Mr. Mucus, meet Ricola’s Mr. E. Cougher

In a promotion that gives a whole new meaning to the term viral marketing, Ricola is encouraging people to seek out a certain Mr. E. Cougher (get it? Mystery Cougher?), who will be traveling to cities across the country and hacking away until someone offers her (yes, it’s a her) a Ricola lozenge. The doler-outers could win as much as $1 million. The company is offering hints online for those who want to take the chance that instead of winning prize money, they’ll be infected with some egregious disease. The Cougher herself, tracked down by the Boston Herald, was picked from among thousands for the job. “I went through some extensive cough training—releasing my nasal drip, nose blowing, extended exposure to the elements,” she says. Weird.