For decades, pharmaceutical advertising largely revolved around television commercials urging patients to ask their doctors about branded medication. Increasingly, however, drugmakers are investing in a different kind of marketing campaign—one built around trusted athletes who have publicly discussed their own health struggles.
The latest example is two-time Super Bowl champion Terrell Davis. The former Denver Broncos running back has partnered with Teva Pharmaceuticals to raise awareness for Tardive Dyskinesia, a neurological movement disorder characterized as a side effect of certain medications used to treat mental health conditions.
The campaign directs patients to educational resources while encouraging them to discuss symptoms with healthcare providers. For Teva, the awareness also aligns with commercial interests. The company manufactures Austedo, one of the leading prescription treatments approved for Tardive Dyskinesia and a significant revenue driver for Teva as it faces generic competition on older drugs.
Davis insists his involvement with the program, named “The Other TD,” is related. Although he is compensated as part of the Teva partnership, he said his involvement was driven by personal experience.
Davis said he was prescribed medication as part of his mental health treatment—though not one linked to TD—which is what made Lori’s diagnosis feel personal rather than abstract. “That could have been me,” Davis told Fortune. “I may have been on medication and could have gotten TD.”
A generation ago, professional athletes rarely discussed depression, anxiety or neurological disorders publicly. Today, mental health advocacy has become one of sports’ most visible social causes.
Prominent football players that have discussed mental health include former offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and former wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who co-founded Project 375 to promote mental health awareness following his own diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.
Outside of the NFL, athletes such as Serena Williams have partnered with Big Pharma to bring awareness and advocacy. Her involvement with telehealth company Ro has helped the platform’s GLP-1 patient base grow to more than 3 million users—illustrating how athlete credibility, not just clinical claims, can drive patient acquisition for drugmakers and telehealth platforms alike.
The common thread is credibility. Unlike traditional celebrity endorsements, these campaigns often ask athletes to tell deeply personal stories—stories that make them more believable messengers. That credibility has become increasingly valuable for drugmakers trying to educate patients about underdiagnosed conditions.
Davis’ connection to Teva’s campaign stems from his own struggles after football. The Pro Football Hall-of-famer said he experienced mental health challenges, forcing him to confront beliefs that had defined much of his football career.
“I played football. I’m a strong guy,” Davis told Fortune. “I thought I had strong mental fitness.”
But like many athletes, seeking help felt foreign.
“I think the message is almost… it is okay not to be okay,” Davis said. “Don’t try to overcome this enormous challenge yourself.”
A friend eventually encouraged him to seek professional treatment and provided much needed support, he told Fortune. Medication was among the options presented. That experience gave new meaning to his meeting with Lori, a woman living with Tardive Dyskinesia whom he met through Teva’s campaign.
Davis said Lori’s story convinced him the campaign mattered. She spent roughly two years experiencing involuntary movements before receiving a diagnosis and treatment for Tardive Dyskinesia.
“She didn’t quit,” he said. “She’s not allowing TD to take over her life.”
Those stories sit at the center of modern pharmaceutical awareness campaigns. The company’s campaign directs people experiencing involuntary movements to their dedicated website and encourages them to consult healthcare providers.
For Davis, the mission is simpler.
“If I can get behind this and make TD synonymous with Tardive Dyskinesia,” he said, “I think that’s a pretty good thing.”
