Heads-UP! #44: From Prescription Drugs to Blue Monday

Welcome to this week’s edition of Heads-UP!. As always, we’ve scoured the depths of the internet to bring you the best and most interesting nuggets of information…

  • ‘Blue Monday’ is a total fraud: launched in 2005, through a mysterious press release orchestrated by PR agency Porter-Novelli for travel company Sky Travel, the ‘equation’ relies on the fact that people are most likely to buy a ticket when they feel depressed, sad; by inciting people to “plan” things after the festive season, the campaign aimed to reinvigorate the purchases of tickets – Laurent
  • According to a UK study, women spend on average 39 seconds more in the shower than men – Cécile

  • The famous Marlboro Man ads began in 1955. Three men who appeared in the advertisements later died of lung cancer, earning the brand the nickname “Cowboy Killer” – Valeria
  • The USA, Canada and New Zealand are the only three countries in the world that allow prescription drugs to be advertised to the general public. – Lynn