Allergan Set To Make Juvederm A Name

[JohnMack]

ALLERGAN, WHICH HAS TURNED BOTOX into a household name, is poised to launch new advertising to market its other injectable wrinkle reducer, Juvederm.

The print portion of the new campaign breaks next month and is coming from Grey Worldwide, which handles Botox advertising. Allergan did not comment on the timing of the broadcast portion of the campaign, except to say that 30-second TV spots will start later this year and run on network and cable TV.

A Web site for consumers and physicians launched last week for Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus. The site helps consumers find dermatologists who are approved in their area to administer the product, and features plenty of before-and-after photos.

At the moment, consumers are being made aware of the Web site through a giant billboard in Times Square, which went up on Dec. 1 and will appear until Jan. 31. Professional communications--including patient information brochures--are part of the mix, along with what Allergan describes as "robust" public relations programs.

If you are in the area and have a cell phone, please capture an image of this billboard and send it to me at johnmack@virsci.com. Thanks!

Known predominantly as an eye care company, Allergan has become a giant in prescription dermatology products/cosmetics during the past few years, and last year took over competitor Inamed, which manufactures Juvederm.

Unlike Botox, which works to reduce the look of lines by easing tension in facial muscles, Juvederm is in a class of products known as wrinkle fillers. Juvederm essentially smoothes wrinkles by plumping the skin. Its biggest competitor in the category is Restylane, made by Medics Pharmaceuticals.

One potential area of confusion for consumers might be in discerning the differences between Botox and Juvederm--a topic which could presumably be addressed in ads. Conceivably, spots could also promote the use of both products simultaneously--laymen's terms for tightening the muscle/line with Botox, then softening or filling the area in with Juvederm. In fact, that combination therapy is something that many dermatologists have long been doing with Botox and Juvederm competitor Restylane.

Will Allergan be able to make Juvederm a household name so that all it needs to do is run reminder DTC ads like it does with Botox? I invite you to submit your comment in a reply to this thread!

Grey and Allergan executives declined to describe forthcoming Juvederm creative other than to say ads would be "descriptive and informative of its uses and benefits," and clearly set up the indicated usage for the product "in the lower face," with other communications clearly differentiating the two products.

Although doctors often inject Botox in other areas, it is only approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the vertical frown lines between the eyebrows. Juvederm, on the other hand, is recommended to "restore skin volume" and smooth facial wrinkles and folds, in areas including the smile lines and the lines that go from the nose to the mouth.

In place of plastic surgery procedures such as facelifts and eye lifts, consumers have been moving toward less invasive injections in the name of youth and beauty. In 2005, the global market for dermal fillers was $442 million (up 200% since 2000), with the U.S. dermal filler market projected to grow 25% a year through 2011, according to research supplied by Allergan.

Last year, 3.2 million Botox injections were administered--up 99% since Botox was approved for cosmetic application in 2002, the company says. The company also says growth of non-surgical aesthetic procedures is outpacing surgical procedures by three to one--dermal fillers being third, behind Botox and electronic h