Weight loss drugs have their Super Bowl moment

At this year’s Super Bowl, GLP 1 brands, which sell medicines to diabetics but whose weight loss side effect has become the primary purchase driver for many, spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising to spread awareness and reduce the stigma around their use.

The Super Bowl is one of, if not the most watched, sporting events on the planet. According to Nielsen, an estimated 127.7 million viewers tuned in for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, 9 February, making it the largest audience for a Super Bowl and for a single network television broadcast in history.

Novo Nordisk, which makes weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Ozempic, released an in game advert featuring DJ Khaled and actor John C Reilly, among a host of other celebrities, to promote its weight loss medication Wegovy.

The ad pointed out how people readily take a pill for things they desperately want to do, and suggested that they now can when it comes to weight loss. At the same time, the duration spent highlighting the side effects almost matched the time devoted to promoting the drug itself.

Inequality comes to the fore

Meanwhile, telehealth company Hims and Hers ran a spot titled Rich People Live Longer, which highlighted the widening health and wealth gap in the US and how ordinary people struggle to access the medication and treatment they need to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

The imagery of surgeons pulling back the skin on the face of a seemingly affluent older person served as a stark metaphor for how this gap benefits only a privileged class.

The ad followed the company’s Super Bowl spot from last year, which criticised the American healthcare system and positioned its weight loss medication as a more affordable alternative.

Serena smashes the stigma away?

After announcing tennis legend Serena Williams as its endorser, Ro, another telehealth company, released a Big Game advert aimed at dispelling the stigma around taking the medication.

In the ad, Williams talks about the health improvements she has experienced on GLP 1 drugs, including losing 34 pounds in a year, reduced joint stress and more stable blood sugar levels.

“I’m moving better on Ro. I’m feeling better on Ro. I’m Serena Williams. This is me on Ro,” the tennis star says in the ad.