As a proud New Englander, there was no way I was going to miss this year’s Super Bowl, and as a creative director, there was no way I was going to miss critiquing the commercials. So, instead of subjecting my friends and family to my witty observations and keen evaluations of these ads, this year I decided to share them with you.
From boring, to booyah, to… butts? Here are some thoughts on the pharmaceutical advertising during Super Bowl LX.
GLP-1 ads were, in a word, meh
If you follow pharmaceutical trends, you know that GLP-1s are helping to consumerize healthcare. As such, I assumed they were more tapped into “patients as consumers,” and I had big expectations that their commercials would really break through.
First off, Ro’s ad, “Healthier on Ro,” starred Serena Williams. You couldn’t ask for a more powerful spokesperson, and the music was awesome. But the whole ad felt flat and a little uninspired. It was disappointing that her first big statement for Ro centered on weight loss. This, from one of the strongest female athletes we’ve ever seen. Having her prioritize losing weight over other benefits like “feeling better” or “moving better” just felt a little boring. Ro played it safe, and a little too expected, and none of that is why we tune in on Super Bowl Sunday.
Then we have Wegovy’s ad, “A New Way,” which starts with Keenan Thompson shouting, “Big news America, Wegovy now comes in a pill.” Obviously, this is big news, and to prove it, they brought in a number of A-list celebrities. While much of the talent appeared to be chosen because they could perhaps benefit from Wegovy, it was made clear they weren’t patients.
The ad centered on the concept, “If there was a pill to make me… I’d take it?” and from there, silly antics ensued. I love silly antics as much as the next person, but these didn’t make much sense and weren’t very funny. Playing Skee-Lo’s “I Wish” in the background was a nice touch, but it didn’t save this one for me.
If you want to make a funny commercial, make it funny. Slightly silly is quickly forgettable.
I was surprised that GLP-1s didn’t do better. The spotlight was on them, and they’d paid for one of the world’s biggest stages. Have fun. Be crazy. Be touching. Be more.
Five stars for authenticity
Things got good when TG Therapeutics entered the space with their ad, “It Sucks.” The scene was set. Christina Applegate sits in a living room, casual, no shoes, legs crossed in a comfy chair, talking to us about multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease she lives with. In plain language, she says, “It sucks — zero stars, would not recommend.”
Somehow, this level of genuine, upfront honesty is both refreshing and powerful. The authenticity in her humor and almost snarky delivery makes it clear that MS hasn’t gotten the best of her.
Even as someone who doesn’t have MS, I was compelled to “follow along” (i.e., sign up) with Christina’s journey on the campaign website, www.NextInMs.com. I’d love to see how this call to action performs, but it’s encouraging to know that TG Therapeutics understands building a patient community is an important initiative.
Christina says she and TG Therapeutics will be sharing honest conversations, and I believe it. I mean, she’s a woman who signed off with a “booyah.” How do you not love her?
The production was simple, the message was clear, and the delivery was fresh, candid, and sincere.
And the winner is…
Finally, midway into the third quarter, we see the Novartis ad, “Relax Your Tight End.”
OK, this one is good, people.
The ad featured famous football tight ends in full NFL gear, with one point deducted because New England’s beloved Gronk was in a Buccaneers uniform. As Enya’s mellow track plays softly in the background, setting the stage, the players do yoga, swing in hammocks, brush horses, and work on portrait paintings. They are, in fact, relaxed tight ends.
The ad promotes prostate cancer screening through a simple, “finger-free” blood test, with a call to action directing viewers to www.relaxitsabloodtest.com, a similarly fun, patient-friendly website. Prostate cancer screening is a big one for men. Historically, it’s something that’s given them the ol’ heebie-jeebies for years. Novartis wants to get past that. They had something important to say, and a creative way to say it.
This is how you do a Super Bowl commercial. Know your audience. Grab their attention. Make it funny. Make a point. And call them to act.
Overall
Yes, there were a few good ads at the Super Bowl this year, but not enough to keep me fully engaged amid the misfortune that unraveled for all New England fans during gametime.
When the day comes that Cramer Health brings a Super Bowl moment to life, we’ll build it to do three jobs at once: win attention, earn trust, and drive action.
- Be bold. Playing it safe isn’t what you do on the biggest stage.
- Know the audience. They might be knee-deep in nachos or mid-argument about the ref’s latest flag — understanding that context is how you cut through the noise.
- Be authentic. Whether the tone is sensitive, smart, or humorous, it has to connect to the brand, the product, and the goal in a real way.
This year’s ads left me wondering if the biggest, most memorable moments of the Super Bowl are shifting to the halftime performances. There seem to be more conversations about those shows the morning after the big game than about the idea that if you put an eagle on top of a Clydesdale, its shadow looks like a Pegasus.
So, congratulations to Novartis, the Seahawks, and Bad Bunny. They were all well-deserved wins.
