NFL coach to pitch Extenze

MONROVIA, Calif. —Can two-time Super Bowl coach Jimmy Johnson do for the supplement male enhancement category what Bob Dole did for Viagra?

That’s exactly what Biotab Nutraceuticals and its agency InterQuantum are hoping—legitimizing a supplement category that often provides the punch line for late night comics. The company signed Johnson in January to represent its Extenze male enhancement product. Biotab plans to pitch the pitchman pretty heavily to American consumers throughout the year with an overall marketing budget of $70 million.

With Extenze now sold at retail, the product scored No. 1 in sales in the mineral supplement category at mass retailers for the last quarter of 2009, InterQuantum added, citing InfoScan Reviews. Mineral supplement sales currently are up 3% to $544.5 million for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 26 across food, drug and mass outlets, according to Nielsen Group data.