Brand: HeadOn (Miralus Healthcare)
Execution: TV (Cable)
Link: Click Here
Target: Headache-prone Adults
Rating: ***
Reviewer: David

Description:
This simple 10-second spot has a single setup of a woman rubbing a stick of HeadOn. The voiceover says, “HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead.” The ad features an arrow showing where the forehead is and “apply directly to the forehead.” For the record, HeadOn is a homeopathic headache remedy, about which Wikipedia states “Chemical analysis has shown that the product consists of almost entirely wax. The two listed active ingredients: white bryony (a type of vine) and potassium dichromate are diluted to .000001 PPM and 1 PPM respectively.^[2] At these levels it is unlikely that they have any effect. ”

What Works:
HeadOn is the little spot that roared, gaining unabashed admiration from luminaries like Slate’s Seth Stevenson (who awarded it an A+) and apparently boosting the sales of tiny Miralus Healthcare with its efficient :10 second buys primarily on cable.

The HeadOn ad runs directly against prevailing wisdom that suggests ads must entertain. Instead it simply reinforces the sole positioning point - how the product is used. There is not even a mention of what the product does (likely to avoid FDA or FCC issues with unsubstantiated claims although the product is presumably covered by permissive DSHEA regulations).

What works in the spot is also what annoys - the repetition. Taking a simple line and repeating it thrice gains attention and does break through the clutter. This would not work if very many advertisers were using the same tactic, but HeadOn stands alone at the moment. And as Stevenson notes, the repetition is also likely to give you the type of headache the product is meant to relieve, thus creating its own deman.

What Doesn’t:
From the perspective of this advertising blog, HeadOn demonstrates a problem in advertising that is well-studied in economics. This is the so-called problem of the commons. Problems of the commons are those whose solution never benefits an individual citizen in the short-term but  which nevertheless must be solved to benefit society. Thus littering and polluting almost always serves the immediate needs of the individual or company who litters or pollutes but preventing littering or pollution is critical for the community in the longterm. Similarly funding for long-term projects like new schools (which will only benefit future parents) or infrastructure projects like roads or rails may not benefit any single person in the short term but are critical for everyone in the longterm.

The commons question represented by HeadOn is the viewing experience for the TV viewer. HeadOn is undoubtedly an effective spot for Miralus Healthcare. It is unusual, inexpensive and arresting. But it also is so annoying that it causes some viewers to change the channel and degrades the viewing experience for others. Absent Nielsen ratings for commercials which we eagerly anticipate next year it is very difficult to quantify the cost of this effect. But the general problem is well-known on radio, where some commercials can be so annoying that their constant repetition causes listeners to tune out.

We would probably not address this issue if the HeadOn commercial were not symptomatic of a larger problem in TV and Print as well as on Radio. The general desperation for advertising revenue has led networks and media properties who should know better to accept dangerous, shoddy and deceptive advertising - as well as spots like this which are merely annoying. Watching CNN another news network after 11pm is like taking a stroll through the arcade at a State Fair - all sorts of strange things manifest themselves. Similarly, many respectable magazines run ads for unbelievable or illegal products in the back pages.

This practice helps nobody. As the availability of programming on the web and through other delivery channels increases, consumers will vote with their eyes against programs that annoy them and those that accept irresponsible advertising. Networks and publishers need to clean up their acts now while there is still time.

Branding Bottom Line:
HeadOn gets our attention by banging us on the head. Which we apparently deserve.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 at 12:57 pm and is filed under news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.