There seems to be a trend in video commercials to depict prescription drugs using cartoonish type characters. I've seen several commercials where a person is dressed in a costume as a pill with feet, hands and in some cases eyes. The cartoon like character is depicted somehow as being the companion and friend of the ill person who needs the pill to be better. Then in the background the announcer runs through a lengthy list of the negative side effects of the drug. But, you never see the cartoon character acting out those side effects such as suicidal thoughts, stroke, internal bleeding, depression, etc. Now seeing the cartoon character acting out those symptoms would make the commercial even more dramatic!
I wonder what small kids who see these commercials think of them? Do they see them as funny? Does it give kids a favorable opinion of pills as something harmless like candy? So why not swallow a couple of these comical pills and see if the pills make them smile and laugh? The pills are funny in the commercials so they have to help you be funny in real life right?
There was one commercial which depicted the bladder of a woman and how the bladder controlled her life. This was based on the fact that the woman had to use the restroom often due to the limited ability of her bladder to retain water. Have you ever actually seen someone walking around with their bladder by their side? I didn't know bladders could even live outside our bodies. I also didn't know they had big sad looking eyes, arms, and legs.
Come on advertisers. You can do better than that. Don't demean the intelligence of your audience by depicting your pharmaceuticals as cartoon characters. It reminds me of the pharmaceutical sales people who routinely come to doctors offices attempting to sale their drugs. Pharmaceutical pimps. Out for a profit.
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