Tylenol: Headache chicken

Credits & Description:

Category: Pharmaceutical
Media: Web Film
Brand: Tylenol
Agency: INNORED
Geo: South Korea
Advertising Agency: INNORED, Seoul, South Korea
Published: December 2016
Campaign Background
Even though Tylenol dominates the headache medication market in South Korea, and has been a proven method of pain relief for decades, many Korean consumers still choose to not take anything at all to relieve their headaches.
Instead, many Koreans simply trudge on through the pain, some believing it’s actually safer to put up with the headache rather than take medicine for it.
And then there are those that live under the maxim that “Real men don’t take headache medication.” This, of course, often leads to more pain and more trouble for headache sufferers trying to get through their day.
Campaign Concept
Innored approached the problem with a campaign concept that is both unique as well as humorous.
The TVC likens a headache to a chicken on your head. When you wake up in the morning with a headache and avoid taking Tylenol to relieve the pain, things will only get worse as your day goes on.
In the 1:48 video we see a businessman wake up with an egg in a nest on his head, symbolizing the headache. He reaches for the Tylenol on the night stand, but hesitates and instead chooses not to take it before going to work.
On the bus during his commute, the egg hatches into a chick and eventually becomes a full-grown chicken that can make a mess of his entire day at the office.
By humorously highlighting the obvious negative consequences of a day in the life of a typical white-collar person with a chicken on his head, Innored communicates a simple message: ‘Don’t let your headache get worse and ruin your day. Take Tylenol’.
Campaign Result
Rather than making use of computer animation, Innored filmed the entire spot with a real chicken, adding an unpredictable and lifelike feel to the end result.
The campaign was widely received across the entire market segment for its creative approach to a product segment that traditionally communicates a brand message in a dry and uninspired manner.
The video went viral, recording more than one million views in the first two days of its release, while enjoying widespread engagement with users across social media channels.