This topic has been discussed before on TDP. Smiling Bob first appeared with his goofy grin and his male enhancement pills several years ago on the NASCAR scene.
Unlike the professionally produced TV commercials for products like Viagra and Cialis, there was a very different theme with Smiling Bob. It was not a medical, but a sexual theme running through the ads. Grinning women whispered Bob's secret to each other at a Christmas party and then got to sit on Bob's lap. The message was made very clear.
Click here for a reality check of the ingredients in Enzyte. The 42-year old president of the company that created and sold Enzyte was ultimately convicted of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in Federal prison.
Since that time, male enhancement products have been divided into two categories. Medical products offered through prescriptions and non-FDA approved compounds that are offered directly to the consumer.
During the last five Nationwide Series races, driver Kevin Conway has been shaking up the sport. It was not his performance on the track, but rather his first-person TV commercials for ExtenZe that got a very strong reaction from some fans.
Click here for an article about how Conway's deal came about and what he thinks of the issues involved in his sponsorship. Ultimately, it came down to the money to race.
Click here for the Wikipedia page on ExtenZe. Originally promoted by porn star Ron Jeremy on late night TV, the product has now made its way into the homes of families watching NASCAR racing.
Searching the Internet for information about this product will yield another surprise. EztenZe has flooded the Internet with endless phony websites and links that work to block the real issues associated with this product offer. In an era of new media marketing, it seems that keeping truth away from potential consumers through technology is king where this product is concerned.
Click here for the ExtenZe page at theripoffreport.com, a popular consumer complaint website. The theme of the complaints is that the product is useless and the entire thing is a credit card scam.
Click here for a link to a Conway commercial that might put things in perspective. Far away from the professionally produced ads for the prescription products, several versions of these low-budget ExtenZe ads ran repeatedly in the Nationwide Series races for the last six weeks.
So, where do the NASCAR TV networks draw the line on adult content? Is plain talk about adult products suitable for a sport trying very hard to market itself to families? Just how frank and low-budget do ads have to be before networks say no? Did you watch the Conway commercial on the You Tube link?
Secondly, are TV endorsements of potentially fraudulent products OK because it drives revenue for teams to race? NASCAR has been involved with sponsors who turn out to be scam artists before, but not in the adult product world. Do you fault Conway for accepting ExtenZe as a sponsor and making the TV ads?
Note: TDP is working on a follow-up story about US Fidelis and the NASCAR sponsorships of that company. This column is about adult products and we would request that you hold the US Fidelis comments for the subsequent posting. We know there are many angry people out there and we will allow you to be heard shortly.
We would like your honest comments about the low-budget ads for direct to consumer offers of male enhancement products appearing in NASCAR TV programs and races. We would especially like to hear from NASCAR families who are viewing the races and dealing with these commercials.
To offer your opinion on this topic, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. As always, thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.