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Celebrities promote drug Web sites

...Ladd's subtle promotion is the latest twist in the 7-year-old practice of celebrities promoting drugs, whether they use them or not: Rather than pitch a specific medicine, the celebrities make you "aware" of suffering you might have overlooked and usually point you to a Web site sponsored by a company selling a treatment for that condition.Such ads don't have to mention any drug risks.From sports figures like Jack Nicklaus to movie stars like Sylvester Stallone, dozens of famous people have been on TV in recent years urging consumers to ask their doctors for specific prescription drugs for everything from depression to cancer.Now, more of those celebrities want to make you "aware" of problems you might not know about or even have."Definitely there has been an increase in spending" on disease awareness ads this year, said Stu Klein, president of Quantum, a health-care advertising company in Parsippany, N.J.

"What 2005 will probably show is that percentage going up."Ladd, 53, said she is proud to be part of Wyeth's campaign.

Two ads she filmed will run on news and other programs favored by older women."I so believe in the message," she told The Associated Press by telephone before kicking off a series of TV interviews.

"I love that the campaign is just about asking for information."Celebrity endorsement fees usually are not disclosed, but they average about $200,000 to $500,000 and can reach $1 million, according to a...

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Celebrities promote drug Web sites