INOVA Pharmaceuticals has severed ties with Channel Ten's The Bachelor after a mix-up in a media release implied the blockbuster reality show was being sponsored by the company's prescription-only Duromine product (PD Wed).
iNova had been planning to run branded content advertisements during the show around its "Can Science Take The Weight Off" campaign, but says it didn't intend to tie the messages to Duromine.
"Our disease state awareness campaign focussed on promoting a healthy lifestyle and the responsible role that medically-managed weight loss can play," an iNova spokesperson told online marketing website Mumbrella.
Unfortunately Channel Ten's press statement announcing the sponsors of the show included a direct reference to the medication, rather than to iNova as a sponsor.
The TV network has now retracted its previous statement, but iNova has cancelled any involvement with the program in order to "avoid any misunderstanding".
Other pharmacy-related sponsors include Aspen S-26 and Blistex, with a Channel Ten spokesman stressing the "family-friendly and brand-safe credentials" of the show.
The sixth season of the show features Australian rugby player Nick "Honey Badger" Cummins.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 27 Jul 18
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