Characters from "Happy Feet," an animated movie about a tap-dancing penguin, are appearing in an extensive advertising campaign for the drug company Roche, including network and cable commercials, full-page magazine ads and online banner ads.
The commercials advertise Roche's www.flufacts.com Web site, which dispenses advice about the flu, and notes that doctors can prescribe an antiviral medication for prevention and treatment. Roche's own drug Tamiflu is at the top of the list of these medications.
According to Rob Donnell, the president and founder of Brand Arc, the company that helped bring together Roche and film distributor Warner Brothers, this marks the first time that a pharmaceutical company has partnered with the entertainment industry.