Merck Launches A Charm Offensive For Gardasil
14 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // August 28th, 2008 // 2:47 pm
First, there was the Gardasil beach towel, an attractive terry velour model that advertised to beachgoers that you’re free of a sexually transmitted disease. A nifty way to tout the advantages of the HPV vaccine.
Now, Merck is trying a new way to grab the attention of teenagers and younger adult women with a specially created line of Gardasil jewelry. As CNBC’s Mike Huckman notes, you can pay $32 for any of four “limited edition” bangles designed by Carolyn Rafaelian, a designer with Alex and Ani. The proceeds will go to the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
The Charm4Life campaign is designed to raise awareness of cervical cancer. Gardasil, to be technical about all this, is supposed to thwart the most significant strains of HPV, or human papillomavirus, which can lead to cervical cancer. The idea is clever, although whether the jewelry jumpstarts vaccinations is another thing.
Merck, you may recall, is suffering from a slump in Gardasil revenue, which isn’t likely to be helped by news of a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine that found the vaccine isn’t worth the cost for women older than 18. Given the $360 price tag for a three-dose regimen, perhaps the bangles will only make sense as a gift or for those with private health insurance that covers the shots.
Piper
If only I was a teen again…
Dan A.
Money indeed makes others do things they normally would not do. Treating a vaccination that addresses a very serious disease, which is cervical cancer, as a lifestyle product or popularity enhancer deviates from reality and atrophies the reputation of this company further.
Jack2
Like, say, an in school program aimed at keeping kids in school, or off of heroin. You probably think that should try to appeal to kids in the most unexciting way possible as well.
Also, Ed, “thwart a few strains” really unfairly undermines the product when those “few strains” cause most of the problems.
Ed Silverman
Hi Jack2,
Thanks. Good point. Duly noted and corrected. Not sure I follow the first part of your comment, though.
ed
William Parrish
To speak intelligently about this subject one should first read “Fatal Probe”, published in 2004. It is a ‘not for profit’ publication and was banned from the shelves by B&N, who were told by the AMA that the facts published concerning Gardasil was hyperbole. However, this is simply a book of facts, nothing more.
Read it before you make any assumptions. Your daughter’s health is at stake.
Jack2
Ed my first comment was directed towards Dan A.
Kamily
OMG! I cannot believe this! Merck is trying to milk as much money as possible out of the public.
My daughter received all 3 of the Gardasil shots. She has been sick for a year. I blame all of her health problems on the vaccine.
Im trying to get the word out. If I can keep one girl from being injected with this poison then Ive done my job.
Absurdity in Marketing
It’s hard to imagine who comes up with these ideas. If a teenage girl wears one of these bracelets, what does it mean? “I’m sexually active, but have been vaccinated and safe from the viruses linked to cervical cancer.” Give me a break!
vince
The same NEJM issue noted that it will take years to know if this vaccine will prevent cervical cancer. I notice that some have suggested it be marketed to boys.
Jack Coupal
Glitzy DTC ads can make a big difference in how well a new product catches on and gains new buyers.
An ad campaign directed to middle and high schoolers to the effect,
“I was just a tramp, but now I’m a health-conscious tramp!“, is probably just around the bend.
Patty
My 15 y/o daughter had the first shot. Devastating !!!! the pain she goes thru every day,headache off and on all day everyday,the constant pain in her legs, feet, neck,ribs,stomach, back,behind knees,seizures, passing out up to seven times in one day for over a month it was every day now she has gone for two weeks with out passing out,chest pain,pain and strange feelings in the bend of her arms she says it feels like her blood veins are bubbling or popping like,fatigue, every joint in her body pain.Lots of doctors and test her EEG shows seizure activity she has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia ,the cardiologist is next. Please wait and do the research first!!!! the thought of another girl going through this is horrible. my daughter was healthy before gardasil. Please Please Please investigate it first. There are lots of other girls with the same symptoms that my daughter has, some worse. seven months later and she is still in pain.
Maria
I am in agreement with Kamily - Aug 28. My daughter has been sick too for over a year after receiving her first shot. Instead of buying a stupid Gardasil bracelet I’ve had to buy her a medical alert bracelet. Because since receiving the vaccine she’s been passing out unconscious and having seizures. Someboydy please help us do something! The doctors won’t listen to we Mothers!
karen Haack
Funny thing…My daughter has been sick for over a year with the same symptons. I think we should call it gardasilitis since all the tests come out negative. My daughter now has periphreal neuropathy, she faints all the time. bloody stools, migraine headaches, bodyaches all over. extreme fatigue. Nice I drank the kool aid. My poor daughter is paying for it. Funny they can’t find anything wrong. She has been told she is stressed and depressed. I think they’ve been poisoned. Thanks Merck for gardasilitis.
Maria
Karen - I would swear you were talking about my child, sounds like all the symptoms of my daughter. Once a star athlete, and now can’t play sports or even participate in some gym activities. On top of her emotional stress, due to the reactions from the vaccine - she had to start taking seizure meds, which cause further emotional issues! I am at my wits end and don’t know what to do, no one will help me. Everyone just denies any link to the Gardasil shot. Yes, I agree our girls are being poisoned. But the doctors won’t tell me what to do now to get it out of her system. They just look at me like I don’t know what I’m talking about. I saw a great name someone on a blog gave it - Gard a hell. Suits it perfectly. My best wishes go out to you and your daughter.