Prescription medicine commercials are to today what beer ads were to the 90s. Spokespersons and mascots and analogies and magic. My love for them is double bathtub.

Salix Pharmaceuticals thought the “Gut Guy” was a good idea. Probably an entire conference room full of people bought off on it — in writing. It worked for Michelin Tires, didn’t it?

The Salix ad wizards even ran a Super Bowl commercial for Xifaxan in 2016. 

Thirty-three seconds in, someone gives our pile of guts a high five. Normally, a detail of this caliber — touching a strange colon on national TV — would be the highlight of the commercial. Yet, not two seconds later, GG is scanned by security for metal objects.

One can only assume the creative team behind this spot are huge fans of Steely Dan.

Metaphorical Figuritivitis

Granted, I don’t want to see literal representations of IBS. I don’t want to see a pile of guts going to an Indianapolis Colts game, either.

Advances in medicine aside, commercials like these make me wonder about the futility of the human race. The good news is I should be able to stay employed as a copywriter until Mother Nature just gives up on us.

Nature will start again. With the bees, probably.

“Stop taking Trulicity if you are allergic to Trulicity”

Will do. Thanks for the pro tip.