Bayer is itching to lose customers with new Lotrimin ad

April 15, 2015
Bayer is itching to lose customers with new Lotrimin ad

UPDATE! Bayer is pulling the ad immediately!

We have just received this statement from Bayer:

The commercial had been designed to use surprise and humor to dramatize the issues of Athlete’s Foot flare-ups, and in particular, itching, the most bothersome symptom facing sufferers.  Its intent was to reinforce Lotrimin® Ultra’s effectiveness in curing most Athlete’s Foot between the toes and in the relief of symptoms. 

As I mentioned, we completely understand that the use of surprise and humor in this commercial did not appeal to some viewers.  Please be assured we do not want to offend our valued customers, and so the commercial has been discontinued.

Thanks again and best regards,

Anne Coiley
Director, Global Communications
Consumer Care
Bayer HealthCare LLC

Thank you for taking action on this very important issue. We have thanked Bayer on your behalf and no further action is requested.

 

Original Alert:

The newest Lotrimin commercial has people talking, and not in a good way. This current ad is inappropriate because it clearly implies masturbation and is aired early in the evening when children are likely watching. This is unacceptable!

The ad features a couple lying in bed when the husband accidently wakes his wife up while he appears to be pleasuring himself. The wife asks, "What are you doing?" as she pulls back the sheets. She then finds him using a long backscratcher to scratch an itch on his foot caused by athlete’s foot.

Although the husband is only scratching his foot, the implications are terrible. Lotrimin, owned by Bayer HealthCare, LLC, needs to know it is not alright to air commercials with offensive content, especially when children are likely watching.

TAKE ACTION

Please contact Lotrimin (Bayer HealthCare, LLC) through our website and ask them to pull their current ad immediately! Also, encourage them to be more responsible next time they decide on a marketing campaign. If they would like our business, they must no longer air sexually explicit ads.