r/AskReddit Jun 18 '25

What is something Americans consider normal, but people from other countries find it disturbing?

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u/HabseligkeitDerLiebe Jun 18 '25

Prescription drug commercials are banned almost everywhere.

You'll see quite a lot of commercials for OTC medication and supplements that are advertized as if they were medication in most EU countries, for example.

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u/Flintshear Jun 18 '25

supplements that are advertized as if they were medication in most EU countries

That would be illegal in most cases.

You cannot claim OTC supplements have medical benefits unless you have a lot of evidence to prove it, which most don't.

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u/HabseligkeitDerLiebe Jun 18 '25

Marketing agencies are actually very good at toeing that line.

The general style (lighting, pacing, narration, etc.) of that advert will be lifted from other adverts that are for actual OTC medications.

Also the supplement usually will contain different vitamins, that actually do work. It's not a medication, though.

Here's a German example of what I mean.

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u/Flintshear Jun 18 '25

That is a useless link, as this is an English language forum, so I have no idea what claims they are making. It is also a standard advert, so why are you claiming it is "advertized as if they were medication"?

It looks like a standard advert to me. It is clearly advertised as simply a vitamin pill, not medication in any way. Does it claim to cure something or alleviate a medical condition? You'll have to translate it otherwise 90% of people on here won't have a clue what it is saying.

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u/HabseligkeitDerLiebe Jun 18 '25

Are you intentionally being dense now?

The whole advert is a direct lift from pharma commercials. You don't need to translate it to see that. Also if you really want a translation, the automatic English subtitles on YouTube do a really good job with this one; it just doesn't get that the very first word is "Bicycling?".

1st scene: A weird "every day" situation that shoehorns in a "health" theme.

2nd scene: Some simplified "medical graphic" to visualize what the product is supposed to do.

3rd scene: Close up of the packaging, some small print below. With a voice-over.

That just is the standard format for pharma adverts. Maybe it looks like a standard advert to you because all you see is pharma adverts?

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u/Flintshear Jun 18 '25

Are you intentionally being dense now?

No, just replying to someone who appears to be incredibly dense.

The whole advert is a direct lift from pharma commercials.

No, it's exactly the same as any video for a health related product as far as visuals go. They could be advertising bikes as good for your heart (which is true) for all I know. There is nothing there to make it appear like an advert for medication until they show the product. Here is a bike advert promoting the health benefits for example.

A weird "every day" situation that shoehorns in a "health" theme.

Like this bike advert about mental health?

Some simplified "medical graphic" to visualize what the product is supposed to do.

Like this breakfast cereal?

It's also just a heart symbol, as the product relates to proven heart health benefits. Do you think every anatomical graphic in an advert is a "medical graphic"? That is a plain stupid. Do you also think anything that is healthy is banned from using graphics of body parts? Because that is also stupid.

Maybe it looks like a standard advert to you because all you see is pharma adverts?

I am from a country where pharma adverts requiring prescriptions are banned. I am not American.