Image: Zyrtek drug ad

Source: AdRants

A new guerilla marketing campaign for over-the-counter Zyrtec proves one thing: If you want attention in the blogosphere, post a few drug ads on telephone poles. They're flyers designed to appear handwritten, saying, "Missing 2 Hours. Last Seen: While waiting for Claritin to start working. If found please call: 1-800-4-ZYRTEC."

Clever, no? Some bloggers think so: "Compared to the schlock we usually get from Big Pharma, it's a breath of fresh air." It "had the ability to cut through the clutter of its competitors' glossy ads." "[S]ure to generate a lot of buzz for Zyrtec." Some, however, question its legality (but they're not lawyers, of course). Critics say that if it is indeed clever and indeed works, then it will only be because of backup from more traditional DTC venues like TV and print.

One blogger predicts more of this sort of offbeat promotion as Big Pharma faces stepped-up competition from generics. I guess we'll have to see whether this campaign breaks out of the blogosphere first.

- read the item at Pharma Marketing Blog
- check out the assessment at BNET