Furlined has added director Eric Appel to its roster for U.S. commercial representation. He is a writer/director and content creator with an extensive television background. Appel now brings his comedic sensibilities to ad agencies and brands.
Originally from New York, Appel started in comedy as a writer/director/performer for the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in 2002. He was also the original head writer for Funny or Die. He moved on to television with credits that included MTV’s The Andy Milonakis Show, Crank Yankers, Human Giant and Comedy Central’s Pretend Time with Nick Swardson.
Appel directed the MTV pilot of Death Valley, which was just picked up for 12 episodes and directed segments for HBO’s upcoming Funny or Die Presents and soon-to-be aired episodes of Eagle Heart on Adult Swim.
“The quality of the work is what drew me to Furlined,” said Appel. “Looking through their work, I came across spots that I had already seen and loved; I realized what a big Furlined fan I was before they had even approached me.”
New FDA Rules To Take Effect For TV Drug Commercials
Those ever-present TV drug ads showing patients hiking, biking or enjoying a day at the beach could soon have a different look: New rules require drugmakers to be clearer and more direct when explaining their medications' risks and side effects.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration spent more than 15 years crafting the guidelines, which are designed to do away with industry practices that downplay or distract viewers from risk information.
Many companies have already adopted the rules, which become binding Nov. 20. But while regulators were drafting them, a new trend emerged: thousands of pharma influencers pushing drugs online with little oversight. A new bill in Congress would compel the FDA to more aggressively police such promotions on social media platforms.
"Some people become very attached to social media influencers and ascribe to them credibility that, in some cases, they don't deserve," said Tony Cox, professor emeritus of marketing at Indiana University.
Still, TV remains the industry's primary advertising format, with over $4 billion spent in the past year, led by blockbuster drugs like weight-loss treatment Wegovy, according to ispot.tv, which tracks ads.
Simpler language and no distractions
The new rules, which cover both TV and radio, instruct drugmakers to use simple, consumer-friendly language when describing their drugs, without medical jargon, distracting visuals or audio effects. A 2007 law directed the FDA to ensure that drug risk information appears "in a clear, conspicuous and neutral manner."
FDA has always required that ads give a balanced picture of both benefits and risks, a requirement that gave rise to those long, rapid-fire lists of side effects parodied on shows like "... Read More