Merck's One Less Campaign: Using Risk Message Frames to Promote the Use of Gardasil® in HPV Prevention

Abstract

In 2006, Merck introduced Gardasil® through its One Less campaign, highlighting how the vaccine protects against the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) and, potentially, cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine how young women learned about Gardasil and if the One Less campaign influenced the patient's decision to receive/decline the vaccines. Participants primarily learned about Gardasil from television advertising, and felt the campaign addressed the psychometric paradigm hazard factors of control and dread associated with HPV. However, participants reported that physicians/physician's assistants and mothers remained the primary sources of influence when choosing to receive/decline the vaccine series.

Keywords:

• Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising
• Framing
• Health Communication
• Risk Communication

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Susan Grantham

Susan Grantham (PhD, University of Florida, 2003) is an associate professor in the School of Communication at the University of Hartford.

Lee Ahern

Lee Ahern (PhD, Penn State University, 2008) is an assistant professor in the College of Communications at Penn State University.

Colleen Connolly-Ahern

Colleen Connolly-Ahern (PhD, University of Florida, 2004) is an associate professor in the College of Communications at Penn State University.