If there was a pill that allowed you to do helpful things, would you take it?
Novo Nordisk is betting you would. For its first-ever Super Bowl ad, the Danish pharma company behind GLP-1 appetite suppressant drugs Wegovy and Ozempic wants people to know that Wegovy is now available as a pill — and they shouldn’t feel embarrassed about taking it.
“At the Super Bowl, the whole world tunes in, so we want to be there,” Novo Nordisk marketing svp Edward Cinca told ADWEEK. “The goal is to generate as much awareness [for the pill] as we can.”
Novo Nordisk recruited celebrities Kenan Thompson, DJ Khaled, Danielle Brooks, Ana Gasteyer, John C. Reilly, and Danny Trejo for the spot, “A New Way to Wegovy.” The ad begins with Thompson announcing that Wegovy is now available as a pill. He asks viewers to be honest: “If there was a pill that made other helpful things possible, you’d take it.”
The ad shows Reilly backing into a car as he admits he’d take a pill that could help him parallel park. Khaled would say yes if a pill could turn him into a pro wrestler, and Brooks would take a pill that enabled her to rescue more kittens.
“All of these people were selected because of their ability to connect and the way that they bring their own style and communication to the forefront,” Cinca said. “At the end of the day, our objective is to try to normalize these conversations.”
The ad will appear nationally during the third quarter of Super Bowl 60 on Feb. 8. Novo Nordisk developed the campaign in partnership with M+C Saatchi and production company O Positive, with media buying by CMI Media Group/WPP Media.
While this is the first time that Novo Nordisk will advertise during the Super Bowl, the company joins a growing number of pharma companies promoting GLP-1 medications during the Big Game. Drugmaker Eli Lilly will also promote Zepbound in an in-game ad on Peacock.
Some similarly aim to overcome the stigma of weight loss drugs. Tennis star Serena Williams is countering the haters by touting the health benefits of GLP-1s in a Super Bowl ad for Ro, which sells GLP-1 drugs and other medications directly to consumers.
GLP-1s are surging in popularity. A KFF survey found that 12% of U.S. adults use a GLP-1 drug, up from 6% two years ago.
