“One Less” but you may also get fever, dizziness, or nausea!

As we discussed in class this week from Practices of Looking, the term “visual culture” encompasses a wide range of forms from fine art to films and television to advertising to visual data from science, law, and medicine. Scientific looking is not isolated from cultural contexts but rather, it is filled with ideologies and cultural meaning (we can’t get away from those ideologies, can we?).

Since the 90s, the United States has allowed direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs, allowing consumer-patients to receive information about medicine choices. Even though these consumer-patients cannot purchase such as drug without a doctor’s prescription, pharmaceutical companies market their drugs through direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising tactics (“ask your doctor about…”). Many of these ads offer abstract promises such as being more fulfilled, normal, happier, etc, through the use of images of people in post treatment states of being. Simultaneously, however, by law, these print ads and TV commercials are required to discuss the conditions and potential negative side effects the drug can produce. They will often try to do this as subtly as possible via fine print on print ads and verbally racing through them (listen out for the chipmunk squeal) at the end of the commercials.

On such advertising campaign that really lends to this topic is for Gardasil. In November 2006, Merck & Co., Inc. announced the launch of a national print, television, and online advertising campaign for the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine. Adding to Merck’s ongoing cervical cancer and HPV education efforts, the campaign, called One Less, encourages females who are eligible for the vaccine to begin their vaccination series and to also continue to see their doctor for regular healthcare and screening. To inform and encourage these girls and women, the campaign focuses on a strong and positive message that is designed to empower them to want to become (or help their daughters want to become) “one less” person who will battle cervical cancer.

The campaign also focuses on important information about the vaccine not being about to fully protect everyone and not being able to prevent all types of cervical cancer. In each of their ads, they always address that ongoing cervical cancer screenings are important. They also add that Gardasil is not for use in pregnant women and will not treat cervical cancer. Maybe just as popular as their tag line “one less” is their rant that “Gardasil can cause injection site-pain, swelling, itching and redness as well as fever, dizziness or nausea.” I can practically say that by-heart now.