Pharma brand Astellas returns to Super Bowl to spotlight menopause

After deeming its Super Bowl debut last year a success, Astellas is returning for a larger ad buy this year. The pharmaceutical company plans to market its new menopause treatment product with a 60-second spot on Feb. 11. Astellas received Federal Drug Administration approval for Veozah, a prescription treatment for some menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, last May. The spot will air after the coin toss but before kickoff, in the same ad break Astellas used in 2023. “Menopause is having a moment,” said Jill Jaroch, senior director of women’s health and urology marketing at Astellas, noting that unlike older generations, the current generation going through menopause is not afraid to talk about it. “It’s something that impacts so many millions of people, directly or indirectly, every person on earth will know someone who goes through menopause—it’s about time that the conversation is elevated.” Ad Age Leading Women Luncheon Join us Aug. 7 in New York as we recognize this year’s honorees Buy your ticket today Indeed, brands such as Naomi Watts’ wellness company Stripes have helped remove some of the stigmas associated with female aging. Some agencies have also offered incentives around helping employees with menopause and fertility in recent years. Like last year, Astellas worked with its Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, its creative agency of record. Publicis Health Media handled media duties. The creative direction of this year’s Super Bowl spot will continue a campaign Astellas released in the fall (shown below) called “Fewer Hot Flashes, More Not Flashes.” In its 2023 Super Bowl debut, Astellas ran a 30-second spot featuring street interviews asking women if they are familiar with VMS, which stands for vasomotor symptoms, or the hot flashes and night sweats caused by menopause. Jaroch said Astellas used social media listening tools to monitor the conversations around menopause following that spot and has also looked at surveys to see how women view VMS conditions. “We have seen a notable increase in the perception of vasomotor symptoms, or hot flashes, as something that shouldn’t be sucked up and dealt with but as something that women can and should address,” she said. The new spot is part of a larger direct-to-consumer campaign that includes social media channels such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest as well as educational content on Veozah’s website. Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Enter here

Pharma brand Astellas returns to Super Bowl to spotlight menopause

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