Marketing 'Mind Mechanics': Decoding Antidepressant Drug Advertisements Export

@article{citeulike:3374977, abstract = {Advertisers have adopted the use of highly abstract visual metaphors and symbols in addressing physicians about antidepressant drugs. Campaigns built around an abstract visual aesthetics are designed to generate cognitive connections between named drug entities and the meaning of abstract visual images: these connections are called 'carry-over symbols'. In this study we critically dismantle and analyze the encoding practices used in two recent ad campaigns for antidepressants. In addition to asking what the ads mean, we ask how they mean it. This analysis is joined to a comparison of the information provided by these ads with the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of the drugs themselves. Our analysis suggests this style of drug advertising produces, as a social side-effect, a reified and medicalized account of psychiatric illness (depression). It also poses an obstacle to scientific discourse and understanding; privileges certain types of social knowledge concerning mental illness, psychiatric patients, and drug taking; and discourages professional debate regarding therapeutic approaches to treating illness. These ads reflect a positivistic conceptualization of mental illness and doctoring as mind mechanics.}, author = {Goldman, Robert and Montagne, Michael}, citeulike-article-id = {3374977}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://www.lclark.edu/~goldman/mmmp1.html}, journal = {Social Science and Medicine}, keywords = {antidepressantmarketing, antidepressants, depression, mentalillness, symbols, visualimages}, number = {10}, pages = {1047--1058}, posted-at = {2008-10-04 21:56:38}, priority = {2}, title = {Marketing 'Mind Mechanics': Decoding Antidepressant Drug Advertisements}, url = {http://www.lclark.edu/~goldman/mmmp1.html}, volume = {22}, year = {1986} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:3374977 L3 - citeulike-article-id:3374977 N2 - Advertisers have adopted the use of highly abstract visual metaphors and symbols in addressing physicians about antidepressant drugs. Campaigns built around an abstract visual aesthetics are designed to generate cognitive connections between named drug entities and the meaning of abstract visual images: these connections are called 'carry-over symbols'. In this study we critically dismantle and analyze the encoding practices used in two recent ad campaigns for antidepressants. In addition to asking what the ads mean, we ask how they mean it. This analysis is joined to a comparison of the information provided by these ads with the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of the drugs themselves. Our analysis suggests this style of drug advertising produces, as a social side-effect, a reified and medicalized account of psychiatric illness (depression). It also poses an obstacle to scientific discourse and understanding; privileges certain types of social knowledge concerning mental illness, psychiatric patients, and drug taking; and discourages professional debate regarding therapeutic approaches to treating illness. These ads reflect a positivistic conceptualization of mental illness and doctoring as mind mechanics. IS - 10 JF - Social Science and Medicine EP - 1058 TI - Marketing 'Mind Mechanics': Decoding Antidepressant Drug Advertisements VL - 22 SP - 1047 KW - antidepressantmarketing KW - antidepressants KW - depression KW - mentalillness KW - symbols KW - visualimages AU - Goldman, Robert AU - Montagne, Michael PY - 1986/// UR - http://www.lclark.edu/~goldman/mmmp1.html ER -