Bees and beavers had the edge last year - but Bob Jarvik wasn’t far behind. The animated Nasonex bee edged out Rozerem’s Abe Lincoln and the talking beaver as the TV drug ad recalled more often than any other, according to IAG Research.

As the chart indicates (please click to make it bigger), third place went to Vytorin, the controversial cholesterol pill sold by Schering-Plough and Merck. You may recall that Congress is now investigating such ads as part of its investigation into the handling of Vytorin clinical-trial data. The drugmakers responded by pulling the Vytorin ads.

And which ad was in fourth place? The Bob Jarvik ad for Pfizer’s Lipitor. Although the ad that caused considerable controversy - the one in which someone other than the good doctor is rowing a boat in a lake - wasn’t cited. Instead, the ad deemed memorable features Jarvik in a white lab coat. Of course, he can’t write a scrip for Lipitor, whether he’s wearing a white lab coat or pretending to row because he’s not licensed to do so.