Who: Men's health start-up Phoenix, with Arrivals + Departures for strategy, creative and media; Frank Content for production (directed by Rodrigo Garcia Saiz); Blue Highway for editing; Alter Ego for colour; Circonflex for music and sound.
What: The brand's first national marketing campaign in support of its ED medication services, an innuendo-filled spot entitled "Multiple Positions."
When & Where: The spot debuted during Sunday's Super Bowl telecast, and will continue throughout the year in what the company describes as "marquee" sports programming.
Why: After spending its first several years promoting its ED medication services through digital channels, the telehealth brand is pitching a tent (sorry) in traditional media as it attempts to broaden awareness.
The campaign also represents a stark departure from category tropes in the telehealth sector, which tend to emphasize products' functional benefits.
The campaign is built around the idea of "empowerment," and Phoenix's ability to provide a comeback for men who've been coping with ED, said A+D president Mike Bevecqua.
How: The 60-second launch spot is set on a battlefield in what appears to be the Napoleonic Wars (nearly 200 years before the 1998 introduction of Viagra). It opens on a general staggering through the fighting to gather with his men in his tent. The situation is grim: They're surrounded, outnumbered, and supplies are low.
There is one piece of good news, however: the general has discreetly and conveniently been receiving ED medication through Phoenix. "And with a healthy erection, I feel like I can do anything again," he informs his troops. "So you believe you can engage in multiple campaigns, then?" asks one soldier. "With a bit of a break in between. Maybe a sandwich," the general responds.
The French connection: It turns out that the French have a connection to treatment for ED that dates back to the early 20th Century. According to the American Journal of Men's Health, a French neurologist named Dr. Charles Edouard Brown-Séquard, realizing the role of testosterone in erectile function, began injecting himself with extract from the testicles of dogs and guinea pigs (come for the marketing news, stay for the historical context).
And we quote: “This wasn’t just a brand launch, but it also marked a category launch for television in Canada. We thought it was important to take advantage of a once-a-year opportunity, where the majority of our demo would be dialed-in. Recognizing the unique opportunity presented by the Super Bowl’s incredible viewership, we leveraged it to kickstart our broader TV strategy for the upcoming months." — Gavin Thompson, co-founder, Phoenix
