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Law, i
AVisualRhetoricalAnalysisofselectedNexiumPrescriptionDrugAdvertisements
AccordingtothemethodologyofSonjaFoss
by
JonathanLaw
SubmittedtotheDepartmentofCommunicationStudiesinpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeof
MastersofArtsinCommunication
at
LibertyUniversity
May2009
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TerriCornwell,Ph.D.
MichaelP.GravesPh.D.
ToddSmith,M.F.A.
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ThesisCommittee
___________________________________________________________
TerriCornwell,PhD.,ThesisChairDate
_____________________________________________________________
MichaelP.Graves,PhD.,ReaderDate
____________________________________________________________
ToddL.Smith,M.F.A.,ReaderDate
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Abstract
Direct‐to‐consumeradvertisinghasgatheredmuchnegativeattention.It’s
purposeisfilledwithquestionsofethicsandlegitimacy.Thisanalyticalstudytakesa
deeperlookintotheadvertisementsthatpromoteprescriptiondrugs.The
advertisementscanbeseenattheflipofamagazine,clickofabutton,orawalkdown
theroad.ThemethodologyforanalyzingvisualimagesaccordingtoSonjaFossprovided
aframeworktoprovideresults.Thispreliminarystudyfoundevidentproblemsinthe
drugadvertisingindustry.Furtherresearchwasbeckonedduetothefindingsofthis
exploratoryproject.
KeyTerms:Nexium,AstraZeneca,Direct‐to‐ConsumerAdvertising,PrescriptionDrugs,
andQualitative
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Dedication
OnbehalfofRossandNancyLawwhoinstilledinmehardworkethicsalongwith
perseverance.Theirguidanceandloveprovidedthemotivationnecessarytocomplete
thisstudy.
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Acknowledgements
Iwouldliketothankmyfamilyfortheirsupport,help,andencouragement.My
parentspushedmetoachievehigherthingsthenIthoughtimaginable.Mybrothers
taughtmetoconsistentlyworkhardandbepersistent,andwithoutthemIcouldnot
havemadeitthrough.
IalsowouldliketothankReverendGaryOrrwhopushedmetogoformy
masters.WithouthisextrapushIwouldnothaveconsideredfurthereducation.Thank
youforyoursupport.
Finally,Iwouldliketothankmycommitteewhoservedwithmethroughthis
process.Eachofyouprovidedgreatguidancetomyscholarship,butmoreimportantly
tomycharacter.Ithankeachofyou.
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Copyright©2009
JonathanLaw
AllRightsReserved
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Introduction
Irememberbeinginthedoctor’sofficeatayoungageof22explainingmy
symptomstothedoctor.Veryfewtestswhereconducted,andIsimplywastoldthatI
neededtotakeNexium.Thislackofexplanationandquickactionledtotheinitialtrivial
questionofdirect‐to‐consumeradvertising.Thequicknessofactionontheprescription
ofthedrug,andthelackofquestionsprobedfurtherresearch.
Irealizedthatthereismoretotheindustryofadvertisementprescriptiondrugs.
Idesiredtoanalyzethisindustry,butdidnotknowwheretostart.AtthispointIcame
acrossSonjaFossandhermethodologyofanalyzingvisualimages.Thishelpedshape
thestudyandprovideananalysisguideline.
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TableofContents
ThesisCommitteeSignatures....................................................................................................................... iii
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................................. iv
Dedication...............................................................................................................................................................v
Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................... vi
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….viii
TableofContents............................................................................................................................................... ix
ChapterOne‐ThePresentedProblem........................................................................................................ 1
ChapterTwo‐LiteratureReview .................................................................................................................. 4
ChapterThree‐Methodology .......................................................................................................................16
ChapterFour‐ApplicationandAnalysis:AdvertisementNumberOne.....................................19
ChapterFive‐ApplicationandAnalysis:AdvertisementNumberTwo.....................................32
ChapterSix‐ResultsandDiscussion .........................................................................................................42
WorksCited.........................................................................................................................................................45
Appendix ..............................................................................................................................................................48
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CHAPTERONE
THEPRESENTEDPROBLEM
Althoughdrugs,fromtonicsforhairgrowthtoheadachemedicines,havebeen
advertisedaggressivelysincetheearly20thcentury,prescriptiondrugadvertisinghas
onlyexistedsincetheearly1980’s.Becauseadvertisementsfordirect‐to‐consumer
(DTC)drugshavebeenwidelycriticized,researchintothemethodsusedandeffectsof
theseadvertisementsisimportant.Alookintosomeoftoday’stopsellingdrugsand
theiradvertisementscanproduceuniqueinsightintotheindustry.Arecentstudy
conductedbyRoyneandMyersstated,“Nearlyhalfoftherespondentsinboththe1999
andthe2002surveyswhorecalledseeingDTCadsindicatedthattheadmotivatedthem
toseekadditionalinformationfromtheirdoctor”(61).Thiselevatedrateofreturn
stronglybeckonsstudyintowhytheseadvertisementsaresosuccessful.
ArecentarticleintheWashingtonPostdiscussestheissueandtransitionsofthe
advertisingindustry.Thewriter,MelodyPeterson,discusseskeyissuesinregardstothe
industry’sgrowth.Shestates,
Today,ofcourse,drugcompaniesarehugelyprofitableenterprisesandthe
darlingsofbothWallStreetandKStreet,havingspentmoreonlobbyingthanany
otherindustrybetween1998and2004.Theirtransformationfromsmall
chemicalmanufacturerstomarketingmachineswithsidelinesindrug
developmentisowedinlargemeasuretoblockbusterdrugs.(Peterson,BW3)
Thearticlecontinuestofocusonthecompetitionintheindustryaswellastherisein
spendingonmarketingpharmaceuticaldrugs.
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Studiesrevealthatpharmaceuticalcompaniesspendmoreoftheirfundson
promotionandadvertisingthanonresearch.ArecentstudyconductedbyShaw
revealedthatAstra‐Zeneca,apharmaceuticalcompany,spent$216millionon
promotingitsdrugs.InthesameyearPepsionlyspent$212milliononpromotion.
Theprescriptiondrugindustrygrowsnearly100%everytwoyears.A1989
studyrevealedthatthedrugindustryspentacombined$712milliononDirectto
Consumeradvertising(DTCA).Thatfigureincreasedto$2.38billionin2001(Palumbo,
423).Theindustryhasundergonestudiestorevealtheincreaseinrevenue,butfew
studieshavebeendoneonitsadvertisements.
BecausethestrategiesusedinDTCadvertisingareextremelysuccessfulbasedon
financialrevenueandmoneyspentonDTCads,itisimportanttoevaluatethetactics
usedinthisformofadvertisingandtoanalyzewhatmakesthemsosuccessful.This
thesiswillattempttoanswerthefollowingquestions:
(1)WhatdoesDTCadvertisingconsistof?
(2)Whatconceptsandtermsderivedfromtheacademicstudyofvisualrhetoric
areusefultothestudyofDTCadvertising?
(3)WhatinsightsaboutDTCadvertisingcanbegainedfromtheapplicationof
conceptsandterminologydiscoveredinquestiontwo?
Thesectionstofollowanalyzescholarlyliteraturerelevanttotheadvertisingindustry’s
DTCads.Thenextchapterwillalsodiscussthemethodsdiscoveredinvisualrhetorical
scholarshipthatappeartobemostgermanetothestudyofDTCadsfordrugsandthat
willbeusedforthisstudy.
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ThisthesisanalyzestwoprintadvertisementsfromNexium’sdirect‐to‐consumer
database.Nexiumisadrugdevelopedanddistributedbypharmaceuticalgiant
AstraZeneca.Twoadvertisementsprovideastrongcomparisonandprovideasuccessful
foundationforusingvisualrhetoricalcritique.Nexiumalsohasanonlinepresence,but
thescopeofthisstudyisstrictlyrelatedtotheprintmedia.
Thisstudy,althoughuniqueandbeneficial,doeshaveafewlimitations.The
averagemagazineconsumermaynotlookasintentionallyuponanadvertisementasthis
studyhas.Heorshealsomayhaveseveralotherthingsoccurringatthetimetheadisin
view.Frequentmagazineviewerstypicallywillnotlookasintentionallyatapresent
advertisement.DominickL.FroschandPatrickM.Krueger’sstatethat,“viewersare
alsolikelytointerpretDTCAbasedontheirownbeliefsaboutthepowerofmedication
andtheroleoflifestylechange”(3).TheirstudyfocusedpredominantlyonTVads,but
thislimitationexistsforthisstudy.Theseconstraintsshouldbetakenintoconsideration
whenreadingthisthesis.
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CHAPTERTWO
REVIEWOFLITERATURE
Direct‐to‐ConsumerAdvertising
AccordingtoWilkes,Bell,andKravitz:
Direct‐To‐Consumer(DTC)Advertisingofprescriptiondrugsisaffectingpatients,
doctors,andhealthcareorganizationsinprofoundbutnotalwayspredictable
ways.Inarecentsurveymorethanone‐thirdofrespondentsreportedasking
theirdoctorsforinformationaboutadrugtheyhadseenorheardadvertised.
(Wilkes,Bell,andKravitz,111)
DirecttoConsumer(DTC)advertisinginfiltratesalmosteveryhomeinAmerica.The
industryhasbecomeoneofthemostprofitableandcontroversialbusinessesin
existenceandisthereforeofsignificancetobestudied.Adeffectivenessisalarge
portionofthisstudy,makingitnecessarytoanalyzeliteraturethatgivesahistorical
accountofDTCadvertising.Thischapteranalyzesresearchonthepharmaceutical
advertisingindustryandshowshowitrelatestothisstudy.
BeforeIdiscussthehistoryofDTCadvertising,theterm“DTCadvertising”must
bedefined.ThetermDirecttoConsumeradvertisingisusuallydirectlyrelatedtothe
pharmaceuticalindustry.Vogtstates:
Direct‐to‐Consumeradvertisingisusuallydescribedasanypromotionaleffortby
pharmaceuticalcompaniestopresentprescriptiondruginformationtothe
generalpublicthroughthelaymedia.DTCadvertisingshowsupinmagazines,
newspapers,non‐medicaljournals,pharmacybrochures,anddirect‐mailletters,
andontelevision,radio,videos,andInternetwebsites.Anyonewhowatches
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televisionorlistenstotheradiotodayhaslikelyseenorheardsomesortofDTC
advertisementforprescriptiondrugs.(Vogt,1)
Individualsintoday’scultureareconstantlybombardedwiththesetypesof
advertisements.TheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)breaksDTCadvertisement
intothreecategories:
• “Product‐claim”adsthatincludeaproduct’snameandatherapeuticclaim
abouttheproduct.
• “Help‐seeking”adsthatdiscussaparticulardiseaseorhealthcondition
andadvisetheconsumerto“seeyourdoctor”butdonotmentionthe
product’sname.
• “Reminder”adsthatcallattentiontotheproduct’snamebutmakeno
referencetothehealthconditionthedrugisusedtotreat.1
Giventheaboveinformation,anoverviewofthepharmaceuticaladvertising
industryfollows.Thisindustryhasundergonenumeroustransitionsinthepastone
hundredyears.TheFoodandDrugLawJournalof2002revealedthatprevioustothe
onsetofDTCads,prescriptiondrugadvertisingwasdirectedprimarilytothedoctors
andprescribersofmedicineratherthantheconsumers.Thesamejournalstated:
Aspatientsbecamemoreinvolvedintheirtreatment,drugcompaniesexpanded
theirpromotionaleffortstoincludeconsumers.ThefirstU.S.prescriptiondrug
printadvertisementdirectedtotheconsumerwasissuedin1981byBoots
Pharmaceuticals,aBritishdrugcompanywhoseAmericansubsidiarywaslocated
1GatheredfromtheFoodandDrugAdministration.
[http://www.fda.gov/cder/handbook/adverdef.html]
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inShreveport,Louisiana,fortheibuprofenproduct,Rufen.(Palumbo;Mullins,
424)
Asthe20thcenturyprogressed,thepharmaceuticalcompaniesrealizedthatconsumers
desiredtohavemoreofavoiceintheirmedicaltreatment.Pharmaceuticalcompanies
realizedthattheyhadagoldenopportunitytocapitalizeonthisphenomenon.
FollowingthereleaseofthisfirstDTCadvertisementintheearly1980’s,Palumbo
andMullinsstate,“ThefirstU.S.prescriptiondrugprintadvertisementdirectedtothe
consumerwasissuedin1981byBootsPharmaceuticals,aBritishDrugcompanywhose
AmericansubsidiarywaslocatedinShreveport,Louisiana,fortheibuprofenproduct,
Rufen.”Manyotherpharmaceuticalcompaniesfollowedsuitandbegantoreleasetheir
ownadvertisements.AccordingtoPalumboandMullinsintheFoodandDrugJournal,
“InSeptember1982,facedwithanovelconceptforwhichtheFDAwasunprepared,the
CommissioneroftheFDAissuedaformalrequesttothepharmaceuticalindustryfora
voluntarymoratoriumonDTCadvertisements”(424).TheFDAdidthistogivethe
agencytimetoresearchtheindustryandthepossibleeffectsofDTCadvertising.The
FDAwasnotpreparedtoputclearrestrictionsontheindustryatthatpoint.
RegardingtheresearchperiodbytheFDA,MorrisandMillsteinstated,“During
themoratorium,FDAandtheindustryconductedseveralstudiesontheeffectsofDTC
advertisements.Onestudy,commissionedbytheFDA,showedthatconsumersretained
moreinformationaboutthebenefitsoftheproductsthantherisks”(Morrisand
Millstein,497).ThisprovidedtheinformationthattheFDAneededtostartsettingup
somekindofregulationsregardingthiscontroversialtypeofadvertising.Another
importantpointthattheFDArealizedduringthisperiodwasthatindividualspurchasing
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prescriptiondrugswantedmoreinformation,andpotentiallywouldviewDTC
advertisingfavorably(Morris,BrinbergandKlimberg,82).
TheroadtothisdevelopmentwaslongandfullofconfusionasDTCadvertising
wentthroughmanytransitionalperiods.Asnotedabove,priorto1981pharmaceutical
advertisementsweredirectedtophysiciansandplacesthatprovidedhealthcare.
Regulationsforthisportionoftheindustryoccurredlongbefore1981.Thefollowing
sectionwillprovideabriefsummaryregardingtheindustry,whichbirthedDTC
advertising.
In1906theFDApressuredlegislationtoissuetheWileyAct.Thisbasically
touchedonthelabelofprescriptiondrugsandonlystatedthattheycouldnotbe
misleading.Theactspecifiedthataproductwasmisleadingormisbranded“onlyifits
labelcontainedfalsestatementsaboutitsingredients’curativeortherapeuticeffects
(PalumboandMullins,425).PalumboandMullinsnotethatthisleftroomforerrorin
regardstodrugs.Therestillwerequestionsofsafetyandefficiencythatwerenot
addressedinthepromotionalcopylabel.Atthispointintimethelabelwastheonly
formofpromotionforaproduct.
From1906to1938technologygrewrapidly,asdidadvertisingtechniques.
Therefore,newregulationappearedtobenecessary.TheFederalFood,Drug,and
CosmeticActof1938soonreplacedtheWileyActandaddressedotherimportantissues
suchasfraudulentmarketingtechniques(Toumlin,16).Thisactgrantedregulationof
advertisementstotheFederalTradeCommission.Themainreasonfortheswitchfrom
theFDAtotheFTCwasduetotheinfluenceoftheCommissionerwhowasinplace,Ewin
Davis(PalumboandMullins,426).HewasthemajorlobbyistfortheFTCatthetime.
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AccordingtoPalumboandMullins,EwinDavis’slobbyingeffortswereextraordinary
anddrewmuchattentiontotheissueofprescriptiondrugadvertising(426).EwinDavis
showedthatitwaspossibletochangethecurrentstatusofthedrugadvertising
industry.
Themajorissueatthispointwasthatbefore1951therewasnoclearline
betweenoverthecounterdrugsandprescriptiondrugs.PalumboandMullinsstated,
“In1951,theDurham‐HumphreyamendmentstotheFDCArequireddrugsthatarenot
safeforuseexceptundermedicalsupervisiontobedispensedonlybyprescriptionof[a]
licensedpractitioner”(426).Thisisacriticalhistoricalevent,whichwouldeventually
leadtothecontroversialissueofDTCadvertising.Followingthisimportantdecisionin
1962,regulationpowerwasgivenbacktotheFDA.2Duringthetimeofthistransition,
prescriptiondrugadvertisingwasnotpracticedsoitisnotreferencedintheact.The
FDAintheU.S.CodeCollectionstatesthatadsmustcontain“informationinbrief
summaryrelatingtothesideeffects,contraindications,andeffectiveness”(352).Allof
thishasledtothecurrentstateofFDAregulation,whichisstatedabove.Thisis
essentialtothestudybecauseitprovidesanunderstandingastopublicpolicyregarding
thepharmaceuticaladvertisingindustry.Itprovidesabackdropforthecurrent
conditionoftheindustryandcanexplainthenecessityofhavingregulationonthings
suchasdrugs.
ThereisstillnegaidingspeculationregardingtheFDA’sguidelinestothecurrent
conditionofDTCadvertising.AnarticleinHealthAffairsstated,
2ForfurtherinformationseeKefauver‐HarrisDrugAmendments.
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TheFDA’soversighthasnotpreventedcompaniesfrommakingmisleading
claimsinsubsequentadvertisements,andarecentpolicychangehaslengthened
theFDA’sreviewprocess,raisingthepossibilitythatsomemisleadingcampaigns
couldruntheircoursebeforereview.(Gahart,Duhamel,Dievler,andPrice,1)
Thisisimportanttothestudybecauseitprovidesaperspectivefromwhichtoviewthe
currentconditionofdirect‐to‐consumeradvertisements.
Itwillalsobebeneficialtoprovideaconcisehistoryoftheproductunderthe
microscope.Nexium’shistoryhasgatheredmuchrecognitionregardthebillionsof
dollarsofrevenue.
NexiumisaproductofAstraZeneca,whichisoneofthemostprofitable
pharmaceuticalcompaniesinexistence.Nexium,accordingtheproduct’swebsite,isan
esomeprazolemagnesiumdevelopedtocombatissuessuchasheartburnandacidreflux.
AccordingtoNexiumResearch.com,Nexiumisplacedinthecategoryofprotonpump
inhibitorsalongwithdrugssuchasPrilosecandPrevacid.Thebasicgoalofthese
productsistoreducetheproductionofacidinthestomach.
Accordingtothe2001annualreportunderthe“KeyProducts”section,Nexium
wasfirstlaunchedinSwedeninAugustof2000.Thereportcontinues,“Nexiumwas
launchedin82marketsduring2001includingtheU.S.,Canada,andkeyEuropean
countries.”Thiswassimplythebeginningofwhatisknownasthefamous“purple‐pill.”
A2004articleinFreshNewsstated,“in2004,Nexium‐‐aka,thePurplePill‐‐wastheNo.1
drugdirectlymarketedtoconsumersinAmerica”(Watson,1).FromthispointNexium
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continuedtobeoneofthetop‐grossingprotonpumpinhibitors.In2006AstraZeneca
spentwelloverabilliondollarstoadvertiseproducts,especiallyNexium(Staton,1).
Nowthatafoundationhasbeenlaidinthetopicofprescriptiondrugadvertising
andabriefhistoryofNexiumwasprovided,thevisualrhetoricalframeworkwillnowbe
outlined.Thissectionwillsetouttheconceptsandterminologyneededtoanalyze
pharmaceuticaladvertisements.Thissectionwillfirstjustifyvisualrhetoricasa
legitimateformofanalysisaswellasdiscussthespecifictheoriesusedtoanalyzeDTC
advertising.
AccordingtoastudyconductedbyLawrenceJ.MullenandJulieD.Fisher:
Inthelate‐1980’sand1990sSonjaFossdevelopedaresearchprogramusing
rhetoricalstrategiestoexaminevisualimages...Providingalanguageandanew
waytothinkaboutvisualimages,herworkcontinuestoinfluencethestudyof
visualimages.(185)
SonjaFosswasnot,however,thefirsttoexaminevisualimages,butherareasoffocus
playedalargeroleinmakingthestudyalegitimateareaofattention.3Thisformof
rhetoricalstrategieswillprovidethemajorityofthemethodologyusedforthisstudy
(describedindetailbelow).
SonjaFossprovidesamaptoinitiatethissectionbybreakingthetopicdowninto
threeclearlylaidoutareas:(1)definitionsofvisualrhetoric;(2)areasoffocusinthe
studyofvisualrhetoric;and(3)approachestotherhetoricalstudyofvisualartifacts
(HillandHelmers,304).Fossarguesthatthesethreetopicscanchangetheworldof
3SeeT.Benson:TheRhetoricalStructureofFrederickWiseman’sHighSchool,orM.J.Medhurst&M.DeSousa,:PoliticalCartoonsasRhetoricalForm.
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rhetoricalstudiesinsignificantways.Shewritesfromacontemporaryperspectiveof
theoryandcriticizesnormalrhetoricalstudiesfornotrecognizingimagesasaformof
persuasion.Herargumentisthatvisualimagescanbejustaspowerfulorevenmore
potentthantheverbal.ShewritesthefollowingintheHandbookofVisual
Communication:
Inthemostbasicsense,rhetoricisanancienttermforwhatnowtypicallyis
calledcommunication.Visualrhetoricisaverynewareaofstudywithinthis
centuries‐olddiscipline.Thelate1980’swasthefirstformalcallmadetoinclude
visualimagesinthestudyofrhetoric,whichuntilthenhadbeenconceived
exclusivelyasverbaldiscourse.Inthatyear,attheNationalConferenceof
Rhetoric,convenedbytheSpeechCommunicationAssociation,a
recommendationproducedbytheconferenceparticipantscalledforan
expansionofthestudyofrhetoric.4(141)
The1970’sbroughtanexpansionofthisnewareaofthinkinginvisualrhetoric,which
hasasitsbasisthestudyofvisualdepictionsthatcanpersuadeanindividualtoaction.
Manyrhetoricalscholarsdisregardvisualrhetoric,butFossstates,“Visual
artifactsconstituteamajorpartoftherhetoricalenvironment,andtoignorethemto
focusonlyonverbaldiscoursemeansweunderstandonlyaminisculeportionofthe
symbolsthataffectusdaily”(ascitedinHillandHelmers,303).Fosscontinuesto
formulatetherelationshipbetweenrhetoricandtheneedforvisualrhetoric.She
elaboratesonthistopicandstates,“Becauserhetoricaltheoryhasbeencreatedalmost
exclusivelyfromthestudyofdiscourse,rhetoricianslargelylacksophisticated4ForcompletehistoricaccountofrhetoricconsiderWendyOlmsted.
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understandingoftheconventionsthroughwhichmeaningiscreatedinvisualartifacts
andtheprocessesbywhichtheyinfluenceviewers”(ascitedinHillandHelmers,303).
Thisstatementdepictsthegapthatcanexistbetweenvisualrhetoricand“normal”
rhetoric,butinrealityvisualrhetoricusesthesametheories,andmore,astraditional
rhetorictoanalyzethevisualratherthantheverbal.Intoday’ssocietyvisualimagesare
effectivewaysofpersuadingindividuals.Itisimpossibletogoforawalkwithoutseeing
anadvertisementoraphotographthatwasdesignedtopersuade.Fossgoesfurtherto
explainandquoteAudigier:“humanexperiencesthatarespatiallyoriented,non‐linear,
multidimensional,anddynamicoftencanbecommunicatedonlythroughvisualimagery
orothernondiscursivesymbols”(Foss,303).
AccordingtoFosstherearethreemainareasoffocusinregardstovisualobjects:
...nature,function,orevaluation.Inthispillaroftheframeworkforstudiesof
visualrhetoric,naturedealswiththecomponents,qualities,andcharacteristics
ofvisualartifacts;functionconcernsthecommunicativeeffectsofvisualrhetoric
onaudiences;andevaluationistheprocessofassessingvisualartifacts.(ascited
inHillandHelmers,307)
Thesethreeareasoffocusprovideapathforthisstudythatcanhelptheevaluation
processofadvertisementsandmorespecificallyDTCadvertising.Itwillbebeneficialto
lookateachoneoftheseindepthtoprovideafirmfoundationfortheframeworkthat
willbeusedtoevaluateDTCadvertising.
Natureisbrokendownfurtherintotwoseparatecomponents,whichinclude
presentedelementsandsuggestedelements.Thepresentedelementsincludenaming
thedominantphysicalfeaturessuchascolor,space,andmedium.Theseelementsare
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physicallypresentinregardstothevisualandleavelittleroomforassumptions.
Outliningthepresentedelementscanleadtoanevaluationofthesuggestedelements,
whicharebasedaroundviewerassumptions;Fossstates,“Itistheprocessof
discoveringtheconcepts,ideas,themes,andallusionsthataviewerislikelytoinferfrom
presentedelements”(ascitedinHillandHelmers,307).MullenandFisherarguethat
thisistheprocessof“theidentificationofvisualconceptswithinanimagesuchaslines,
textures,colors,lighting,cameraangles,andvariousotheridentifiablevisualconcepts”
(MullenandFisher,187).Anexampleofsuggestedelementsinthevisualwouldbethe
ornategoldleafingonbuildings,whichdepictwealthandpower(Kanangieter12‐13).
Thesecondareaoffocusisthefunctionofavisualartifact.AsoutlinedbyFoss,it
is“theactionitcommunicates”(ascitedinHillandHelmers,309).Advertisingiscreated
tocauseanaction,predisposition,orattitudeintheviewer.Onceavisualartifactis
created,thefunctioncantakeondifferentformsdependingontheviewer.Thefunction
isdepictedthroughtheviewerandtheindividualevaluatingthevisualobject.The
intentofthe“artist”orproducerisirrelevanttothefunction,accordingtoFoss.
Edwardsrevealsanexampleofthisconceptbystating,“oneuseoficonicimagesistheir
appropriationtonewcontexts,wheretheyfunctiontocreateanalogiesthatrecallpast
momentsandsuggestfuturepossibilities”(HillandHelmers,308).Theseimages
includetheuseofvisualobjectstopromotethingsthatmaycome,whichareparticularly
relevanttoadvertisingthatseekstopromotefutureconsumerbehavior.Accordingto
Foss,thisnewwayofthinkingcantransformrhetoricaltheory.FossandGriffinrelease
whatseemstobeawarninginregardstothisformofanalysis:“Exactlywhatthe
messageisofanartifactisoftenopentomyriadinterpretations,limitingitspersuasive
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potentialbutexpandingitspotentialtocommunicatefunctionsthatmaybeless
dominatingandmoreinvitational”(ascitedinHillandHelmers,309).
Asstatedabove,Fosstakesthepositionthatthefunctioncanbedifferentfrom
thecreator’svieworthecritic’s.Similarly,accordingtoMullenandFisher,theprocessis
predominatelytheroleofthereceiver(187).MullenandFisheralsoobservethatthe
functionis“notthefunctionintendedbyanadvertisement’screator,butrather
encompassestheactiontheimagecommunicatesasnamedbythecritic”(187).
Thefinalareaoffocusistheevaluationoftheartifact.Itisthejobofthe
rhetoricalanalystintheevaluationsteptoassesshowwellthefunctionisactually
communicated.ThisareaoffocusissummarizedbyFossinthisway:“Ifanartifact
functionstomemorializesomeone,forexample,suchanevaluationwouldinvolve
discoveryofwhetheritsmedia,colors,formsandcontentactuallyaccomplishthat
function”(HillandHelmers,ed.309).Thisformofevaluationisusedwhenlookingat
theartist’sintendedfunction,comparedtothefunctionofthecritic.Fossrevealsthat
thisthirdareacanalsobelookedatfromanotherperspective.Shestatesinregardsto
functions:“Reflectingontheirlegitimacyorsoundnessdeterminedlargelybythe
implicationsandconsequencesofthosefunctions—perhaps,forexample,whetheran
artifactiscongruentwithaparticularethicalsystemorwhetheritoffersemancipatory
potential”(ascitedinHillandHelmers,309).Thisformofevaluationplacesthe
functioninaspecificcontextandlooksatthefunctionfromtheethicalframework.
MullenandFisherprovideaclearexampleregardingthisideaofevaluationof
functions:
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Ifatelevisioncommercial,oradfromsomeothervisualmedium,istofunctionto
increasethesalesofaproductandsalesdonotincrease,thenonemightsaythat
thefunctionoftheadisofpoorquality,atleastintermsofsales.Butevenifthe
image’sfunctionisfulfilledonthisbaselevel,onemustalsoconsiderits
legitimacyandappropriateness.(188)
Thisperhapsisthemostcriticalportionoftheanalysisprocess.Thisareaoffocuscan
definetheadvertisementasasuccessorfailureinethicalterms.
ArecentstudyledbyMullenandFishertookmanyofFoss’sstrategiesandput
themtopracticaluseinregardstotheprescriptiondrugadvertisingindustry.Thestudy
isclearlylaidoutinthelanguageofthefollowingportionoftheabstract:
BycombiningtwomethodsofrhetoricalvisualanalysisdevelopedbySonjaFoss,
thisstudy“elaborates”hertechniques.Ananalysisofprescriptiondrug
advertisementthatwascommonlyseeningeneralinterestmagazineswasused
totesttheelaboratedmethod.(185)
MullenandFisherprovidethetechniquethatIwillappropriatetogenerateapatternof
analysisandmuchofthemethodolologicalrigorofthepresentstudy.Mullenand
Fisher’sstudytakesmanyofFoss’stechniquesandadaptsthemtoprescriptiondrug
advertisinginanelaboratedfashion.Thisthesiswilltakeasimilarapproachbutwill
limitSonjaFoss’sstrategiestostrictlythenature,function,andevaluationofvisual
images.
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CHAPTERTHREE
METHODOLOGY
ThemainmethodologyofthisthesisistheadaptionofSonjaFoss’stheories
regardingvisualartifactscombinedwiththeapproachestoDTCadvertisingasextended
andappliedbyMullenandFisher.Thisprojectwilltakeonasimilarapproach,as
statedintheliteraturereview,asoutlinedinLawrenceMullenandJulieFisher’sstudy,A
VisualAnalysisofPrescriptionDrugAdvertisingImagery:ElaboratingFoss’sRhetorical
Techniques.
Thisthesiswillevaluatetwoadvertisements.Therationaleforchoosingtwoads
istwofold:(1)tosuitablydepicttheuseoftheanalysisprocessand(2)toprovideasolid
baseforacomparisonandcontrast.Acompareandcontrastapproachwillfacilitatethe
identificationofthesimilaritiesanddifferences.Choosingtwoadvertisementsfromthe
sameproductattwodifferentperiodsintimecanenableawidervarietyofstudyand
revealthedifferencesinnature,function,andevaluation.
Thetwoadvertisementsselectedarefromthecampaigntomarketthevery
controversial“purplepill.”ThefamousNexiumadvertisementsareputunderthe
microscopeofFoss’stheories.Thisdrugisusedtotreatheartburnandisoftenaccused
oftargetingwomen.Thisiscriticalbecauseofthequantityofadsthatwerecreated.
NexiumisproducedbyacompanyknownasAstraZeneca,whichisthesupplierand
distributor.AccordingtoTracyStaton,ajournalistforFiercePharma,in2007
AstraZenecaspentcloseto$700milliononadvertisingandpromotion.Thelargest
portionofthoseadvertisementsexistedinmagazines.Infact,$200millionofthattotal
wasusedforprintadvertising.
Law,17
ThereareseveralreasonswhytheNexiumadswereselected.First,these
advertisementshavefrequentlyprovokedcontroversyasmanypreviousstudieshave
stated.Therehavebeenlawsuitsoverthealleged“money‐hungrycorporation”to
changeaproductnamefromPrilosectoNexium.Priloseccostsaboutaneighthof
Nexiumandcanbeboughtover‐the‐counter(Hagens‐Bermen).Immediatelythis
changeraisesethicalquestionsandisoneoftheprimaryreasonswhytheNexium
advertisementswereselected.DTCadvertisingingeneralhasinvitedattentiononthe
issuesofethicsandlegitimacy.TheGeneralAccountingOfficedevelopedareporttitled,
FDAOversightofDirecttoConsumerAdvertisingHasLimitations,anditstates:
ThepotentialconsequencesofprintandbroadcastDTCadvertisinghave
promptedmuchdebate.SupportersofDTCadvertisingmaintainthatiteducates
consumersaboutmedicalconditionsandcareoptionsandthattheincreaseduse
ofprescriptiondrugsthatDTCadvertisingencourageshasimprovedthepublic’s
health.CriticsofDTCadvertisingcontendthatitissometimesmisleading,leads
consumerstoseekprescriptiondrugswhenothertreatmentsmaybemore
appropriate.(GOA)
Withthatstated,twoprintadvertisementsforAstraZeneca’sNexiumisselectedat
randomforthisstudy.Thetwofollowingchaptersarebrokendownbythethree
differentcategoriesregardingFoss’sthree‐stepmethod.Theyconsistofnature,
function,andevaluation.Eachoftheadvertisementswillbecomparedusingthese
strategies.5
5NumerousattemptshavebeenmadetocontactAstraZenecabyphoneandemailbuttheyhavebeenunresponsive.
Law,18
MullenandFisherfurthermorecategorizeandlumpfunctionandevaluationinto
whattheycalltheEvaluationofimages(187).MullenandFisherstate,“Theprocedure
fortheevaluationofimagesfocuseson1)identifyingthefunctionoftheimage,2)
assessingthefunction,and3)analyzingtheconnectionbetweenthefeaturesofthe
imageandthefunctionoftheimage.”Thisprovidesasolidfoundationtoguidethis
study,andtheseelementswillbeseenthroughthefollowingtwoanalysischapters.
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CHAPTERFOUR
APPLICATION&ANALYSIS:ADVERTISEMENTNUMBERONE
AReporttoCongressionalRequestersdevelopedbytheUnitedStatesGeneral
AccountingOfficestatedinthereportofprescriptiondrugs:
Spendingondirect‐to‐consumeradvertisingofprescriptiondrugshastripledin
recentyears.Pharmaceuticalcompaniespromotetheirproductsdirectlyto
consumersthroughadvertisementsinmagazines,newspapers,andconsumer
brochures;ontheInternet;andonradioandtelevision.(GAO,1)
Thischapter’sanalysisfocusesonthistypeofpromotion.Specifically,hereapopular
printadproducedanddistributedbyAstraZenecaontheprescriptiondrugNexiumwill
bescrutinized.TheNexiumadwillbeexaminedunderthemicroscopeofSonjaFoss’s
visualrhetoricalmethodsstrategyinhopesofdiscoveringarationaleforsuchahigh
return.6Asnotedpreviously,thosethreecriticalpartsofanalysisarethenatureofthe
ad,thefunctionofthead,andtheevaluationofthead.
Toprefacethestudyitisbeneficialtolookoveranddefineafewofthekeydesign
conceptsthatarediscussed.Thisiscriticaltounderstanddifferentgraphicelementsas
wellasspecificdesignlanguagethatwillbeused.
Thisstudywillusetheclassicgraphicdesigntheoryinregardstothevisual
analysisthatwilltakeplace.ManyofthetermstofollowaredefinedbyBonnieSkaalid
fromtheUniversityofSaskatchewan.6Aspreviouslystated,thereisa40%returnondirect‐to‐consumeradvertising.
Law,20
Thefirstconceptisthatoflines.Lineshavethepowertoconveyamood.
Differenttypesoflinessuchascurvedlines,jaggedlines,orverticallinesallconveya
differentmessage.Skaalidthenmovesontodiscusstheelementsofvalueanddesign.
Shedefinesvalueas“therelativelightnessordarknessofacertainarea.”Valuebasically
referstoapicture’slighting,anditcanbeusedtoemphasizeaspecificpartofthe
picture,orcanbeusedtodrawattentionawayfromaspecificpartofthepicture.Color
valueisthelightnessordarknessofaspecificcolor.Hueisstronglycorrelatedwiththis
concept.Colorshavetheabilitytoportrayaspecificmeaning.Colorsusedindifferent
circumstanceshavegivencolortheabilitytodescribesomething,forexample
purple=royalty.
Finally,Skaaliddiscussesthetermsspaceanddepth,whichwillbebeneficialfor
thisstudy.Shestates,“Weliveinathree‐dimensionalworldofdepth.Whenwelook
aroundus,somethingsseemcloser,somefurtheraway.Theartistcanalsoshowthe
illusionofdepth...“.Furthermorespaceanddeptharebrokenintosizeandvertical
location,overlapping,detail,andlinearperspective.Theseissuesallplayaroleingiving
aflatimagedifferentperspective,forexample,usingsizetomakeobjectsinpictures
fartheraway.Detailisalsoaverycommonuseindesign;furtherawayobjectshavea
tendencyofhavinglessdetail.Thesearejustafewoftheconceptsthatareused,andit
isvitaltothestudytounderstandtheelementsandterminologyofdesign.
Tocommencetheanalysis,thischapterbeginswithadescriptionofthead,astep
thathelpsilluminatethenatureofthead,acopyofwhichisfoundintheappendix.This
stepincludesabasicsummaryofadepictionoftheadaswellasadiscussionofthe
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presentedandun‐presentedelementsintheadvertisement.Thosethingsthatarenot
physicallypresentintheadvertisement,butarethingsthattheadvertisershaveelected
nottosayortoshowcandefineun‐presentedelements.
ThefirstadvertisementselectedwasapprovedbytheFDAin1997accordingtoa
2004NewYorkTimesarticle.Theopeningheadlinereads:“It’shappeningacross
America.”Thesewordsarefollowedbyabriefstatementexplainingthegrowing
numberofNexiumpatientsasrecommendedbydoctors,whichmeansthatprescribed
doctorshavehelpedthesuccessofNexiumthroughprescriptions.Theadpicturesan
aerialviewlookingoverneighborhoodswithamountainskylineinthebackground.
Manyoftherooftopsdepictedintheadarepurple,butnotallofthem.Someroofsare
simplygrayorwhite,buttheyjustfadeintothesurroundings.Thereisacurvinglinein
themiddleoftheadseparatingthepicturefromthetext’sdominantlowerrightandleft
sectionsofthead.Thereisapillbridgingthegapbetweentheupperpartoftheadand
thelowerpart.Thisadvertisementcontainstwosections,whichaccordingtoRoyneand
Myers,includes“anFDArequiredportioncontainingriskinformationandapromotional
portioncontainingthepersuasivemessage”(68).Forcompletedepiction,refertothe
advertisementintheAppendix.7Thefollowingsectionsofthischapterlookatthe
nature,function,andevaluationoftheabovedescribedadvertisement.
7Pleasenote,onlythefrontsideoftheadvertisementwillbeanalyzed.Thereversesideconsistsofdetailedmedicalinformation.
Law,22
NATURE
Withthedescriptioninhand,thesectionstofollowwillbegintoanalyzethe
rhetoricalappealofthisadvertisement.Thestudycannowturntothenatureofthe
advertisement,whichsetsthefoundationtoprovideaproperclearseg‐wayintothe
functionandevaluationoftheadvertisement.
Thissectionwillbreakdowntheadvertisementevenfurtherandwillprovide
insightintoapossibledeepermeaningofthevisualadvertisement.Asstatedinthe
literaturereview,thenatureoftheadisidentifyingtheideas,themes,andallusionsthat
theviewerwilltakeawayafterlookingatthead.Tounderstandthenatureofthe
advertisementitiscriticaltodepictthevisualelementsasstatedbyMullenandFisher.
Theseelementsconsistoflines,textures,lighting,color,andothervisualelementsthat
canbeidentified(MullenandFisher,187).Furthermore,MullenandFishercallthese
theproductionelementsoftheadvertisement.Theproductionelementsaswellasthe
aestheticelementsarecombinedtoformthenatureelementofanadvertisement.From
thispointacriticcandepictthepresentedandun‐presentedelementsinan
advertisement.
Toidentifytheseelementstheadisobservedfromitsmostdominantfeatures,
movingontoperhapsitsmoreoverlookedfeatures.Thefirstthingthatdrawstheeyes
intheadisthecenterpictureoftheneighborhoodwithpurpleroofs.Asfarastheeye
cansee,therearepurplerooftopswiththerandomoutofplacewhiteroofssporadically
intermixed.Thepicturelookslikearealimagewithsomedigitalillustrationoverthe
top.Thecameralookslikeitissittingontopofarooftopthatisjustslightlyhigherthen
Law,23
alltheotherhomestogiveitsomedepth.Itiseasytonoticethatthehousesarelarger
thantheaverageAmericanhome.Thiselementoftheimagecanpossiblybeexplained
throughreferencetotheexpenseofNexium.Asstatedpreviously,Nexiumisfarmore
expensivethanmanyotherssuchasitscounterpartPrilosec.Secondly,theviewer
noticesthatmanyoftherooftopsarepurple.Thisinstantlyiseye‐catchingbecause
purpleshinglesarequiterare.Purpleisalsopopularlyknownasthecolorofroyalty,
whichcanbeeasilyassociatedwiththingssuchaswealthorpower.Thisvisualnoteof
differenceimmediatelyconnotestheideathatsomepeopleinthisneighborhoodare
beingleftout.Thevisualcuepromptstheviewertolookfurtherintotheadvertisement
tofindoutwhatitisaboutandwhattheelusivemessageisreferringto.
Thesubheadingthatfollowstheproclamation,“It’shappeningacrossAmerica,”
reads:“Nationwide,doctorswhospecializeinacidrefluxdiseasehaveswitchedmore
patientstoNEXIUM‐thepurplepill‐thantoanyotherprescriptionofitskind.”Thistag
lineseemstobedirectednotonlyattheconsumer,butalsotothephysicianswhoare
potentialprescribersofthedrug.Thisstatementalsodoesanexcellentjobtostrokethe
egosofthosedoctorswhoarealreadyprescribingthedrug,thereforeenforcingthose
actionsthattheyarecurrentlydoing.Thesearethedoctorsandphysiciansacrossthe
countrythedealwithissuesofacidrefluxandheartburn.
Themaincolorsthatexistintheadvertisementarepurpleandwhite.Thereare
manyothercolorsinthepotentialpallet,butthesearethevisuallydominantcolorsin
thisadvertisement.Thepurposeofwhiteinthisadvertisementisonlytomakethe
purplemorevisible.Also,intheadaverysubtlecurvylineisshowninthecenterofthe
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advertisementtoseparatethetextfromthepicture.Thepurposeofthelineistosimply
actasadividerandmovetheviewer’seyestothedifferentsectionsofthead.According
toCharlotteJirousekofCornwellUniversity,“curvedlinesdovaryinmeaning....Soft,
shallowcurvessuggestcomfort,safety,familiarity,andrelaxation.Theyrecallthe
curvesofthehumanbody,andthereforehaveapleasing,sensualquality.8”Regardless
ofwhatthecreatorsoftheadintended,theseareamongthepossiblefeelingsinducedby
theexistenceofthecurvedlineinthead.
Alsopresentintheadvertisementisaverywordylowerportion.Thisconstitutes
thegovernment(FDA)mandatedandregulatedportionoftheadvertisement.Therest
oftheadvertisementispresentinhopesthattheviewerwillnotreadthislower,more
verbosesection,forthissectionisrequiredbytheFDAandmayactuallysubvertthe
functionofthead.Thismandatedtextstateswhatreliefmightbeobtainedthrough
Nexiumandthesideeffectsthatmayexist,allofwhichareextremelynegativetothe
functionoftheadvertisement:tomarketthedrug.Thetextalsodirectsthereaderto
anotherformofpromotion,whichissampling.AccordingtoGinwalla,Chergui,and
Mathews(2004),samplingoccurswhenphysiciansprovidefreesamplestoinquiring
patients.Thisprocesswillmostlikelyhelpmovetheviewertotheultimatefunctionof
theadvertisement,analyzedsectionstofollow.
Mostofthetextinthelowerportionoftheadvertisementappearsinanormal
font(notboldoritalics),whileonesentencestandsoutfromtherest:“HealingIsSuchA
GreatFeeling.”Itstandsoutfromtherestbecauseitislargerandbolderthantherestof
8http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm
Law,25
thecopyinthelowerrightportionoftheadvertisement.Thisstatementisironic
becauseNexiumdoesnothavehealingpower,whichiswhyitisapillthatneedstobe
takeneveryday.Furtherexplorationcanrevealtheironyinthisstatement.This
statementexistsforitsfunctionality,whichisalsodiscussedinthesectiontofollow.
NoticethatthestatementneverclaimsthatNexiumactuallyheals,onlythathealingfeels
good.Theideaofhealingtomostpeoplewhoseethisadcarriesapositivelightand
buildsanaffinitytoNexiumintheaudience.Theconsumerthusfightsaninner
cognitivebattle,whichsubconsciously40percentofthetimetheadvertisementwins.
FUNCTION
AfterreviewofthenatureoftheadusingSonjaFoss’sapproach,itisnowfeasible
tolookintothefunctionoftheadvertisement.Anarticleaboutdrugads,which
appearedintheSanFranciscoChronicle,states:“Almost60percentofadultssaythey
learnlittleornothingaboutthedrugitself.”Thatisclearlynotthecasewiththis
Nexiumadvertisement.Fromtheveryfirstglanceitisapparentwhatthis
advertisementisfor,orisit?Theseadvertisementsmightcarrymoreunderlying
functions,whichcanbedecodedusingFoss’scriticaleye.
Asstatedintheliteraturereviewthefunctionisnotnecessarilybasedonthe
creator’sintention,rather,fromtheviewpointofthismethodologicalapproach,itis
strictlybasedontheperceptionandinterpretationofthereceiver.Theconsumer,orthe
criticrather,createsthefunction.Shapiro(39)statesthatwhenthereceiverinterprets
thead,it“willhavemoremeaningsforitscollectiveaudiencethanitdoesforits
producer”(ascitedinMullenandFisher187).AccordingtoMullenandFisher,“This
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putsthefocusonthedecodingprocessesofthereceiver”(187).Themajorityof
individualsdonotuseastrategyofdecoding,butsuchanapproachiscriticalto
understandingthefunctionalityofanadvertisement.Nowwewilllookmorecloselyat
thisadvertisementandthefunctionsitcouldpossiblycreate.
Thisportionofthechapterwilldiscusssomeprimaryandsecondaryfunctions
thatcouldbededucedthrougharhetoricalcritic’seye.Perhapsthemostdominant
functionofthisadvertisementistobuildacuriosityintheviewer’seyes.Theopening
statement,“It’shappenacrossAmerica,”leavestheviewerquestioningwhatthe
advertisementisreallyabout.Aprimaryquestionthatmayexistis:whatishappening
acrossAmerica?Thisquestionprobesfurthercuriositybyitselusiveness.Ithintsthat
themajorityofAmericaisdoingsomethingthattheviewerisnotyetawareof.The
statementbegsforaresponse,settinguptheviewertosearchforcluestoariddle.It
setstheviewerintoaninteractiveframeofmindwiththead.Thestatementtriggers
viewercuriositythatleadstheviewertocontinuereadingwhattheadvertisementis
about.
Thesecondpossiblefunctionthatexistsispromotinganurgencytobeinvolved.
Thisurgencyispromotedthroughthetaglinebelowthemainheading“Nationwide,
doctorswhospecializeinacidrefluxdiseasehaveswitchedmorepatientstoNEXIUM‐
thepurplepill‐thantoanyotherprescriptionofitskind.”Thisfunctioncanbedecoded
bynotonlyaconsumer,butalsobyapotentiallyprescribingdoctor.Doctorsthatare
“notintheknow”feelanurgencytobeinformedaboutNexium.Thetaglinealso
provokesurgencyintheconsumertofindoutwhatheorshehavebeenmissingouton.
Law,27
Thistaglinecorrespondswiththevisualimageofthehouses,somewithpurpleroofs,
andsomewithwhiteroofs.Thisfunctiontiesstronglyintotheemotionalappealofthe
advertisement.RoyneandMyers’studyfoundthat“emotionalappealswerefarmore
prevalentthanrationalappealsinthepromotionalportionofDTCads...”(68).This
appealforurgencystrikesachordintheviewerbecausethemajorityofindividualsdo
notlikethefeelingofnotknowingsomething,whichleadsustodeducethefollowing
presumedfunction.
Thisfunctiontakesamorerationalaswellasanemotionalapproachandcreates
afeelingofignorance.Thisfunctioncanstrictlyonlybeaddressedthroughfurther
investigation.Rationallytheadvertisementfunctionstopromotealackofknowledge
regardingthepopulardrugNexium.Thisthenstimulatesanemotionalresponseinthe
viewer,becauseindividualsdesiretheanswers,andmoreoftenthannotwillseekinthe
advertisementforthem.Thisfunctioncouldcausetheconsumertofeeluniformed,
which,inturn,producesafeelingofignorance.Thisfunctiontiestogetherthe
phenomenaofcuriosityandurgencyandmovesthecriticorconsumertothetextcopy
theliesonthelowerportionofthead.Thistext,asnotedabove,containstheFDA
mandatoryinformationofthesideeffectsoftheproduct.Sincethisportionis
governmentmandated,themajorfunctionofthissectionissimplytoinform.This
portiontakesabackseattothepredominantpromotionalfunctionoftheadvertisement.
RoyneandMyersstateinregardstothisissue:
Theoverwhelmingpresenceofemotionalappealsintheheadlineandpictorial
portionsoftheadsindicatesthatadvertisersattempttoplacethepromotional
Law,28
elementsinamoreprominentposition,leavingthegovernmentmandated
informationaboutrisksandsideeffectsintherarelyreadbodycopy.(68)
ItisironicthatthisportionoftheDTCadendswiththestatement,“HealingIs
SuchAGreatFeeling.”Justbeforethisstatement,theadliststhepossiblesideeffectsof
thedrug,whichinclude:“headache,diarrhea,abdominalpain...“justtonameafew.
Theendingstatementfunctionstosmoothoverthatwhichhasjustbeenstated.This
juxtapositionperhapscouldbethemostmisleadingpartoftheentireadvertisement.
Nexiumdoesnotnecessarilycureheartburn,butratherrelievesit.Thisiswhypeople
havetotakethe“purplepill”daily.Theword“healing”hintstothefactthatan
individualpossiblycanbehealedfromheartburnusingNexium.Thestatement
functionsprimarilytoproduceacognitivebiasintheconsumer’smind.Themajorityof
theadvertisementisdirectedattheuninformedperson,sothislinkto“healing”isno
different.Ifapersonisuninformed,thenthisstatementbecomesextremelypowerful.It
ascribesahealingpowerfortheissueofheartburn,whichAstraZenecahaslabeledasa
“disease.”
Eachoftheabovefunctionsleadstowhatseeminglyistheprimaryoverall
underlyingfunctionofthead:thepromotionoftwodistinctfunctions,withasingular
missiontoincreaserevenueforthedrugcompany.Insum,thefirstfunctionismoving
theconsumertofurtherinquiryabouttheproduct,andthesecondfunctionisto
promotetheprescriptionoftheproductbydoctors.Thisistypicallythecreator’s
purposeoftheadvertisement,butintermixedinthosefunctionsliesanarrayof
functionsthatcausetheviewertothinkoractacertainway.Allofthesefunctions
Law,29
employtheamusingfantasythatyourroofcanbepaintedpurpleaswell,ifyoujustask
yourdoctoraboutthepurplepill.
EVALUATION
Aspreviouslystated,intheliteraturereview,theevaluationstepinFoss’s
schemaconsistsoftheassessmentofhowwellorifthefunctionwasactuallybroughtto
fruition.MullenandFisherstate:
Onewaytoassessthefunctionistodetermineiftheelementsoftheimage
contributetothefunction.Theaesthetic,production,andinterpersonalvisual
elementsallcontributetothefunctionofassociatingthedrug...”(193)
MullenandFisher’sstudyevaluatedthesuccessofaDTCadbecauseitwasnotracially
biased.Strictlyfollowingthatidea,theadusingtheimageofpurpleroofswouldbe
judgedassuccessfulaswell.However,theadvertisementlacksthepresenceofahuman
being;therefore,theadvertisementcannotbebiasedtoanyspecificrace.Thisadcould
beplacedanumberofplacesandbesuccessfulbecausethisadvertisementcrossesall
racialboundaries,itwillevaluatethesuccessofsomeoftheotherfunctions,aswellas
discussissuesofethicsinthisfinalsectionofchapterfour.9
Statisticsprovethatthisadvertisementhadameasureofpositiveresultsfrom
thefunctionslistedabove.TheDTCadvertisementsprovideaninfluxofrevenueforthe
pharmaceuticalcompanies.AnarticleintheWashingtonPostreferstoNexiumasa
9 For further discussion of the racial bias issue, see Mullen and Fisher.
Law,30
“blockbusterdrug.”Petersonstatesinherarticle“BigPharma’sGoldenEggs”:“Thisis
thetermforanymedicationthatgeneratesmorethan$1billioninsalesannually.”If
Nexiumisoneofthese“blockbusterdrugs,”thenthereisnoquestionthatthe
advertisementhelpedfurtherthisresultandwasthussuccessfulontheissueproviding
aprofit.
A2001articleintheSanFranciscoChroniclestates:“40percentsaytheyplanto
talkwiththeirdoctoraboutthehealthconditioncitedinthead”(B‐1).Froman
advertisingperspective,thisisashockingamountofreturnonanygivenDTC
advertisement.Perhapsmorealarming,astudyconductedbytheKaiserFamily
Foundation,citedbyDavidLazarusintheSanFranciscoChronicle,revealed,“70percent
ofadultslearnlittleornothingfromsuchadsaboutthehealthconditioninquestion.”
Thisbeginstoraisequestionsofethicsregardingtheseformsofadvertisements.
WithsuchalargeamountofsuccesswithDTCadvertisements,pharmaceutical
companiesareencouragedtoraisethepricesofthedrugs.Adssuchastheonein
questionmaybeplayingofftheweakanduninformed.Manyindividualsbuyinginto
thisadvertisement’senticingbehaviordonotknowthatcheapersimilardrugsexist.
Nexiumhasprovidedamarketingschemetopromoteamuchmoreexpensivedrug
developedbythesameorganizationthatcreatedacheaperover‐the‐counterversionof
thesamedrugknownasPrilosec.
Clearly,therearemanyethicalquestionsathand.Thesetypesofadvertisements
aresuccessful,butaretheysuccessfulattheexpenseofethics?Ratherthaninform
thosethatarenoteducated,thisadvertisementmakesthosethatdonotknowabout
Law,31
Nexiumfeel“leftoutoftheneighborhood.”Thisformofadvertisementprovidesasense
ofurgency,whichcanpossiblyinducereaderstoskiptheprocessofbecomingproperly
informed.AnindividualviewingtheadvertisementcouldbegintakingtheNexiumpill
withouteverlearningthefulleffectsofthepill.Itcouldalsobemisleadingforthe
advertisingtousetheword“healing.”Thislinguisticchoicecreatesanexcitementinthe
consumer’smindthathelpspromotetheuninformedattitude.
Law,32
CHAPTERFIVE
APPLICATIONANDANALYSIS:ADVERTISEMENTNUMBERTWO
NowthatthemethodologyofFosshasbeenconductedonthe“purpleroof”ad,
thischapterfocusesitsattentiononasecondadvertisement.ThemethodsofFosswill
againbeusedasatooltoanalyzetheadvertisements.Thischapterwillhaveseveral
sectionssimilartothepreviouschapter.Itwillbecriticaltoprovideadetailedvisual
descriptionofthevisualimage/advertisement,whichiscontainedintheAppendix.
Thischapterwillalsoincludethenature,function,andevaluationaspectsofSonjaFoss’s
visualimageanalysis.Theselectedadisaproductclaimadaswellasareminderad.It
callsattentiontotheproductnameandsuppliesthesideeffectsinaverysubtleway.It
alsojustremindsindividualsoftheproductandbeckonsfurtherresearchaboutthe
advertisement.
Asnotedinthepreviouschapter,itisvitaltodiscussthepresentedandun‐
presentedelementsintheadvertisement.Thepresentedelementsarethegraphical
themesthatexistintheimage,whiletheun‐presentedelementsarethosethingsthat
arenotvisuallypresent.Thisadvertisementbeginswiththepredominantphrase,“A
newexperienceinpower.”Situatedbelowthestatementisamalemaestrowavinga
wandinhishandsdirectingwhatseemstobeasymphonyorchestra.Themaestrois
dressedinastrappingtuxedowithablackblazer,overawhitevest,shirt,andbowtie.
Hishairisalmostshinysilverwithabeardtomatch.Directlybelowthemaestroarea
fewfacelessindividuals,asiftheyareactuallymusiciansintheorchestralookingtothe
maestroforthenextmelodioustransition.
Law,33
Flowingfromthemaestro’shandsisapartoftheNexiumlogo,10whichismade
upofcirclesofdifferentsizesinaswoopmotionappearance.Theydifferslightlyfrom
thelogointhattheyarewhite,andthelogoispurple.Purpleandwhiteareagainthe
mostpredominantcolorsintheadvertisement.Themid‐sectioncontainsalinethat
separatesthepurpledominanttopportionfromthewhitedominantlowersection.
Furtherdescriptionoftheadvertisementispresentedinthesectionstofollow.The
nature,function,andevaluationoftheadvertisementaspreviouslyconductedusing
Foss’smethodologyofanalyzingvisualimagesisdiscussed.
Theadvertisement,likethepreviouslyanalyzedadvertisement,hasalineinthe
middlethatseparatesthevisually“captivating”portionoftheadvertisementfromthe
verbosedescriptivelowerportion.Thelowerportionbeginswithastatementthat
reads,“Anewfeelingofrelief,Nexium40mgoffersgreateracidcontrolthanthe
initiationdoseofallotherPPI’sandgreaterhealingpowerthaneitheromeprazoleor
lansoprazolewithnocompromiseintolerability.”Followingthatstatementisthemost
prevalentstatementduetoitsmuchlargerfontselection,whichstates,“It’sgotthe
powerNexium.”Followingthisportionoftheadvertisementisaverywordypassage,in
muchsmallerprintthatdescribesallofthesideaffectsaswellasmuchofthe
governmentalregulatorylanguageandabriefstatementcourtesyofAstraZeneca.This
statementispresenttoclearlyshowtheviewerthatthedrugNexiumisaproductof
AstraZeneca.
10Nexiumlogo:seeAppendix.
Law,34
NATURE
Asstatedpreviously,thenatureofavisualimageconsistsoftheideas,themes,
andallusionsthattheviewerwilltakeawayafterlookingattheadvertisement/image.
Thissectionofthechapterwilldiscusstheaestheticelementsaswellastheproduction
elementsandwillhelpmovetheanalysisintothefunctionstage(MullenandFisher,
187).
Thereareafewkeypresentedelementsthathintatthedifferentfunctionsthat
thisadportrays.Firstandforemost,thecriticaleyecannothelpbutnoticethemaestro
thatissituatedfrontandcenter.Secondly,thebatoninhishanddemonstratesideas
suchasleadershipandpower.Themajorityoftheattentionofthisadvertisementis
dedicatedtothismaestro,duetoitsdominantpresenceandcatchycolor.The
implicationofleadershipandpowerfrominthisdepictionisanimportantexampleof
un‐presented,butimpliedelements.Furthermore,thevisualimagealsocontainsa
brightspotlightpointeddirectlydownontopofthemaestro,exposinghisblackand
whitetuxedoaswellashisglowingwhitehairandfullmixedcoloredbeard,whichagain
callsattentiontothemaestro.Toexpresstheexistenceofpowerfurther,thereisagiant
swooshofglowingwhiteorbsstrollingfromthemaestro’shandsacrosstheentire
centeroftheimage.Thesearewhiteorbsonadarkbackground,whichcontainabright
outerglowthatcausesthemtobeadominantfeatureoftheimage.Theseelements
collectivelyimplythatalleyesareonthemaestro,includingthoseofthe
consumer/critic.
Law,35
Theactualperspectiveoftheimageisthatfromaseatedmusicianfacingthe
maestro.Onthesidesoftheimagefellowmusiciansareseatedwiththeireyesfixedon
themaestrowithmusicstandsstandingupright.Thesemusiciansareclearlysecondary
tothemaestroandhaveminimallightvaguelyilluminatingtheirpresence.Itisalso
clearthatthemusiciansareofminimalvaluebecauseonlythesidesandbacksoftheir
headscanbeseen.
Asfarastextualelementsareconcerned,thebeginningphraseisthemosthighly
visibleportionoftheadvertisementthatstates,“Anewexperienceinpower.“The
entiretextiswritteninlargewhitefont,whichismuchlargerthentherestofthe
presentedtext.Thefontalsocontainsabrightouterglow,whichfromadesigners
perspectiveisamethodusedtocallattention.Thewords“new”and“power”aredouble
thesizeofthewordsthatarecontainedinthesentence.Theyalsoarepresentedina
bright,bold,andglowingfashion,whichdrawstheattentionoftheviewer.Thefunction
thispromoteswillbeoutlinedinthefollowingsection.Theentirelowerfourthofthe
advertisementisconsumedbymedicalmandatoryinformation,whichfadesintothe
backgroundduetoitsopaqueness.Thisportionoftheadvertisementisthelastpartthat
drawstheattentionoftheviewerorcritic,ifatall.
FUNCTION
Thefunctionoftheadvertisementis,asFossstates,“theactionitcommunicates”
(ascitedinHillandHelmers309).Oncethevisualimageiscaptured,itcanthentakeon
differentfunctionsbasedontheviewingaudience.Thissectionlooksspecificallyatthe
advertisementdescribedaboveandwilllookatthedifferentfunctionsthatthis
Law,36
advertisementeffects.Aspreviouslystated,thefunctionisnotnecessarilybasedonthe
creator’sintention,butisratherformedthroughtheperceptionandinterpretationof
thereceiverorcritic.Theactualfunctionsofthisadvertisementcouldexpandtolarger
purposesthanthecreatorintendeditto.
Thisadvertisementcommunicatesmanydifferentfunctionsaccordingtotheeye
ofthecritic.Theassessmentofthenatureofthisadvertisementprobesatseveral
differentkeyfunctions,inwhichsomearetext‐based,whileothersareimage‐based.The
textcombinedwiththevisualprovideamuchmoreelaboratefunction,whichperhapsis
themostdominant.Thisfunctionislikelytobethatoftheintentionsofthecreator.
Thefirstfunctionwillfocusonafewoftheaestheticelementsofthe
advertisement.Asstatedinthenaturesectionofthischapter,theimageistakenfrom
thatofaseatedorchestramemberposition.Thiscanleadtoaseveraldifferent
functionsthatcalltheconsumertoaction.Firstofall,theroleofamusicianisprimarily
towatchthemaestro,andbereadytocomein,cutoff,orholdanote.Themusicians
alsohavemusicstands,whichcorrespondwithwhatthemaestroisportrayingwithhis
batonandhands.Amusicstandexiststoholdthemusicfortheselectedmusicpiece,
whichcorrelatestothemovementsofthemaestro’shands.
Eachmusicianinanorchestraorsymphonyhasaspecificroletoplay,anda
masterpiececanonlybeperfected,wheneachoneofthoserolesisfilled.Iftheviewerof
thisadvertisementissittinginandispartoftheorchestra,theroleofthevieweristo
followthemaestro,whichinthiscaseisbrandingthedrugNexiuminaclassysubtle
fashion.Everyindividualmusicianofagreatsymphonyorchestradesirestoplayhisor
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herpartperfectlyandneverbenegativelynoticed.Ifthisisthecase,thenitiscriticalfor
theviewertoplayhisorherpartintheadvertisement,which,inthiscase,istofollow
theleadandexploreNexiumfurther.Theadvertisementthusinvitesaresponsesimilar
totheadvertisementinthepreviousanalysis,whichcreatedafeelingof“beingleftout.”
Secondly,theexistence,posture,andleadershipofthemaestroprovidesmore
functionalitytothisadvertisement.Amaestroexiststocompose11,direct,andlead
manyindividualsinhopesofproducingtheperfectmusicperformance.Maestrosare
mastersatwhattheydo;theyareusuallyconsideredthebestofthebest,whichiswhy
heorsheisinthepositionthattheyfill.Theyarecompletelyincontrolatalltimes,or
shouldcomeacrossassuch.Themaestrointhisadvertisementevenhashiseyesclosed
andhisheadcockedbackasifenjoyingthemusic.Maestrosareintheleadership
positionbecauseheorshearethemostlearned,andheorshemostlikelysatintheseat
ofamusicianforyearsandslowlybecamebetterandbetteruntilheorshereacheda
pointwheretheywereconsideredexpertsinthefield,andthusworthytolead.
Themaestro’spostureisthatofconfidence,power,andpresence.Confidenceis
criticalandconnectswithmanydifferenttargetaudiences.Theviewerofthis
advertisementisinvitedtoconnectwiththelevelofconfidenceofthemaestro.The
viewermightalsodesirethatlevelofconfidence,andquitepossibly,theviewermight
notevenrealizethatthisisaNexiumadvertisement.Perhaps,afunctionofthis
advertisementissimplytopromoteconfidenceintheviewer,andinturn,connect
confidencewithNexium.Thiscorrelationsuggestsfurtherinvestigationintowhatthe
11Compose:Atermusedtorelatetomusicianswhowritehisorherownsymphony.
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visualimageisabout,whichmayleadtheviewertofurthereducationaboutwhat
Nexiumis.
Themostcentralfunctionofthisadvertisementseemstobetiedtothedesirefor
power.Itlooksasiftheheadline,picture,andsloganallpointtoonemajorconcept,
whichispower.Theheadlinecopyreads,“Anewexperienceinpower.”Thatheadline
correlatedwiththeimageofthemaestroallpointtotheissueofpoweranddirection.
Tofurtherthisnotion,aspreviouslystated,themaestrohasaswooshofglowingorbs
fromhishandsasifthemusicandpowerandjustbeingpouredout.Ifthevieweris
familiarwithNexium,thentheviewermostlikelyrecognizesthattheadvertisementis
associatedwithNexiumafterviewingthisportionoftheimage.
Theelementsofpowerandself‐controlcanbeutilizedtopromotethedrug
Nexium.TheeducatedindividualregardingNexiumfeelstheneedtobeincontrolofhis
orherheartburn,andthusempoweredtostopthatwhichishinderingtheindividual
fromdoingexactlywhatheorshewantstobedoing.Themaestro’spostureshowsthat
heiscompletelycomfortablewhereheisstanding.Ifhewereexperiencingproblems,
suchasheartburnoracidreflux,hemostlikelywouldnotbestandinginthatposition,
orhavesucharelaxedlookonhisface.Thefunctionofempowermentisbeneficial,
becauseamajorityofindividualsdonotwanttobehinderedbysomethingthatcouldbe
fixed,inthiscase,persistentheartburn.
Thedesireforpower,hasbeenshownthroughouthistorytobelargelyassociated
withvaluessuchasleadershipandconfidence.Poweralsoisstronglyassociatedwith
conceptssuchaswealthandevenroyalty.Eachofthesethingsaredesiredbyamajority
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ofpeoplewhichhelpstowidentheactualtargetfortheadvertisement.Thereare
severalnegativeaspectsoftheadvertisementandsomeelementsthatcoulddecrease
theeffectivenessofthisadvertisement.Theadvertisement,likethepreviousanalysis
couldpossiblyseemtobeaimedatawealthieraudience.SymphonyOrchestrasare
usuallyassociatedwithmiddle‐uppertoupper‐classindividuals,whichcouldcorrelate
withthehighpriceofNexium.
AnotherfunctionIwillfocusonisthatwhichtheword“new”promotes.Many
priorstudieshavediscussedandanalyzedthesuccessofthiswordinadvertisementand
thedifferentmessagesitcanportray.12Theopeningtextreads,“Anewexperiencein
power.”Thisstatementcanproduceseveraldifferentresponsesintheviewer.People
generallyareexcitedbynewthings,whichiswhysocietysupportssomanydifferent
typesofstores.Peopleliketopurchasenewthings.Thiseye‐catchingwordstrikesa
chordwiththevieweronthatlevel.Itbuildsanaffinitytolookfurtherintothe
advertisement.Itraisesanddevelopscuriosityintheviewertoaskthesimplequestion:
whatisnew?
Thebeginningcopyinthelowerrightportionoftheadvertisementalsoreads“a
newfeelingofrelief.”Thedesireforsomethingnew,aswellasthedesireforpower,
providesversatilefunctionalitytothisadvertisement.Theviewerstrugglestofind
affinitywiththemaestroorwiththosethatarelookingatthemaestro.Theviewercan
potentiallybethemaestroortheseatedmusician.Nowthatthenatureandfunctionof
12 See D. Ogilvy: On Advertising, 1995.
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theadvertisementhavebeenaddressed,itisnowpossibletoassessandevaluatehow
wellthosethingsworked.
EVALUATION
Theuseofandpromotionofideassuchaspowerandconfidencecanprovetobe
beneficialtotheadcreator’spurpose.Likethemajorityofalladvertising,thestrategyis
topromote/sellaproduct,service,oridea.Thisadvertisementdoesjustthat,and,given
thepopularityofNexium,theadvertisementissuccessfulfromthatperspective.Nexium
ispartofmulti‐billiondollarindustryandisoneofthemostsuccessfulandmosthighly
promotedproton‐pumpinhibitorsonthemarket.
Theoverallassessmentofthefunctionandnatureoftheadvertisementproveto
bebeneficialfromarevenueperspective.SinceNexium’sbirth,ithasgrownrapidlyand
seenrevenueofmorethanthreebilliondollarsfortheyear2003,thetimeperiodjust
afterthisadvertisementwasdeveloped.Itisnoteasytotrackthebenefitsofthisexact
advertisementfinancially,butatleastitcanbesaidthatitdidnothinderthegrowthof
theproduct.HugoCarlos,amarketinganalyst,stated,
Nexiumisindeedperceivedassalvationforthosewhosufferfrom
gastrointestinaldisease,andforthosewhohaveusedthedrug...theyhavealso
doneagreatjobingettingtheirnametobeknown,evenforthepeoplewithno
needforthetreatment.(Zumpano,3)
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TheadvertisementselectedforthisanalysisisaperfectexampleofwhatHugaCarlosis
discussing.TheadvertisementdoesanexcellentjobpromotingthedrugNexium,aswell
asprovidespositivepromotionforAstraZeneca.
However,theaddoesraiseethicalquestions,whichispartoftheevaluation
includedinFoss’smethods.Playingontheideaandneedofpowercanitselfbe
misleading.Theadvertisementinfluencestheuseoftheproductandputsasmall
influenceonthesideeffectsandthedifferentformsoftreatmentforthegivenhealth
problem.Thesideeffectsarenotproperlyandpredominantlydisplayedthereforethey
haveamuchsmallerinfluenceontheviewer.Italsokeenlyplaystoahigher‐income
crowdverysubtlythroughtheuseoforchestratedelementssuchastheuseofa
symphony.Promotionofadrugandbrandingitinsuchawaythatisnecessary,froma
criticalethicalperspectiveisslightlymisleading.AnarticleinNewYorkTimesstated
...manymedicalexpertssaymostpatientswoulddojustaswellwithvarious
cheaperover‐the‐counterremediesforindigestionandheartburn,including
AstraZeneca’sownPrilosec‐achemicallysimilarpredecessorthatnolonger
requiresaprescriptionandsellsfor$40amonthorless.(ElliottandIves)
ThesamearticlewentontoquoteDr.SharoneLevinefromKaiserPermanente,“Nexium
isnomoreeffectivethanPrilosec”(ElliottandIves,2).So,ethicallyspeaking,the
majorityofprintadvertisementsforNexiumareslightlymisleadingandalittle
disturbing.Ithasbeenpromotedasanewtypeofrelief,whichinrealityitisthesame
reliefthathaspreviouslyexisted,justwithbetterbrandidentityandwithslightly
differentingredients.
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CHAPTERSIX
RESULTSANDDISCUSSION
TheuseofMullenandFisher’sstudyofSonjaFoss’svisualrhetoricalanalysis
providedaproperguidelineatwhichtoconductthisstudy.Thisstudyhasrevealed
somekeyissuesregardingthedirect‐to‐consumeradvertisingindustry.Aspreviously
stated,theindustryhasbeeninmuchscrutinyregardingthelegitimacyandpowerit
holds.Itiscriticaltoseeexactlywhatistakingplaceinadvertisementsandto
understandthepowerasingleadvertisementcancarry.Thissuccessisduetothe
natureoftheadvertisement,thefunctionstheadvertisementsconclude,aswellasthe
successfulevaluationandassessmentoftheadvertisements.
Bysalesrevenuealone,AstraZenecahasdoneanexcellentjobofbranding.
Brandingisapopularstrategyofadvertisersthatisusedtobuildpopularityofaany
givenproductorservice.AccordingtoAdvertisingGlossary,brandingis“amarketing
functionthatidentifiesproductsandtheirsourceanddifferentiatesthemfromallother
products.”AstraZenecahasdonejustthatwiththeaboveadvertisements,alongwith
theircurrentadvertisingstrategy.
Thenaturesection’sofeachadvertisementprovidinganenlighteningprinciple
bywhichtodissectthevisualimage.SonjaFoss’smethodsoriginallycreatedfor
traditionalimagesaswellasphotographycanalsobeappliedtoanyvisualimagewhose
goalistomovetosomeformofaction.Itisanelementaryconcepttoconcludethatthe
purposeofdirect‐to‐consumeradvertising’smaingoalistobringinrevenueon
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whateverproductorserviceisbeingadvertised.Itisnothoweverelementaryto
pinpointinanadvertisementthatwhichcallstheviewertoaction.
Thisstudyhasproducedmanyquestionsregardingtheactualfunctionalityofan
advertisement.Itisasimpleconcept,buttheabilitytolookpastthecreator’sintention
ofavisualimagecanprovidesomevaluableoutcomes.Asseeninthetwochaptersof
analysisthefunctionsaremuchlargerwhenseenfromacriticalrhetoricalanalysis
perspective.Eachproductionandaestheticelementoftheadvertisementcanholda
separatefunctionthatcancausesideeffectsfortheviewer.Therehavebeenmany
previousstudiesregardingthesideeffectsofdirect‐to‐consumeradvertisingandthis
studytouchesonthose.ThepurposeofthisstudywastoshowtheadaptionofSonja
Foss’svisualrhetoricalanalysisonotherformsofthevisualthantraditionalartorthe
like.Thefunctionsprobequestionsonethicalissues,andcouldpossiblygeneratea
muchfirmerregulationfromorganizationssuchastheFDA.
Thecompareandcontrastanalysisofthetwoseparateadsraisessomeethical
questions,aswellassomequestionsofalackofintegrityandhonesty.Thisstudyhas
revealedthatoneoftheadvertisementsstatesthatthepillNexiumisusedforrelief,
whiletheotheradvertisementusesthewordhealing.Clearlythesearetwoseparate
things.Reliefisusuallysomethingacasewherethepainisreprievedforatime,while
healingprovidesacompletedeletionofwhatevertheproblemmaybe.Thisraises
furtherethicalquestionsregardingtheadvertisement’sfunctions.
Thisstudyalsocouldserveasapointofreferenceforhowtoproperlyanalyzea
currentnon‐traditionalartform,inthiscasedirect‐to‐consumeradvertising.Ethical
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questionswillalwayslingerregardingthelegitimacyoftheseadvertisements.Thisstudy
couldserveasamapforfurtheradvertisingdevelopmentalprocess,andhelpeliminate
issuesinvolvingethics.
AlthoughrecentlyAstraZenecahascutbackontheamountofprintadvertising,
thecompanystillpushesthefamousorinfamouspurplepill.ArecentFiercePharma
articlestatedthat$200millionwasspentonprintadvertisingin2007(Staton,1).
FurtherstudymightconsistofanalyzingAstraZeneca’s“successful”onlinepresence.
ThisstudyhasprovidedanenlighteninglookintotheadaptionofSonjaFoss’s
methodsontheissueofDTCadvertising.Thisstyleofanalysiscanbeadaptedtoany
formofvisualartorimageandcanprovideaframeworkforviewingdifferent
advertisements.
Futurestudymightlookatthecurrentconditionoftelevisionadvertisements;
theymaybeanalyzedwithinaspecificethicalframework.Continuousstudycouldalso
revealthattheFDAneedstochangesomeoftheregulationregardingDTCadvertising.
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AppendixA
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AppendixB
