Ross Prepares Launch of Beverage for AIDS Patients

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Ross Prepares Launch of Beverage for AIDS Patients

Adweek--Eastern Edition (10/18/93) Vol. 34, No. 42, P. 9 (Riddle, Judith Springer)

Ross Products, a division of Abbott Laboratories, plans to target the health care profession in a print advertising and public relations blitz to market a nutritional drink formulated expressly to meet the dietary needs of people with HIV/AIDS. The beverage, known as Advera, is fortified with vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients. High in calories for weight management and high in protein to maintain lean body mass, the drink professes to boost the immune system, reduce repeated hospitalization, and sustain life. Advera will be sold in six-pack cans of chocolate or orange creme- flavored drinks at an estimated price of $20. It will likely be covered by third-party plans. The recommended dosage will be three eight-ounce cans each day. Advertising and marketing a product such as Advera raises thorny issues such as sensitivity and product credibility. Companies "selling products to people with HIV and AIDS have to deal with the confidentiality issue and maintaining their customer's dignity," cautioned Michael Goff, editor and president of the gay publication Out. "If the product doesn't do what it says it will do, it will immediately be exposed. These people are very savvy customers who are interested in their health care," he said. Print ads break next month in healthcare trade journals.

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