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• Artist
  Justine Cooper
• Title
  Havidol (Everyone should be able to live life to its fullest)
• Date of Production
  2007
• Medium
  Digital betacam, 1:40 mins, exhibited on DVD
• Dimensions
• Credit Details
  Courtesy the artist and Jan Manton Gallery, Australia, Daneyal Mahmood Gallery New York

Justine Cooper: Havidol

This satirical work is part of a project by Justine Cooper investigating the intersections between culture, science and medicine by using the form of a marketing campaign to examine tactics used by the drug companies to sell prescription medications.

Cooper has created a humorous but subtle advertising campaign which goes from the invention of a new disorder to the branding process of naming the drug, its pill and logo design, and promotional merchandise.

In this work she examines our collective desires and expectations and our doubts as to whether we are ever good enough, or have enough. Cooper stated she intended the exhibit to be humorous, but subtle.

The campaign, included TV, print and billboard ads along with merchandise and branding material, was originally displayed at the Daneyal Mahmood Art Gallery in New York City in 2007.

Justine Cooper is an Australian interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in New York. She had the initial idea while waiting for a flight at the Los Angeles International Airport. She was watching the news on TV when she viewed her first direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertisements, promoting drugs for allergies, insomnia, depression, and erectile dysfunction.