As I’ve been watching the olympics over the last few days (go Team USA!), I’ve been impressed by quite a few commercials. Specifically, Proctor & Gamble, Nike and AT&T (you can see some of the commercials over at Forbes.com). Visa’s use of Morgan Freeman is pretty good as well, just not as imaginative.
However, the ad above from 5 Hour Energy left me dumbfounded, but not in the way the ad team had hoped. The ad insinuates or gives the impression that 73% of doctors surveyed recommended 5 Hour Energy.
But that isn’t the case at all.
The problem comes from connecting two statements that aren’t actually connected:
- Doctors recommend low-calorie energy supplements for those already taking supplements.
- 5 Hour Energy is a low-calorie energy supplement.
Suggested Conclusion: Doctors must recommend 5 Hour Energy.
Paying attention, the ad is actually saying that 73% of doctors said that if you are going to take an energy supplement anyways, then they recommend a low-calorie supplement.
At no point are the doctors advocating energy drinks. And at no point do they support consuming 5 Hour Energy.
The ad is technically not deceptive, but certainly seeks to deceive if you don’t pay close attention.
Personally, I’m hoping that the collective intelligence of the American viewer isn’t fooled.
My name is Adam Williams and these are my musings and observations about brand and product marketing. I hope you'll join the conversation.
Too bad. They’re fooled. I was.
Exactly right about the suggestive and careful phrasing, deceptive advertising at its finest. You can bet that the survey did not ask whether the respondents would discourage their patients from guzzling caffeine-charged, vitamin-laden water of absolutely NO proven clinical efficacy. As a physician, I’m surprised only that no more than 73% had a preference for supplements free of useless sugar. And disappointed as well that the FDA can’t or won’t crack down on deceptive marketing that implies that low-calorie supplements somehow impart energy, which by definition is MEASURED IN CALORIES!
Thank you Howard for your comment and insight! I hadn’t picked up on the contradiction between low calorie and energy supplement.
the bigger scam of this ad is they asked 3000 doctors (which they obviously chose) and ‘of those that responded’ 73% recommend a low calorie supplement..blah blah.
If a mere 11 doctors responded, and 8 said low cal supplement are ok, that’s 72.7%, so this whole claim could very well be based on 11 doctors who replied!
Let’s face it, they might have spammed 3000 doctors and only 11 responded which is a pretty reasonable response rate for spamming.
Sure, some of these doctors are going to recommend it!! It will keep you coming back to their office on a regular basis! You wouldn’t want your doctor to miss his yacht payment, would you? No doctor in their right mind who cares about the health and well being of people would recommend any energy drink or supplement!
I completely agree. I’m very frustrated by the fact that 5 Hour Energy is now trying to market itself as healthy or doctor approved. I was fine with its advertising when the message was simply, “We keep you awake.” Energy drinks are not good for the body. So unabashedly say, “Our job is to keep you awake and that’s what we do.” No claims that it’s good for you.
Only a matter of time before the class action lawsuit gets filed, I am sure…just like Nutella and Sketchers.
The first time I saw this commercial, I had the exact same reaction. They said 73% of the doctors recommend a low calorie supplement, not “73% recommend 5 hour energy,” although that’s what they would like you to believe. Glad to know I am not the only one concerned about this.
I just blogged about this as well – I’m glad someone else picked up on it, although I guess you beat me to it.
I’m thinking of stealing 5HE’s campaign:
I showed 3,000 editors my blog about writing, and 73% of them recommended that people read blogs about writing when they’re reading blogs! Wow, talk about glowing praise!
I think you should. Just make sure to include a picture of a stack of paper as proof.
Unfortunately, in the US, it’s buyer beware, and this is just ONE example of manipulation of facts, and outright lies that have been incorporated into the “Common Knowledge”. I heard how the statement was phrased, and knew what they were doing.
But what about everyone who believe the BIG FAT LIE, that eating a low fat diet and exercising will make you lose weight and keep it off. Now, those in the know, who have read the studies that are NOT done by parties that stand to make gobs of money, understand that people in the US have gotten MORE heart disease, diabetes and an array of diseases since we cut saturated animal fats (butter) – (from humanely raised animals), and started focusing our diets on whole GRAINS.
And when you understand that 95% of all people who follow doctor’s and the diet industry’s advice to “Eat Less and Exercise More” , gain the weight back, hopefully you realize that there must be something wrong with the advice and NOT YOU!
Furthermore, even pushing people to drink water when they aren’t thirsty has come under scrutiny when it was discovered that the “research” was done by the companies that want you to buy their products!
It’s hard to turn that ship around- and you have to find sources you can trust to debunk the ridiculous claims! That’s what I do on my website.
[...] they can be manipulated. It would take a long time to explain it all, and other outlets (Forbes, BrandFailure, BlenderLaw) have dug into the ad in detail. In a nutshell, the ad claims that "73% of doctors [...]