Viagra gets new lift as patent due to expire in 2002

SINGAPORE: Pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer is stepping up marketing of Viagra ahead of the loss of its exclusive patent on the anti-impotency drug next year when it expects competitors to launch similar drugs. The campaign's first phase, starting in a few months, will raise awareness of the problem of erectile dysfunction, while the second phase starting next year will be more brand specific. Bates, which handles the account, has created a print campaign showing five potted bamboo plants, three of which are wilting, to illustrate research findings that three in five men suffer from the ailment. To overcome the stigma, the ads use the term "erectile difficulties" rather than "erectile dysfunction". Alongside the print push, Bates' below-the-line agency 141 has launched a consumer PR campaign and is working on a direct mail campaign aimed at doctors. The PR work, at this stage, is a tactical initiative to clamp down on the black market trade in fake Viagra. People are turning to the black market because they are reluctant to talk to a doctor about their problems, according to Craig Mapleston, regional PR director at 141. Mapleston said people should be encouraged to see their doctor because erectile dysfunction could be a symptom for other health problems such as hypertension or depression. There was no incumbent agency on the Viagra account, which is Bates' first work for Pfizer in Singapore. Media will be booked through Zenith.

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