Medical Device Link.

Originally Published MX July/August 2003

ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION, & SALES

In ads for Disc Nucleoplasty, the x-ray of the spine—painted bright blue for maximum effect—literally leaps off the page. The contrast between the color of the spine and the shadow of the golfer serves to dramatize the power of lower back pain, which often prohibits sufferers from enjoying activities like golfing. The tag line 'Minimally invasive, Maximum performance' tells the physician that this procedure is safer and easier than major surgery, yet has a high rate of proven success.

'Minimally invasive. Maximum performance.' That's the tag line for a professional ad campaign from Adair-Greene Healthcare Communications (Atlanta) that matches the cutting-edge clarity of an x-ray with the spine-twisting swing of a golfer.

The campaign was created for Arthrocare, a nine-year-old California-based company whose patented Coblation system is revolutionizing surgery by replacing the scalpel with state-of-the-art radio-wave technology. In back surgery, where the procedure is used to correct herniated disks, it is called disk decompression. The Arthrocare device, marketed as Disc Nucleoplasty, consists of a needle that emits radio waves, decompressing, or dissolving, the excess tissue that indirectly causes the pain.

In designing the campaign, Adair-Greene had several challenges to overcome. First was the lack of awareness—on the part of interventional physicians and orthopedic surgeons—of the new procedure. Second was the failure to understand the advantages of the treatment over traditional surgery. Last was the need to motivate specialists to find out more about the technology and then learn how to perform the procedure themselves.

To launch the campaign, the team created a striking ad for professional journals, which introduced the concept of 'cutting edge without cutting,' and promoted the idea of surgery that would be 'minimally invasive, but proven effective.' To back up the ad, they designed an eight-page sales aid, written for physicians, which explained the technology of radio-wave tissue reduction, or Coblation.

For prospective patients, they produced an educational folder for distribution in doctors' offices and pain clinics. The handout is full of pictures of people doing everyday things—such as lifting babies and riding bikes—that are impossible for those with severe back pain. The tag line, 'resume life,' sums up the reason for having the treatment.

All the elements of the campaign hammer home the advantages of Disc Nucleoplasty over traditional surgery. While the visuals portray everyday activities, the copy stresses that the treatment—which has an 89% satisfaction rate—is performed in an outpatient setting, uses local anesthesia, and takes less than an hour. —Mark S. Perlotto, executive vice president and general manager, Adair-Greene Healthcare Communications

Photo courtesy ADAIR-GREENE

Copyright ©2003 MX