Friday, August 21, 2009

What's With the Bathtubs, Cialis?

Regular readers of this blog know that we get some pretty odd questions at the Reference Desk, but we try to find the answers regardless of what the question is or why the person wants to know.
Today's question: what's with the people in the bathtubs at the end of every Cialis TV ad? Googling the phrase "bathtubs Cialis" turns up 2,570,000 hits - which made us realize that many people are concerned about this issue. Some of the comments online were quite creative in trying to find a reason for the bathtubs image, but we wanted the real reason from the horses mouth. So I called the helpline of Lilly, the drug company that makes Cialis. I stated the question explaining that I am a librarian and people really want to know the answer. Without skipping a beat, the operator answered,

"It's up to the interpretation of the viewer."

Period. End of story, though not unkindly. I asked her if she gets this question often since her answer was so quick and do I dare say, firm?

"Sometimes," she politely said.

I asked if Lilly would ever let the ad's creative person be interviewed or release a statement about the bathtub meaning and she said again,

"It's up to the interpretation of the viewer."

I pleaded a bit more for enlightenment, but feeling that no more information was forthcoming and wanting to end the conversation on an up note, we thanked each other and hung up.

So there you have it.

Anyone's guess is as good as anyone elses in this case. Like art, it's open to interpretation is the company's claim.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Given that Cialis is for OPS (that's Old People Sex), methinks the bathtubs are meant to convey "getting naked" without showing anything too close to the actual business at hand. I mean, who wants to see Mom's undies in a muddle on the floor?

Signed,
Old Person

Anonymous said...

I think it's the whole idea behind being "free" to get busy because of the medicine...now they (the couple) aren't bogged down by "times and places". The bathtubs out in the open in beautiful romantic settings can be a direct parallel to the "freedom" the medication might provide.

Anonymous said...

The company's claim (open interpretation) is pretty lame. Don't have a clue as to what it's supposed to mean.

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Anonymous said...

Folks usually shower after sex if it's in the afternoon or before they go to the movies or dinner, USUALLY, unless you're way too young to care. It would have been very provocative to have them in a shower together from the shoulders up only. Maybe too provocative but much more romantic and would sell a ton more Cialis! Just sayin'.

Najrellim said...

The idea of the two tubs is that Eli-Lily wants us to think that after taking Cialis, you and your spouse will "go boomtey-boomtey" until you both have to cool your tools down in a cold tub of water.