Pfizer Upjohn’s latest campaign encourages couples to #KeepItReal

Pfizer Upjohn, a division of Pfizer – one of the world’s premier biopharmaceutical companies – has launched a campaign #KeepItReal, to help make conversations about erectile dysfunction (ED) less of a taboo for couples, enabling them to discuss their problems and find a suitable solution. India has been called “the impotence capital of the world” by some¹, possibly because of its large population and the high prevalence of lifestyle diseases. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a medical condition in which a man is unable to get or maintain a penile erection,² which leads to no or unsatisfactory sexual intercourse. While treatment is easily available, men often shy away from addressing ED, which can lead to health and relationship issues.

The campaign was launched with a survey³ to gauge people’s knowledge of ED, its treatment and the factors that influence treatment. Interestingly, the survey revealed that 82% of women said that they would ask their partners to visit a doctor to get the right treatment for ED, instead of talking to friends or relying on home remedies. This highlights the crucial role women play in ensuring that their partners get timely and correct treatment from a doctor for ED.

 As part of the campaign, various findings from the survey will be used across earned, and owned media platforms. The brand has also launched its own social media platforms ‘Keep It Real with Pfizer Upjohn’ on Facebook and Youtube to create a community and raise awareness about the increasingly prevalent issue in the country.

 Ashutosh Munshi, Executive Vice President, Head, Brand Practice, Edelman India, said, “We created the Keep It Real campaign backed by an insight that Erectile Dysfunction takes a toll on both the suffering man and his partner; it often starts with an impact on their relationship. We are happy to partner with Pfizer Upjohn to make the conversation about ED less intimidating, while also creating awareness about this increasingly prevalent lifestyle disease. Each of the campaign elements were created keeping the consumer at the core, thereby earning their attention and driving engagement.”

 The film can be viewed on the brand’s Youtube page.

 The film begins at a bar, where a man strikes a conversation with an attractive woman who is seen celebrating her wedding anniversary all alone. The two spend the evening together and the woman accompanies the man to his house. As they are about to enter the house, he reveals that he is married. Plot twist: she is too, and the house is theirs! The man and woman are not strangers, but a married couple who have a child together. The two were trying to reignite their romance with a roleplay date.

 But when the man forgets his key to the house, it causes the wife to snap out of the roleplay and they start to bicker. Their conversation leads the viewer to understand that the couple has been having trouble being intimate because of the man’s ED. Finally, they stop bickering and get real about the issue. The wife assures her husband that they are in this together and suggests they visit a doctor to find a solution.

The film ends by encouraging couples not to skirt around the issue but to seek real treatment.

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[1] Mutha AS et al. An Observational Study to Evaluate the Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Prescribing Pattern of Drugs in Patients with ED Visiting an Andrology Specialty Clinic, Mumbai: 2012-14. J Clin Diagn Res. 2015;9(7):PC08-PC11.

^[2] .S. National Library of Medicine - MedlinePlus. Erectile Dysfunction. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/erectiledysfunction.html Accessed on Jun 17, 2020.

^[3] The Pfizer survey was conducted in two parts. The targeted automated user survey with 1MG was carried out in January 2020 and included 1042 men and women from Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, who bought products in the sexual wellness category on the 1MG platform. The Docplexus survey report on the experience of doctors with patients with ED was also carried out in January 2020 and included 307 doctors who were either urologists, andrologists, sexologists or consulting physicians. The doctors were practicing in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune or Ahmedabad.