• by Les Luchter , 3 hours ago

A woman goes on a long hike with friends in the first TV ad for Ibsrela, which treats IBS-C (irritable bowel syndrome with constipation).

Why? “Because I Can,” thanks to the drug, which the :60 spot promises can deliver “rapid symptom improvement beginning as early as one week,” “2X more bowel movements,” “48% less belly pain” and “43% less bloating.”

The ad, with lead creative by Accenture’s SongLife, cleverly puts legally required info, such as side effects, onto park signage (e.g., “Ibsrela is not indicated for children”; and “Diarrhea. Sometimes severe”). The hiker even uses her phone to take a photo of one of the signs for reference.

The spot ends with a graphic noting that Ibsrela is an official partner of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association).

While women do account for a large majority of IBS-C patients, and the ad’s protagonist is indeed a female, Jami Giordano, senior vice president and general manager for Ibsrela parent Ardelyx, tells Marketing Daily that running the spot on connected TV allows Ibsrela to also target male patients through “the ability to more precisely reach” anyone with IBS-C.

Ardelyx projects that the commercial, which launched Sept. 1, will reach from 10 million to 17 million viewers via such streamers as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Peacock.  IBS-C is said to affect some 13 million Americans.

While “Because I Can” marks Ibsrela’s TV debut, Giordano notes that the four-year-old brand has done previous consumer advertising in the form of “targeted patient education and awareness campaigns across multiple digital channels.”

The new campaign, with buying handled by WPP’s CMI Media Group, also includes digital banners, audio ads and paid search, along with a cover wrap around copies of People magazine delivered to select offices of healthcare professionals.

Ibsrela’s competitors in the IBS-C space include AbbVie/Ironwood’s Linzess, which has run a “Future You” TV campaign.