Nicotrol Step-Down Patch Supported By $50 Mil. Marketing Campaign
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Pharmacia Consumer Healthcare is backing the launch of its Nicotrol Step-Down Patch with a $50 mil. integrated marketing and advertising campaign
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Pharmacia Consumer Healthcare is backing the launch of its Nicotrol Step-Down Patch with a $50 mil. integrated marketing and advertising campaign. The campaign, which launched Oct. 21, highlights the small victories of overcoming individual cravings. The tagline - "Helps beat cigarettes one craving at a time" - is meant to reinforce the idea that small steps lead to success, according to the company. The campaign centers around "Craving Man," a talking lit cigarette that "personifies every smoker's craving for tobacco while tapping into the universal, psychological insights of the smoker's urge to give in," Pharmacia states. One thirty-second television spot that aired Oct. 21 on ABC features a woman at a restaurant who turns down an offer for a cigarette. The ad shows her envisioning "Craving Man" blowing a kiss at her, which she responds to by knocking him to the ground. A voiceover adds that with Nicotrol, "you're twice as likely to succeed than [by going] cold turkey." A second 30-second spot that aired the same day on CBS highlights Nicotrol's 16-hour daytime delivery system. A voiceover states "now there's a patch designed to cut off at night so nicotine can't disturb your sleep." The ad then shows a man visited by "Craving Man" as he wakes up in the morning. After he gets out of bed, the man punches "Craving Man," throws a bowling ball at him and then picks him up and throws him into a shelf. A guerilla marketing effort complementing the ads' humor is taking place in New York until the Great American Smoke Out on Nov. 21, after which it will move to three more cities including Chicago. The effort involves actors depicting scenes of "Craving Man" being beaten by quitting smokers. Passersby who smoke will be invited to sign cards pledging to stop smoking, one of which they will keep, while the second goes to Pharmacia. People who fill out pledge cards will receive a brochure with information about Pharmacia's "Pathways to Change" program and the American Cancer Society, as well as a $5-off coupon for the Nicotrol Step-Down Patch. They also may punch a "Craving Man" dummy to seal their pledge. Pharmacia will compile a database of people who made pledges, but said it does not plan on sending them information unless they have indicated an interest in receiving more materials. The "Craving Man" campaign first launched overseas in December 2000; the Nicotrol Step-Down Patch has been available in Europe, Australia and Japan for several years. The advertising campaign in the U.S. is being coordinated by BBDO (New York), which also oversees advertising for Pharmacia's Rogaine brand. While Pharmacia said the three-product line has been successful overseas, reinvigorating the Nicotrol brand domestically could prove a difficult task due to the recent dominance of GlaxoSmithKline's NicoDerm CQ in the U.S. NicoDerm CQ held a 66.8% share of the nicotine patch market with sales of $122.5 mil. for the 52 weeks ended Sept. 8 (excluding Wal-Mart), according to data from Chicago-based Information Resources, Inc. Nicotrol, meanwhile, held a paltry .3% of the market with sales of $607,751. The brand was ignored largely in recent years by McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals and then by Pharmacia after it acquired the U.S. marketing rights in June 2000. However, Pharmacia has taken a renewed interest in Nicotrol since receiving FDA approval for the step-down regimen in March (1 (Also see "OTC Nicotrol Tiered Dosing System Approved By FDA" - Pink Sheet, 25 Mar, 2002.), p. 3). Unlike NicoDerm CQ, the Nicotrol tiered system consists of 15 mg, 10 mg and 5 mg patches. The 15 mg patches, which are identical to the original Nicotrol patch, are available in 7- and 14-count boxes that carry a suggested retail price of $28.99 and $47.99, respectively. The 5 mg and 10 mg products are available only in one-week supplies. The Nicotrol Step-Down Patch also differs from NicoDerm CQ in that it delivers nicotine for only 16 hours. The limited dosing allows consumers to sleep without interruptions from nicotine's stimulant effects. NicoDerm CQ delivers nicotine transdermally for 24 hours. Each product will come with a 26-page booklet on Pharmacia's "Pathways to Change" behavior modification program, along with directions to call 888-NICOTROL or visit the 2 Nicotrol Web site for more information. |