• NY Times, Tuesday, January 10, 2006 12:15 PM

The controversy over the advertising of prescription drugs to consumers is having a direct impact on the tone and overall approach of campaigns for drugs that treat erectile dysfunction. Two of the medications, Cialis and Viagra, have altered or refocused their campaigns to deliver a more restrained message. The moves follow criticism that the previous ads took more of a hard-sell and sometimes salacious attitude that some found offensive. Just this week, the National Football League said it will discontinue its sponsorship deal in the category of impotence drugs when its current contract expires on March 31. In the new Cialis effort, an actual doctor appears in TV spots to recite the disclaimer warning about side effects. Viagra commercials were changed to take a more restrained approach that is centered not on the Viagra name but on urging men to "make the call" and discuss impotence with their doctors.

Read the whole story at NY Times »