Viagra's Online Game Taken Off by FDA

Pfizer's first attempt to market Viagra through an online game was foiled by the Federal Drug Administration. The advertisement racing game called Viva Cruiser featured a biker riding down the road in the desert while collecting gifts and blue pills for their sweethearts. The advergame was taken off the web after a warning message from the FDA, asking them to mention the drug's risks and side effects, find its way to the pharma company mailbox.

While the food and the home appliances industries, for example, enjoy the various internet marketing possibilities, ranging from advertisement games to viral videos, the drug industry is still tied to more conventional forms of marketing. The sole attempt made by Pfizer, the New York based pharmaceutical company that produces the famous erectile dysfunction medicine Viagra to advertise their already world renown brand was thwarted by the American Federal Drug Administration, and the Viagra online game went offline shortly after its airing.

In fact, online pharmaceutical websites are not even allowed to include external links to avoid misleading, according to the FDA informal guidance. Though technically their websites can contain comments, forums or chat rooms, the obligation to report the FDA on every user's appeal as an "adverse event", prevents most of them from using this option.

Still not giving up, Pfizer found a creative way to approach their website visitors. Viagra's new interactive banner asks the site's visitors to clear a heap of objects that stands between a couple - with what seem like communicational problems but described by the talking voice as erectile dysfunction that can be solved with a little magical pill - and get them to hop at each other's arms.