Drug giant Pfizer Inc. is canning that ad campaign for anti-cholesterol pill Lipitor that features Robert Jarvik, the inventor of an artificial heart, as Congress probes whether the commercials are misleading. Pfizer is "committing to ensuring greater clarity in the roles and responsibilities of its spokespeople in consumer advertising and promotion," company says. Legislators began looking into the ads last month when it came out that Jarvik, who appears to be giving medical advice, isn't licensed to practice medicine. said Representatives John Dingell and Bart Stupak, Michigan Democrats. "The way in which we presented Dr. Jarvik in these …

In an attempt to improve sales, General Motors' Hummer brand has rolled out a new ad campaign that touts the utility and capability of the super-sized gas-guzzling SUVs in place of its "quirky cool" image spots of the past. The move comes as Hummer sales slumped 21% last year, amid widespread weakness in the category. GM is now adding a pick-up version of the H3, and trying to position the brand as the right choice for big jobs." CNBC thinks it's smart move, says its reporter: "Hummers are incredible vehicles, take it from someone who has tried …

Proponents of "congestion pricing," a plan to make motorists pay extra for the privilege of driving on some of Manhattan's most crowded streets, have launched a new $500,000 advertising campaign today to urge millions of riders who use trains, buses and subways to support the idea. A coalition of congestion pricing advocates includes more than a 100 business, civic, labor and environmental organizations. "These ads have a powerful message for riders: Speak up for congestion pricing now or pay later, with more delays...and decaying transit infrastructure," says Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign, one member of the group. …

With their Army counterparts struggling mightily to meet recruiting targets, the Navy thinks it may have hit on a powerful pitch to help fill its own ranks: A new multimillion-dollar television, radio and online ad campaign presents the service as a humanitarian rather than a combat organization, with spots emphasizing its ability to deliver relief supplies. TV ads include footage of Navy helicopters dropping aid to survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and picking up residents from rooftops after Hurricane Katrina. "Young people today are interested in being able to do something with a broad-based impact," …

Clear Channel Communications will cut the price of its television group by $100 million to hang on to deal with a private-equity firm, according to insiders. Clear Channel and Providence Equity Partners, which controls the buyer for the 56 stations, have in principle an agreement to cut the price on a deal valued at $1.2 billion. But that could cause problems as one of the banks financing the original deal -- Wachovia Corp. -- which sued Providence last week, saying any new pact would void its commitment. Providence has been trying to renegotiate as the television advertising has …

Live sports programming is on fire when it comes to ad sales as the genre got a bump from the writer's strike while remaining one of few programming options relatively immune to ad-zapping. New marketers were drawn to live sports with the lack of other fresh programming and may well stay in after realizing that viewers are less likely to use TiVo and other digital video recorders to watch the events. "In this world of technology it's not 100% TiVo-proof, but people want to see a sporting event as it happens," says Tony Ponturo, vice president of …

Insisting that its indecency standards are not vague, the Federal Communications Commission has issued a forfeiture order against 13 Fox stations for their 2003 airing of "Married by America" that showed pixilated body parts of bachelor-party attendees. The FCC is hitting the stations for $7,000 apiece, a total of $91,000 -- and the News Corp.-owned net is not happy. The initial fine was almost $1.2 million against 169 stations, but regulators decided to only go after stations in markets where people actually complained. The FCC says the parties were engaged in sexual activities and depicted sexual organs, …