Did Lilly’s Olympic Ads Test The Boundaries On Celebrity Endorsement?

Only one of the six Olympic athletes promoting Lilly’s drugs actually took the product themselves or had a family member that did. Trulicity and Emgality TV ads include disclaimers while Verzenio commercial in memory of volleyball player April Ross’ mother does not.

April Ross
Olympic volleyball player April Ross is featured in a TV ad for cancer drug Verzenio. • Source: Screenshot of Eli Lilly's TV commercial for Verzenio

Eli Lilly and Company sponsored six Olympic athletes who promoted the company’s diabetes, migraine and cancer drugs in TV commercials and on patient websites during the Tokyo Olympics. The advertisements had one striking feature: disclaimers for all but one of the athletes that they or their parents who had these diseases did not actually take the drugs.

A TV commercial for Trulicity (dulaglutide) features gymnast Laurie Hernandez and her father, who has diabetes. Superimposed text briefly...

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