Seattle-based IVI Publishing said that Procter & Gamble and Glaxo Wellcome
have signed on as advertisers and sponsors for its award-winning Web site, OnHealth.com.
The new advertisers join OnHealth.com as the site gears up for a sweeping
redesign and relaunch slated for early summer, the company said.
Tim Walsh, vice president of sales at IVI Publishing, said, “Under revamped
FDA guidelines, consumer drug ads can now contain both the name of the drug
and the ailment, provided that advertisers point consumers to further
information and major side effects. As Business Week reported on March 30,
this has enabled radio and TV drug advertising to more than double to $167
million last year, and is expected to reach the billion-dollar mark this
year.”
Procter & Gamble will place an ad for Olean, the company’s new, no-fat cooking
oil, throughout the site. Glaxo Wellcome will advertise several of its key
brands, including Flonase, an allergy relief nasal spray, Zyban for smoking
cessation and Imitrex for migraine relief. Spending was not disclosed.
P & G and Glaxo will join OnHealth.com’s other pharmaceutical sponsors Hoechst
Marion Roussel, makers of Allegra allergy treatment, and Hoffmann-La Roche,
which recently expanded its OnHealth.com sponsorship to include advertising
for Accutane.
