Gastric Bands Videos on You Tube – Ethicon Division of Johnson and Johnson Has Spent over 15 Million to Advertise

We are starting to see more advertisements both on You Tube and on television with medical devices and the budgets appear to be quite large. It’s funny they all have happy smiling people, just like the drug commercials do. If you want to learn more click on the pictures to see how this banding procedure works and how the physician can adjust by injecting saline to reduce the size. BD

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In the video, Viki, a middle-age blonde, tears up recounting her moment of truth: A couple of years ago she was so obese that she could not chase after her toddler to keep him from running into the street.

DTC device marketing is not new, but Ethicon's YouTube effort is a first for a device.

If this sounds like a setup for a weight-loss ad, that's because it is. But not for a diet shake, pill or plan. The video is for Ethicon Endo-Surgery's Realize adjustable gastric band -- a device placed around the stomach that restricts food intake. The video is on Realize Band's branded YouTube channel.

"Overall, the importance is to be sure that you have truthful, non-misleading balanced risk information, regardless of media," said Khatereh Calleja, associate VP-technology and regulatory affairs at AdvaMed. Ethicon's parent company, Johnson & Johnson, is a member of the trade association.

Last year, Ethicon spend nearly $12 million on measured media for Realize Band, according to TNS Media Intelligence. In the first three months of 2009, Ethicon spent $3.5 million. Ethicon declined to comment on the cost of the YouTube investment.