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I almost spit my drink out when I first saw this commercial a few weeks ago. As a marketing person, I have to debate if it’s an honest mistake – or an intentional one.
I definitely remember it!
Now, if “gas” was a side effect, that would be even funnier.
I actually found the email address of their PR person and emailed them (snickering all the way). I got an auto-reply. Their PR person is on vacation! Coincidence?
This is beyond weird – my business partner and I were discussing product naming just two days ago and I mentioned some multimedia training materials I worked on back in 1997 for Ortho. The drug was Aciphex and we railed on them about the name – they didn’t get it… I never new it got to market.
phreaadi23 Apr 08
This ranks right up there with pretty much any faux-drug commercial SNL ’s ever created. Ass Effects should come with a coupon for Oops I Crapped My Pants™ adult undergarments.
I’ve been on this medicine for a couple of years (since 2003, I’d guess?) and been making the same joke ever since.
Though Aciphex does prevent the ass effects, thank God. Like Manuel I always wondered if it was meant to have that subconscious, albeit juvenile, association.
carlivar23 Apr 08
@Dominic: It’s great to know that great products work great.
My insurance decided I should be on this and not whatever-other-prescription-pill, and for the last 2 years, I’ve had to go into the pharmacy and ask to pick up my AssEffects.
This is going to be a shitty comment, but I don’t have anything to say other than I love this post.
Justin24 Apr 08
I saw this last night on TV and could not stop laughing. This is why every product dev team needs at least one 20-something on their team to sniff out the potential dick jokes/toilet humor.
Daniel24 Apr 08
I’m not sure about this, but I once heard that there was an anti-diarrhea medicine available here in Denmark, which was called “Mukol”—and that just happens to be the Danish word for “crapper” (“lokum”) written in reverse.
Again, not sure about it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. It’d even work well in English too: Repparc. That sounds vaguely pharmaceutical too.
Emailing this to my wife right now – she always rolls her eyes at me when I make this joke, so now I know I’m not the only one who hears “ass effects”!
Brenton24 Apr 08
Reminds me of a local realtor called Coldwell Banker – Itildo. On the radio, it sounds like their tagline—“Coldwell Banker: It’ll do.”
Ive seen this comercial a few times and this is EXACTLY what I thought of every time that I heard it. I’m so glad to find that I’m not the only one who thought of this.
Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson, Sarah Hatter, Ryan Singer, Sam Stephenson, Jamie Dihiansan, and Michael Berger in Chicago, Matt Linderman in NYC, Mark Imbriaco in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Jeremy Kemper in Pasadena, California, Jeffrey Hardy in Vineland, Ontario, Joshua Sierles in Granada, Spain, Jason Zimdars in Oklahoma City, Craig Davey in Ottawa, Ontario, and Mr. Jamis Buck in Caldwell, Idaho.
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26 comments so far
Joe Sak 23 Apr 08
Great.
Scott Orchard 23 Apr 08
Wow! I can’t believe that this didn’t sound wrong to someone during product development.
Jeremiah Staes 23 Apr 08
I almost spit my drink out when I first saw this commercial a few weeks ago. As a marketing person, I have to debate if it’s an honest mistake – or an intentional one.
I definitely remember it!
Now, if “gas” was a side effect, that would be even funnier.
Colin Bartlett 23 Apr 08
I was on this medicine for a while several years ago. I nearly had ass effects in my pants when the Dr. told me what he was prescribing.
Dominic 23 Apr 08
Don’t even consider taking this stuff.
There are so many great natural products that work great.
Dom
John Topley 23 Apr 08
LMAO! I love you Americans.
paul 23 Apr 08
i’m glad i’m not the only one who heard that when i watched the commercial…
Granata 23 Apr 08
About time someone posted about this. That’s pretty bad.
Chad Garrett 23 Apr 08
I actually found the email address of their PR person and emailed them (snickering all the way). I got an auto-reply. Their PR person is on vacation! Coincidence?
Dave 23 Apr 08
This is beyond weird – my business partner and I were discussing product naming just two days ago and I mentioned some multimedia training materials I worked on back in 1997 for Ortho. The drug was Aciphex and we railed on them about the name – they didn’t get it… I never new it got to market.
phreaadi 23 Apr 08
This ranks right up there with pretty much any faux-drug commercial SNL ’s ever created. Ass Effects should come with a coupon for Oops I Crapped My Pants™ adult undergarments.
Manuel, Æstheticrew 23 Apr 08
Ever thought about that they might’ve choosen the “name” on purpose? It’s indeed weird, but it is catchy, you got to give them that.
Aden 23 Apr 08
I’ve been on this medicine for a couple of years (since 2003, I’d guess?) and been making the same joke ever since.
Though Aciphex does prevent the ass effects, thank God. Like Manuel I always wondered if it was meant to have that subconscious, albeit juvenile, association.
carlivar 23 Apr 08
@Dominic: It’s great to know that great products work great.
Lee 23 Apr 08
My insurance decided I should be on this and not whatever-other-prescription-pill, and for the last 2 years, I’ve had to go into the pharmacy and ask to pick up my AssEffects.
Stupid HMOs.
Jack 23 Apr 08
Rectalieve.
Zach 24 Apr 08
This is going to be a shitty comment, but I don’t have anything to say other than I love this post.
Justin 24 Apr 08
I saw this last night on TV and could not stop laughing. This is why every product dev team needs at least one 20-something on their team to sniff out the potential dick jokes/toilet humor.
Daniel 24 Apr 08
I’m not sure about this, but I once heard that there was an anti-diarrhea medicine available here in Denmark, which was called “Mukol”—and that just happens to be the Danish word for “crapper” (“lokum”) written in reverse.
Again, not sure about it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. It’d even work well in English too: Repparc. That sounds vaguely pharmaceutical too.
Jaymie 24 Apr 08
Ah, it’s no longer available now, so I can’t see it. Shame. :o(
Justin 24 Apr 08
I’ve seen more free publicity about this stuff than any other pharma product I’ve come across. I don’t think it was an accident.
Kevin 24 Apr 08
Emailing this to my wife right now – she always rolls her eyes at me when I make this joke, so now I know I’m not the only one who hears “ass effects”!
Brenton 24 Apr 08
Reminds me of a local realtor called Coldwell Banker – Itildo. On the radio, it sounds like their tagline—“Coldwell Banker: It’ll do.”
JD 24 Apr 08
This is undoubtedly trademark infringement.
Kristian 29 Apr 08
The same marketing people who did this logo?
Alan 30 Apr 08
Ive seen this comercial a few times and this is EXACTLY what I thought of every time that I heard it. I’m so glad to find that I’m not the only one who thought of this.
Comments are closed