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Pharma is the Boca Raton of Advertising. It's where they send older creatives before they die.
Why yes, yes I am in the club. And not by choice or design, just the desire to have some kind of career left. I was referring to older creatives such as myself who started in general. I personally don't know a creative one laid off over 40 that got a new full time non-pharma job.
If you have real relevant ideas in your book outside of pharma, then the pharma thing doesn’t hold you back. I know a few creatives who have stepped in and out of pharma at general agencies who had pharma accounts. If the creative manager at a general shop knows your value, they will pull you into general pitches. Or you may get to do both general and pharma.
The key is to have current general consumer in your book. No pharma I’ve seen in the last 10 years would help anybody get a general gig.
I have bounced back and forth. It all comes down to your portfolio. I’ve done some pharma that’s not pharma. When I was freelancing, healthcare shops kept me busy, but I constantly got involved with pitches. Keep your book fresh and relevant and you can get the kind of work you want. Who’s running TV ads? pharma—if you want to do tv spots
Started in general, industry started changing. Healthcare got big, so went that way. Still working. Once you do pharma, tough to get back to pure consumer/non pharma. Harder still if you’re over 30.
⬆️ Same situation. Not even sure I want to go back, but I’m curious to hear how people have spun it
I’ve gone back and forth a little, based on which copywriters bring me in with them. But not sexy consumer accounts, more like B2B
Not really anymore? Also—you work at CDM, so aren’t you in the club?
Pharma is pharma, whether it’s HCP or DTC. Do you mean consumer pharma or general (non pharma)? Only done pharma for the past decade or so
I mean “general” advertising