Is The End of Animated Characters in Drug Ads Neigh?

Merck has decided to dump its furry white vs black feline critters in its new direct-to-consumer advertising campaign for Belsomra saying that “the original ad served its purpose " ; namely, breaking through the TV drug ad clutter to be noticed. Read the story below.I have to ask if this is a trend now that each brand using mascots has already " broken through " AND the FDA is beginning to look more closely at the use of animated characters in ads (read "FDA Will Apply the ' Uncanny Valley ' Hypothesis to Test the ' Eeriness ' of Animated Characters in Drug Ads" ). Or is it just Merck who got the jitters because those furry felines were particularly " eerie " ?Merck Will Try Belsomra Ads Without Mascots and Focus on Digital Media
Source: Pharma Marketing Blog - Category: Pharmaceuticals Tags: Belsomra FDA Mascots Merck Sleep Aid Drugs Source Type: blogs