Though most eyes are focused on the pharma ads that will air during the broadcast of Super Bowl LX on Sunday, a pair of pharma brands are taking a more analog approach with their marketing.
Both Sun Pharma and Soleno Therapeutics are running print ads in the official Super Bowl program, which is nearly 300 pages on average and distributed on-site.
Sun’s spread heralds its patient-focused campaign for Unloxcyt (cosibelimab-ipdl), an immunotherapy for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
Meanwhile, Soleno is running an ad to draw attention to Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare disorder that impacts an estimated 20,000 Americans.
Meanwhile, Soleno is running its ad in partnership with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association to elevate awareness of the latter organisation’s namesake condition.
The ad’s tagline, “There isn’t always a playbook,” spotlights the challenges faced by those living with Prader-Willi Syndrome. The condition’s most concerning and well-known symptom is hyperphagia, an unending hunger where a patient never feels full.
Released during an annual celebration where Americans consume record amounts of food, Soleno intended for its spot to contrast that experience with those who live with Prader-Willi as well as their caregivers.
As for Sun, its skin cancer campaign takes a spin on the day of the week of the big game.
As the name suggests, the SUNday campaign’s theme is intended to recognise Sunday as a day of connection and reflection, according to Frank Righetti, VP, head of the cutaneous oncology business unit at Sun.
Righetti noted that while the drugmaker’s effort is centred on Super Sunday, it actually took form at the Prix Galien Awards in October.
Considered the life sciences industry’s version of the Nobel Prizes, Sun introduced a spread in the evening’s program that was further developed into a broader, above-the-brand play for the Super Bowl.
“We decided this was a great idea and we decided to do it unbranded to keep it more focused on patients,” he said. “In essence, it’s a coming out for Sun Pharma in this setting.”
As part of the initiative, 1 million print copies of the program will be distributed at NFL-sponsored events throughout the year, beginning with the more than 70,000 people expected to attend the game.
Additionally, Sun’s branding will be hosted in ad slots on NFL.com, which received nearly 90 million visits in December. Righetti noted that the company’s ROI for the effort will be measured via metrics related to the website ad.
Compared to the estimated $8 million pharma brands are spending on the 30-second ad slot during the Super Bowl, Sun’s approach is much more budget-conscious.
Righetti said the company spent less than six figures on an effort to target an audience of approximately 50,000 advanced-stage patients, of which less than a third receive immunotherapy.
The more nuanced, targeted strategy for SUNday supports a drug that is trying to make inroads in a competitive market for skin cancer treatments.
Righetti acknowledged that Unloxcyt is third to market, trailing a pair of category leaders: Merck’s Keytruda and Regeneron’s Libtayo.
While the print ad and accompanying digital display may not unseat these established players in the space, Righetti said he’s focused on positioning Sun to succeed with an addressable segment of the market.
“We’re the third entry and we’ve come to say we don’t need to be the best, but we have to be the best for patients,” he said.
Source: MM+M.
