Pfizer Upjohn launches campaign ‘Keep It Real' to normalise conversations about erectile dysfunction

Pfizer Upjohn, a division of Pfizer – the biopharmaceutical company – has launched a campaign, #KeepItReal, to help make conversations about erectile dysfunction (ED) less of a taboo for couples, enabling them to discuss their problems and find a suitable solution. The campaign is conceptualised by Edelman India.

India has been called ‘the impotence capital of the world’ by some, possibly because of its large population and the high prevalence of lifestyle diseases. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a medical condition in which a man is unable to get or maintain a penile erection, which leads to no or unsatisfactory sexual intercourse. While treatment is easily available, men often shy away from addressing ED, which can lead to health and relationship issues.

The campaign was launched with a survey to gauge people’s knowledge of ED, its treatment and the factors that influence treatment. Interestingly, the survey revealed that 82% of women said that they would ask their partners to visit a doctor to get the right treatment for ED, instead of talking to friends or relying on home remedies. This highlights the crucial role women play in ensuring that their partners get timely and correct treatment from a doctor for ED.

The film:

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As part of the campaign, various findings from the survey will be used across earned and owned media platforms. The brand has also launched its own social media platforms ‘Keep It Real with Pfizer Upjohn’ on Facebook and Youtube to create a community and raise awareness about the increasingly prevalent issue in the country.

Ashutosh Munshi, Executive Vice-President, Head, Brand Practice, Edelman India, said, “We created the Keep It Real campaign backed by an insight that Erectile Dysfunction takes a toll on both the suffering man and his partner; it often starts with an impact on their relationship. We are happy to partner with Pfizer Upjohn to make the conversation about ED less intimidating, while also creating awareness about this increasingly prevalent lifestyle disease. Each of the campaign elements was created keeping the consumer at the core, thereby earning their attention and driving engagement.”

The film begins at a bar, where a man strikes a conversation with an attractive woman who is seen celebrating her wedding anniversary all alone. The two spend the evening together and the woman accompanies the man to his house. As they are about to enter the house, he reveals that he is married. Plot twist: she is too, and the house is theirs! The man and woman are not strangers but a married couple who have a child together. The two were trying to reignite their romance with a roleplay date.

But when the man forgets his key to the house, it causes the wife to snap out of the roleplay and they start to bicker. Their conversation leads the viewer to understand that the couple has been having trouble being intimate because of the man’s ED. Finally, they stop bickering and get real about the issue. The wife assures her husband that they are in this together and suggests they visit a doctor to find a solution.

The film ends by encouraging couples not to skirt around the issue but to seek real treatment.