Regardless of what happens from here on out, the current health care reform clearlyĀ will offer no significant challenge to Big Pharma, which year after year rates among the top two or three most profitable industries in the world. This leaves the drug manufacturers free to carry out their vital, life-savingĀ work. One example of that work appears today onĀ John Mackās highly informative Pharma Marketing Blog:
A Long Island man infringed on Pfizerās trademark by towing a 20-foot replica missile with āViva Viagraā painted on its side through midtown Manhattan, eventually parking it in front of the drugmakerās 42nd Street headquarters, a federal judge ruled.
This story dates back to last year, when a couple of guys from the Island came up with theĀ rather kooky idea of using decommissioned military ordinance as an advertising medium. According to their web site, their company, Jet Angel,Ā ātakes the target marketing capabilities of mobile billboards and adds an experience for consumers to achieve the ultimate viewer captivationāāin other words, everyone is guaranteed to look at a giant missile being towed through the streets.
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Apparently seeking to prove this claim, theyĀ emblazoned a missile with the slogan from Pfizerās grotesque āViva ViagraāĀ ads, drove it around Manhattan, and hung out for a while in front of the drugmakerās corporate headquarters. They followed up with an email to Pfizer:
Jet Angel hopes that you enjoyed yesterdayās visit to NYC including all your free PR. It is the intention to make a second trip next week, with the VIAGRA Missile, and āridingā on top will be two models handing out free condoms!
LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE STARRING, THE JOY, THE IMPRESSIONS!!!!
Pfizer quickly sued the missile-launchers. (When the court issued a preliminary injunction, the feisty guys at Jet Angel returned to Pfizer HQ with the missile repainted to say āCENSORED BY A FEDERAL COURT.ā) A spokesperson told the Wall Street Journalās Law Blog that the company felt it was āimportant to protect the integrity of our medicines.ā
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Apparently,Ā Pfizer believed theĀ āintegrityā of the pioneering boner drug, which had weatheredĀ the companyāsĀ own creepy advertising campaigns (not to mention ED spokesmodel Bob Dole)Ā would beĀ harmed by what John Mack called the āerectile projectile.āĀ The court agreed, and has nowĀ ruled in Pfizerās favor, saying āDefendantsā midday sojourn with a missile to Pfizerās world headquarters traded on the fame and reputation of Viagra.ā
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Big Pharma has long claimed that it has to charge high prices for itsĀ products so that it can continue its research and development work, discovering new drugs that will save lives and serve humanity. In fact, as Marcia Angell and others have thoroughly documented, a largerĀ percentage ofĀ the industry’sĀ revenues goes to profits than to R&Dāand an even larger portion goes to āmarketing and administration,ā which includesĀ not onlyĀ myriad campaigns to promoteĀ the costlyĀ drugs, but alsoĀ legal fees to launch ridiculous lawsuits like this one.Ā
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In other words, every time you buy a Pfizer drug, the company puts a fraction of the proceeds toward defending its reputationĀ against things like penis-shapedĀ missiles on wheels.Ā And thereās nothing in the current health care reform that will throw thatĀ mission off course.
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This post also appears on James Ridgeway’s blog, Unsilent Generation.