Memory and Comprehension of Magazine-Based Prescription Drug Advertisements among Young and Old Adults

Pharmaceutical companies spend growing amounts of money marketing their products to older adults to increase both awareness and demand. Prescription drug advertising appears in magazines and on the radio, television, and internet. Magazine advertisements seem to be the most common and can be examined by readers at their own pace, making it possible for consumers to pay more attention to the ones that pertain to them, and less to the ones that do not. The current study examined the impact of two kinds of magazine-based prescription drug advertisements on younger and older adults: colorful ads (designed to be memorable) and information sheets (designed primarily to inform). The results suggested that: 1) younger adults remember the purpose of drug advertisements (i.e., what condition the drug treats) better than older adults; 2) a negative relationship exists between perceived ambiguity and recall of the drug ad for younger adults, but not older adults; 3) both younger and older adults understand complex drug information contained within advertisements presented in front of them equally well; and 4) drug ad information is easier to understand when presented in the FAQ format, especially for older adults.