When Bold Marketing Backfires
Taking risks can get you results—but it can also get you regulated.
This week, we’re breaking down:
✅ Hims & Hers vs. Big Pharma: A Masterclass in Risky Marketing
✅ The Fine Print Problem: When Disclosure Isn’t Enough
✅ Speed, Relevance, and Trust: How to Win Without Getting Burned
Hims & Hers Just Picked a Fight With Big Pharma—And Now the FDA Is Watching
Hims & Hers came out swinging in their first Super Bowl ad, calling out the weight-loss industry for pricing drugs for profits, not patients.
The move? Bold. The backlash? Immediate.
Their offer: compounded GLP-1s, aka knockoff versions of Ozempic and Wegovy that aren’t FDA-approved. They mentioned that in the fine print—but only if you had a magnifying glass and two seconds to spare.
Now, two U.S. senators, consumer watchdogs, and Novo Nordisk itself are coming for them. And the FDA? It’s only a matter of time.
Speed, Relevance, and Trust: You Need All Three
Hims & Hers nailed cultural relevance, but they also handed their competitors an easy counterpunch. When you push boundaries, you need a plan for the fallout.
Tactical Take: If your marketing strategy is built on disruption, pressure-test it for vulnerabilities. Can your competition flip the narrative? Will regulators see a red flag?
Make the splash, but anticipate the waves.
The disruptors win because they move fast. The giants win because they build trust over time. The real winners? The brands that do both.
Inside The Parallel Path Group Chat:
🔬 Clinically Proven = Consumer Catnip – A Citruslabs study shows that 93% of Gen Z and Millennials trust products labeled “clinically proven.” If you’re not backing up your claims with real data, you’re losing them before they even hit ‘Add to Cart.’
🏈 Recovery Tech Goes Pro – Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean is putting wellness tech in the spotlight, partnering with Renpho for recovery tools like massage guns and eye massagers. Another sign that performance brands are leaning hard into everyday consumer wellness—and it’s working.
🧖 The $181B Spa Boom – Balian Springs, a high-end wellness retreat near D.C., is cashing in on the skyrocketing demand for IRL relaxation. The bigger trend? “Digital detox” isn’t just a buzzword anymore—it’s becoming a full-blown industry.
About Side Effects May Vary:
The fine print of health and wellness marketing—decoded. We cut through the noise, call out the B.S., and give you insights you won’t find anywhere else.
About Parallel Path:
Health and wellness marketing is flooded with sameness. At Parallel Path, we cut through it. Strategy that actually drives growth. Creative that actually gets noticed. Media that actually performs.
We move fast, think sharp, and get brands where they need to go. If that interests you, let’s talk!