Click image to watch ad
The Spot: A woman rubs what appears to be a glue stick across her forehead. The voice-over repeats one sentence in triplicate: “HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead.” We cut to an image of the product in its packaging, while the voice-over tells us that “HeadOn is available without a prescription at retailers nationwide.”
When I first saw this ad, I was convinced it was a viral prank. Everything about it—the woman serenely rubbing stuff on her forehead; the lack of explanation as to what this stuff is; and, of course, the mind-numbing repetition of that weird catchphrase—just seemed too bizarre to be an actual commercial for an actual product. When I logged on to HeadOn.com, I expected a jokey Web site that would eventually redirect me to a promotion for Burger King or Axe deodorant or something.
But no, it turns out HeadOn is for real.
[…]
The HeadOn ad is more effective at reaching its goals than 99 percent of the ads on television. And it succeeds on the strength of a few, bare-bones tactics that most advertisers carefully shun:
That ad GIVES me a headache.
It would be interesting to see the Tampax version, though.
I believe the precedent for these HeadOn commercials could be found on the Web several years ago in the form of **CLICK HERE** ads.
Where are those ads? I miss baa-ing like a sheep when I would see one.
That ad is soooo annoying you couldn’t pay me use that product. Now they have a new version of it, antacid I believe. Won’t buy that either. Just because your ad is remembered, for all the wrong reasons, doesnt mean people will buy it.
I HATE LOUD COMMERCIALS.
The first time I saw it I thought… Oh… a cable insertion error… they started the Ad again… that was really odd.
But then I realized after seeing it several times it was intentional.
Good gracious… is the attention span of consumers now so short that we can’t absorb a 2 second message?!
Heavens to murgatroyd!.
That ad makes my head hurt.
This ad is one reason I wish I were a couple of years younger, so I could hit the mute button with the cat-like response time I used to have. I think maybe that’s part of their plan — the people in the prime “headache demographic” no longer have the reflexes to mute their irritating message before it gets through.
Damn them!
#8, it’s medicine to cure the headache that the annoying ad gives you.
What is occurring in this forum is why some advertising agency will crow success before their client as they exclaim people are talking about the product. They could not be more wrong.
There is a truism about ads… the ones that really work, I mean totally motivate a product or service purchase, are so effective, the buyer has no clue why they bought.
So here’s a clue to those who genuinely seek to make a sale… the more memorable the advertisement, the more the prospect realizes it’s an attempt to influence them. As soon as a sentient being senses they are being manipulated, there is an instinctive reaction to a more guarded manner in all but the slowest of Homo sapiens.
Even the web site doesn’t say what it’s for. One would assume headaches but I have my doubts it works and you can never be assured what a drug does when it doesn’t say what it’s for and when the FDA doesn’t regulate it.
You can’t even when the FDA does nowadays since corporate money has ruined the system of old checks and balances and neocons have gotten in control of everything.
I have tried Head On. It does work. I don’t know how or why, but it does.
I don’t know if it’s worth the price, since I didn’t buy it and don’t know what it costs.
The ad on CNN is horribly annoying.
well it worked enough to get you to go to their www page. success??
If they came out with a product for erectile disfunction, I wonder what they would call it?
#14 JeeBs “If they came out with a product for erectile disfunction, I wonder what they would call it?”
Could it be anything besides “HeadsUp”? 😉
I thought it was for “brain freeze” cause you gulped your Slurpee too fast!
They have taken the irritant out of the product and put it into the commercial. Anybody remember the Anacin ads from the 50’s with the clanging hammer, flashing lightning bolts and tightening rope. Aaaaargh.
My wife and I occasionally watch Comedy Central in bed late at night. EVERY single advertising break included a “Girls Gone Wild” ad. Yes I am nauseated by them and still have no intension of ever ordering a copy.
In order to work, the ad must appeal to something we could use. In today’s world we all want some quick relief from tension headaches. The next time someone gets a tension headache, they will remember this product. The next time after that when they see it in a store, they might pick some up. The next time I want to look at some porn, I’ll check out the free sites on the ‘net.
2 things: There is a similar commercial for hemoroids and second, it made me switch to MSNBC from Fox.
If the goal is to lose 99 % of the audience before the next commercial, then I would agree that it’s effective.
If the goal is to lose 99 % of the audience before the next commercial, then I would agree that it’s effective.
If the goal is to lose 99 % of the audience before the next commercial, then I would agree that it’s effective.
Oh crap. I just saw their new ad for ActivOn, which you rub directly where it hurts on your body to deal with muscle aches and pains.
Apply directly where it hurts
Apply directly where it hurts
Apply directly where it hurts
I’m going crazy.