On The Tube: Chantix (Only in America)

Watching television in the US is not the same as watching television in Australia. Once you move past the different platforms, maturation of cable television, and Al Roker, the difference that really defines US television is the advertising.

Something that seems to be overwhelming in the US is the excessive amount of TV commercials for drugs and healthcare products. We do get a little bit of it here in Australia, but outside of the occasional advertisement for thrush, its not overwhelming. Pharmaceuticals are clearly a massive business and they certainly get a massive run on US television. It sometimes feels like every second or third advertisement on US TV is for a drug of some description (prescription?).

Of course, drug advertising in the US does require side-effect disclaimers to be mentioned in the commercial. I’m sure that local Australian audiences have chuckled along with jokes on The Simpsons or Colbert Report (with Prescott Pharmaceuticals) regarding the crazy side-effects that a drug can have. Joke as these shows may, the jokes are simply not that far removed from reality.

In the US, controversial drug Chantix has been very prominent within the US ad-space recently. When I saw this advertisement air recently, I was gobsmacked at just how excessive this advertisement was. The following advertisement is not a parody. This is a genuine advertisement.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzMqIGzXli8[/youtube]