Tums Ultra
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
SmithKline Beecham TV commercial targeting Pepcid Complete claims, "Dose for dose, Tums Ultra neutralizes twice as much acid as Pepcid Complete's antacid yet the Pepcid costs almost four times as much as the Tums." The 30-second spot, entitled "Harry's Heartburn," depicts a man eating at a diner about to try Pepcid Complete. "What was it before it was complete?" the waitress asks. "Who knows, but they added an antacid so they call it complete," Harry replies. The waitress convinces Harry to take Tums and later asks if it worked. "Completely," Harry says. The commercial broke Jan. 9, a day after J&J/Merck launched two TV spots for the Pepcid line extension, the first antacid/H2 antagonist combo that offers short-term relief and long-lasting acid control ingredients in one dosage form (1"The Tan Sheet" Jan. 15, p. 18)