(MediaBuyerPlanner) The news that Ambien users could suffer from binge eating while sleeping and falling asleep while driving resulted in sinking sales for sleeping medication. Sanofi-Aventis responded two weeks later with its advertising campaign showcasing Ambien’s safety, as rival medications geared up to advertise as well, writes Ad Age.
Sanofi-Aventis runs its new full-page ads in magazines and national newspapers. The campaign features a woman sleeping, with text underneath that reads, “The real Ambien story: It shouldn’t keep you up at night.” The ad addresses news reports that “have focused on rare occurrences of sleepwalking and sleep-eating in patients who may also be taking Ambien. But it’s important to know the facts.”
Sepracor, marketer for the sleep aid Lunesta, seems to have altered the voice-over in its ads to highlight the safety of the medication. However, a company spokesman said the ad had not changed.
Another sleeping medication Indiplon, from Pfizer and Neurocrine Sciences, has been approved and will start an ad campaign early this summer.
