Looking for a remedy to erectile dysfunction?
If you subscribe to former Republican presidential candidate and pizza mogul Herman Cain’s email list, you might have found a solution in your mailbox.
In a move generating buzz across the Internet, “CainTV” sent out sponsored content to its list from Natural Breakthrough Research LLC with the email subject line: “Breakthrough: REMEDY for ED!”
Many politicians and political organizations sell access to their email lists, often to people selling books or pushing a political agenda. Less often do you see these political lists used for pushing erectile dysfunction remedies.
“This breakthrough discovery STOPS DEAD in its tracks the common wisdom led by Big Pharma — and shows you — how to quickly, easily and naturally RESTORE your manhood, ” Rick Cannon, the founder of Natural Breakthroughs Research, said in the email.
Cannon ads: “And you DEFINITELY do not need to pop in something an hour before!”
Cain’s organization makes clear at the top of the email that the message is from an advertiser, and not from them: “The following is a message from our sponsor partner Natural Breakthrough Research LLC. We appreciate your willingness to receive these occasional messages so we may continue bringing you enjoyable content from CainTV.”
Recipients of the email are told they are invited to a “special, one-time-only webinar For Herman Cain readers (value $499)” on the remedy.
CainTV has rented out its list to other advertisers recently. A sampling of email subject lines: “The 5 Early Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer,” “This Unclaimed $20,500 Check Yours? (See If You Qualify),” “1 Weird Spice That Destroys Diabetes” and “Gandolfini Ignored 4 Signs of Imminent Heart Attack, Doctor Says.”
The Washington Gadfly blog reported on the advertisement this week, expressing skepticism about the product’s testosterone booster, tongkat ali.
“For the record, the only oral medication scientifically proven to cure ED are the four different pills approved by the FDA,” writer Evan Gahr reported. “The federal agency has warned tongkat ali is not safe and effective for ED.”
Reached for comment by The Daily Caller, CainTV stood by the ad.
“It’s my responsibility as director of Cain Media Division to approve ads that our list broker gives us,” Dan Calebrese said in an email. “I review the ads that our list broker brings us from clients, and as long as it represents a legitimate product, I approve the ads. It’s not a product I would use but I saw no reason it should not be advertised.”
Added Calebrese: “And given some of the links I’ve seen on the Daily Caller – of which I am a fan, by the way, and wrote favorably just yesterday – I’m not sure why the Caller is asking us about this.”