How Viagra repositioned to reflect evolving definitions of masculinity in the UK

Viagra, a drug made by Pfizer to treat erectile dysfunction, wanted to shake outmoded perceptions of its brand and reach men in more emotionally resonant ways.

When it arrived in the late 1990s as an erectile-dysfunction remedy, Viagra had a strong wink-wink-nudge-nudge media profile that frequently overlapped into male toxicity from medical science.

Twenty years later, however, not only had the novelty worn off, but generic versions of the product began to eat away at the margins of what had become popularly known as “the little blue pill.”

In reinvigorating the brand with a strategic transformation, the Upjohn UK division of Pfizer Inc., the pharmaceutical manufacturer, sought to expand the legacy audience (which largely had become older men), bring a new tone to messaging (no more...

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