"I Believe in Santa Claus" and Ozempic: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of Holiday Health Advertising.
This study examines the weight-related discourses in holiday advertising for Ozempic, a prescription drug originally developed for diabetes management but now widely marketed for weight loss, and highlights how these marketing strategies mobilize biopower, construct self-surveillance as normative, and contribute to the commodification of health.
Abstract
This study examines the weight-related discourses in holiday advertising for Ozempic, a prescription drug originally developed for diabetes management but now widely marketed for weight loss. Sponsored Facebook advertisements for Ozempic were collected throughout December 2024, with 12 ads analyzed through Foucauldian discourse analysis. This analysis identifies three interrelated discursive constructs: (1) Santa Takes Ozempic, (2) Ozempic as the Perfect Holiday Gift, and (3) Medical Authority Meets Holiday Cheer. These advertisements use cultural symbols like Santa Claus and New Year's resolutions messaging to (re)produce dominant and contested discourses about fatness and weight loss, while constructing pharmaceutical intervention as both a necessity and a gift. The analysis highlights how these marketing strategies mobilize biopower, construct self-surveillance as normative, and contribute to the commodification of health, reinforcing weight stigma under the guise of holiday celebration.