THE AD: In the Novartis 60-second Super Bowl ad, the first-time advertiser looks to bring attention to breast health with the help of breast cancer advocate Hailee Steinfeld, breast cancer survivor Wanda Sykes, and a bunch of cheerleaders, partygoers, and everyday women living their lives.
The ad hopes to grab attention and bring viewers to YouAttentionPlease.com for quizzes and information on breast cancer, and it’s doing so by putting all of its focus on breasts. As Steinfeld says in the ad’s teaser, the commercial looks to “give breasts the attention they deserve most.”
MY HOT TAKE: There are several images that come to mind when thinking about a pharma ad. And those images usually consist of smiling families, dogs running in the yard, and a proud—bordering on braggadocious—person announcing they have herpes. The rest of the ad consists of more smiling people as a voiceover rattles off a list of side effects almost scarier than the original disease.
Novartis is going for something different in its Super Bowl ad.
The ad seems to start somewhat lasciviously, putting a large focus on women’s breasts like the old beer ads of yesteryear. (More taste! Less filling! Also, less of these ads, please!) However, the narrative shifts from showing closeups of cheerleaders to focusing on women simply going about their days and shining the light on breast health. The goal is simple: Grab attention and get people to a website. To us, it seems it will definitely keep viewers abreast of valuable information.
Watch the Super Bowl 59 ad, “Your Attention, Please,” below:
