• by Christine Bittar , December 20, 2006

The Clearblue Easy brand is looking to put a different spin on home pregnancy testing with an unusual ad campaign breaking next week in the U.S. via new agency Amalgamated, N.Y., that boosted sales 74% in the U.K.

Seemingly looking to tap into the segment of women hoping to be pregnant--versus those fearful of an unwanted pregnancy--manufacturer Inverness Medical on Dec. 26 breaks a sci-fi-like TV spot supporting the U.S. launch of a digital SKU called Clearblue Easy Digital Pregnancy Test.

Creative shows what is at first an unidentifiable object floating around against a black backdrop. That Star-Trek-like opening looks like the start of a trailer for a science fiction movie or TV show.

Themed background music plays up this image until the voiceover starts: "Introducing the most advanced thing you will ever ... pee on." At that point the picture becomes clearer, so it's obvious the image we're seeing isn't a spaceship, but a digital home pregnancy test, as liquid that is supposed to be urine comes streaming down on the monitor.

The closing tagline: "The Clearblue Easy Pregnancy Test; so advanced it's easy."

The Clearblue Digital spot is unlike the more typical ones for pregnancy tests, which tend to focus on the seriousness of a potential pregnancy--no matter what outcome is desired by the test user. This time, like the consumer more apt to buy a higher tech test, the spot conveys a feeling that women who have been using fertility treatments would likely respond to.

In addition, the opening of the spot would also attract attention from men. "The idea was to seize the traditional tropes of announcing technological advance and use them proudly in the female realm," says Jeremy Faro, strategy director at Amalgamated.

"The TV ad is just like the product itself--groundbreaking, yet simple and straightforward in getting the message across," says Julie Godon, director of marketing-Women's Health at Clearblue Easy. "Millions of women have peed on a stick to test if they are pregnant or not, and we believe that although some people may feel slightly uncomfortable watching the ad, most will find it refreshingly honest and true to the experience."

The 30-second spot, titled "Pee Ship," is slated to run through the end of 2007 on national cable and network. The previous ad agency for Clearblue Easy was Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners.

Amalgamated was named agency of record in March. While the media spend was not revealed, at the time Amalgamated won the account it was valued at $10 million.

The product and ad campaign were launched earlier this year in Germany and the U.K. The same ad ran in both countries starting in August. According to a rep at Inverness' public relations agency, in the first four week after the campaign aired, Clearblue brand sales were up 74% versus the prior month in the U.K.

In the U.S., Clearblue is the No. 3 brand behind the EPT and First Response brands, according to the agency.