Have you ever found yourself singing a tune to a commercial days or weeks after seeing the ad? Music is a powerful force and helps elicit memory recall for commercials. In fact, according to Kantar, 84% of ads they test globally use music. Advertisers want to engage audiences, but at the same time, need to adhere to updated FDA guidance released in November of 2023 for pharmaceutical ads. This guidance emphasizes clear presentation of risk information and ensures that, among other criteria, music in ads is not a distraction.
To mitigate distractions such as excessive music, the FDA’s guidance requiring DTC prescription drug ads on TV and radio to communicate key side effects, risks, and contraindications of a drug in a clear, conspicuous, and neutral (CCN) manner must be complied with as of November 20, 2024. Melinda Ng, Director on Klick’s Science + Regulatory team cites five specific standards that advertisers must now comply with: using consumer-friendly language, providing understandable audio information, presenting audio and on-screen text concurrently (dual modality), using legible text formats, and avoiding distracting audio/visual elements during the presentation of the major statement.
To help navigate this new rule, here’s what pharma marketers need to know:
1. While content guidelines may remain unchanged for certain ads, others, such as those with boxed warnings, may need updating. To convey all relevant side effects and contraindications, major statements may increase in length/duration resulting in a longer commercial, having implications for media planning and execution.
2. Metrics should be established as the goal of a campaign to deliver the highest NBRx. For a successful video campaign, pricing, advanced targeting, preferred programming, and audience guarantees are key elements.
3. When considering unit length, drug ads may now need to be longer, affecting overall media cost. If an advertiser needs to utilize 60 seconds to meet FDA standards, they face spending double on their media investment versus the cost of a 30-second ad. When longer unit lengths are necessary to adhere to compliance, media agencies must determine which networks can accommodate the creative length to ensure a successful campaign. Most national and local networks now accept unit lengths up to 90 seconds.
However, with 90-second rates costing a whopping three times the rate of a :30, shorter unit lengths are recommended, if possible, simply from a cost savings perspective. For example, if advertisers can compress their creative message into a 60-second ad versus a 90, while still meeting FDA compliance, a 33% savings is achieved, even before media teams drive down costs through negotiations. In summary, the FDA’s updated guidance requires that advertisers and their agencies present the major statement in a clear, conspicuous manner. While this does not necessarily require ads to be longer, in the instances it does, agencies should use this opportunity to present clients with clear options and solutions with an eye on the best path forward to navigate the ever-changing media landscape.