maximum twice during a longer movie. I don’t mind a bathroom break.