NEW YORK Digger the Dermatophyte, the yellow, flaky, cross-eyed critter first introduced in an offline campaign earlier this year for Lamisil, is back in a series of online ads breaking this week for the toe fungus treatment.

The interactive effort from iDeutsch in New York further extends the personality of Digger, the dastardly creature that invades and infects nails.

The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of onychomycosis, a condition that results in thick, discolored and/or flaky nails. It also aims to educate consumers on how Novartis' Lamisil treats the condition and encourage them to talk to their doctors about it.

"[Digger] is the means by which we're shaking people," said iDeutsch svp, creative director Ingrid Bernstein. "He makes people wake up and say, 'I need to do something; it's not just cosmetic.'"

In one ad, for instance,