Songs in Pharma Commercials with Guest: Patrick Smith, Creative Director (Connect with Patrick on Instagram @smithdidit)
In this podcast episode of “The Patient Speak,” host Mark Stinson interviews Patrick Smith, a creative director, about the intersection of healthcare marketing and pop culture. The podcast explores how healthcare innovations are accelerating the patient journey and features discussions with healthcare leaders, patient advocates, medical providers, and researchers.
The episode begins with a playful reference to TV commercials interrupting tense moments in TV shows. It introduces the idea of cross-fertilization between healthcare brands and pop culture, particularly in the context of drug commercials using popular songs.
The episode features discussions on:
- Music in Drug Commercials: Patrick Smith and Mark discuss the trend of using classic rock songs in pharmaceutical commercials. They highlight the use of popular songs to enhance brand recall and create synergies between the brand promise and the song’s themes.
- Branding and Borrowed Interest: They explore the concept of “borrowed interest” in advertising, where creative elements like jingles, characters, or illustrations are used to make the product more appealing. This approach is seen as a way to simplify complex healthcare stories and increase audience engagement.
- Lessons in Leadership and Creativity: Patrick talks about his transition from focusing solely on creative work to honing his leadership skills and refining insights. He emphasizes the importance of being at the forefront of campaign ideas and developing core concepts.
- Future Insights: Patrick shares his aspirations for his career, including increasing his role in leading campaigns and refining core ideas for clients. He talks about the importance of staying on the front lines of creative strategy.
- Personal Touch: The podcast concludes with Patrick’s personal choice of a rock song by Van Halen that would represent his career in a hypothetical commercial about himself.
Playlist of Featured Commercials:
- Ozempic (Type 2 Diabetes)
- Anoro (COPD)
- Toujeo (Diabetes)
- Trelegy (COPD)
- Farxiga (Type 2 Diabetes)
- Celebrex (Osteoarthritis)
- Repatha (Cholesterol management)
This podcast episode provides insights into the creative and strategic aspects of healthcare marketing, specifically focusing on the use of music and pop culture elements to enhance brand recognition and engagement.
All music and commercials are copyrighted and used under fair use for critique.
Hosted by Mark Stinson, and produced by BSB Media
