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Primetime Pain Relief: OTC Pharma Brands Are Dominating Evening TV Ads

Written by EDO Team | July 21, 2023

Headaches, backaches, and other minor pains—we all suffer from them at one time or another. And to combat our aches and pains, a significant percentage of us turn to over-the-counter (OTC) medications. It's a product class most of us can relate to, especially when we’re kicking back to watch TV after a long day.

Indeed, EDO’s new analysis of TV ads in the OTC pain relief category finds that consumers are a whopping 94% more likely to engage with a primetime ad for a pain reliever than they are when an ad in this category runs during any other part of the day. And the most effective drug ads are the ones that show how the advertiser’s medicine will help achy viewers get back to their favorite activities.

These are just a few of the insights we learned from our recent Pharma Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pain Relievers TV Performance report.

Through our investment-grade engagement data, we help leading brands align advertising investments to business results by measuring how frequently consumers engage with a brand online or visit its website after seeing one of its ads. Our report details the insights we uncovered from analyzing every OTC pain relief TV ad that ran on TV from January through April of 2023.

Read on for a taste of what else you can learn from our pain relief findings.

A Pain-Free Look at Pharmaceutical TV Ads

EDO’s report offers an analytical look at the advertising spots for big pharma OTC pain reliever brands, including Voltaren, Aleve, and Icy Hot. We look at who had the most ad engagement, at which times, and during which TV programs.

 

For example, for Advil's top-performing TV ad from January to April 2023, TV ads that ran during Spanish-language family or sports-oriented programming saw the highest engagement from viewers on networks like Univision and Discovery en Español.

The report also looks at year-over-year industry trends of the ten drug brands with the highest engagement. The results found well-established brand names like Tylenol and Advil maintaining high positions and a new brand entering the top ten, Biofreeze. The brand's menthol formula is used for backaches, muscle pain, and minor arthritis conditions.

No Time for Pain? Download EDO's OTC TV Ads Report

The OTC pain relievers category is undoubtedly one of the most effective in TV advertising. With high relatability and perfect daypart placement, brands have the opportunity to connect with viewers in ways other creative spots simply can't.

In order to make the most of this opportunity, OTC pain relief brands can use EDO’s industry-leading engagement data to optimize their TV ad performance. By better understanding which kinds of ads work best, at which times, and on which networks, these brands can make the most thoughtful possible decisions about allocating their total ad spend.

If you're interested to know more, there are two things you can do right now. First, download your free copy of our "Pharma Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pain Relievers TV Performance, January-April 2023" report. This will give you a glimpse of the analytical approach that powers EDO's engagement data.

Then, contact us at EDO to learn how we can help your brand optimize performance by aligning your TV advertising measurement with your actual business results.