Artistic geniuses at BBDO Guerrero/Proximity, Philippines have won accolades for their innovative advertising campaign for Saridon, a popular painkiller. The colorful print ads feature blue collar workers in the Philippines going about their daily tasks with a doppelganger behind them about to hit them on the head with the very tools the workers possess to do their job. The creative and intriguing ads represent the idea of the ‘persistent headache,’ and won the prestigious Clio Silver Award in 2011 for excellence in advertising.
The ads are a rare example of innovation in medical advertising. Many medical companies use cliché images of pained faces, swollen red eyes, and heads clasped in hands to portray headaches and pain. The 2011 Saridon ads are a great example of using vivid imagery, real life settings and everyday people to get a message across. In one ad a carpenter is about to slam a hammer into a building, while his double behind him is about to do the same to his head. In another a butcher wields a meat cleaver over a cutting block as his doppelganger does the same over his head. The final ad shows two laundry ladies with paddles above their heads, one kneeling to beat out clothes, and another behind her to inflict pain on the first woman. The message is simple: persistent headaches follow one throughout their day no matter who the person is or what their job.
Saridon is a product that is well known and trusted around the world. Bayer, the company behind Saridon, markets the product as the ’15-minute headache reliever.’ The painkiller is made up of three components, paracetamol, propyphenazone, and caffeine. Each component does its part to eliminate pain quickly and efficiently with long-lasting results. Many claim that the painkiller is more effective than both paracetamol on its own and ibuprofen. In addition, there are little to no side effects for this drug, making it a great choice for a wide range of people. The award-winning advertising may have an effect on the popularity of this analgesic, but it is the proven effects that have made Saridon a popular choice for pain relief in 80 countries across the world.
