Lamisil's Frightening Fungus Fiend

Unsightly toenail fungus makes a comeback, and it's freaking the hell out of Slate scribe Rob Walker.

The ad begins with an animated, and rather hideous, creature. He has a big wide, thin-lipped mouth, slitty eyes, jutting ears, a tail, creepy little spots, nasty tufts of hair jutting out of his body. Also claws. He says his name is Digger. He is a dermatophyte— "you know," he says, "a nail infection." He darts over to a huge toe—a normal-looking, human toe. "All I want," Digger says, "is to get in here." Then he reaches up, and pulls the toenail back.

This is horrifying. I wasn't taking notes, but I think the first time I saw it I said something like, "Aaaaaarrrrrrggghhhhhh!"