LinkedIn Has Locked Into Social Success

LinkedIn is locked in to a successful if lackluster business model, as far as Wall Street—and the online social network’s 40 to 43 million regular unique visitors—are concerned. That puts it in contrast to many of the sexier brands in the social media-sphere.

While the market capitalizations of darlings such as Facebook, Zynga and Groupon have fallen by 25 percent to 60 percent since their recent public offerings, LinkedIn is now valued at more than $18 billion versus just $4 billion when it went public nearly two years ago. With that, its stock closed at all-time highs this week.

That’s because the Mountain View, Calif.-based brand has managed to create and then dominate social media networking focused around jobs, careers and business identities.

LinkedIn also has been able to monetize its site by selling services such as job ads, career pages and a recruiter talent finder that helps companies find, attract and manage their talent.

In turn, LinkedIn’s utility has helped make it gradually more attractive to the most career-challenged generation—Milennials—in addition to Generation Xers and boomers who tended to become the initial members of LinkedIn as established professionals.

Meanwhile, Facebook, for instance, has lost its identity as the place where young social-networkers gather (brandchannel.com).

Ford’s C-Max Takes A Bite out of Toyota’s Prius

Kate Ochsman is exactly the kind of customer that Ford is seeking for the C-Max hybrid in California: “Young, artsy, indie, environmentally conscious,” as the 26-year-old actress and overall creative talent puts it.

So after the Los Angeles-based Ochsman bought a new C-Max last fall and suggested to the dealer that she would be available to appear in ads for it, Ford took her up on the suggestion.

Now “Kate Bowen”—stage name—just began appearing in a Ford dealers’ TV ad in the state and also has been the star of a radio spot. Ford also plans to bring out more national TV ads soon using the same “La Linea” creative theme that made its initial TV ad for C-Max last fall—directly challenging the Toyota Prius hybrid line—so popular.

Ochsman bought a C-Max Hybrid, the main member of Ford’s new all-electrified-vehicle sub-brand, for exactly the reasons Ford would suspect. “I liked the way it handled” on a test drive “and the space inside,” Ochsman told brandchannel. “I have a dog and I do lots of traveling and outdoors stuff.”

When she decided she needed to replace her 2002 BMW X-5, Ochsman looked at a Toyota Prius—the specified comparison-sales target of the C-Max—and found it “not very comfortable or esthetically pleasing,” she said.

She went to a Ford dealership because her first ride had been her father’s Ford Escape; but the Fusion sedan was “way too big,” while the Ford Focus “seemed a little too cheap” (brandchannel.com).

Report: Papa John’s pizza renews NFL partnership

Papa John’s has reportedly renewed its sponsorship of the NFL in a ‘long-term’ deal.

The Louisville-based company is coming to the end of the three-year partnership as the official pizza chain of the league it signed in 2010, and according to Louisville’s Business First, has agreed terms on an extension.

Speaking on a conference call, Papa John’s chief marketing officer Andrew Varga told Business First: “We have just been thrilled with the first three years of our partnership with the NFL. It gives us such a fantastic brand-building platform with some of the most intense pizza consumers in the United States.”

John’s is also the official pizza of a number of NFL teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, and New York’s MetLife Stadium, while in 2011 it became the official pizza of the NFL in Canada, Mexico and the UK” (sportspromedia.com).

Fox Sports and SouthSport expand Braves coverage

Fox Sports South and its sister channel SportSouth have expanded their coverage of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Atlanta Braves to become the team’s exclusive local television outlets.

The expansion sees the pair acquire the 45 games previously aired by Atlanta-based network Peachtree TV, with Fox Sports South broadcasting 72 games and SportSouth covering 80 games during the 2013 season. Both stations will also televise six Spring Training games throughout March as well as 30-minute pre-game and post-game shows.

The exact financial terms of the expanded deals were not announced.

“We are extremely happy to consolidate these 45 additional games with our current partner, Fox Sports,” said Derek Schiller, Atlanta Braves’ executive vice president of sales and marketing. “This agreement makes it easier for fans to follow our team and aligns our interests of continuing to have the highest quality, award winning broadcasts with the championship calibre Braves baseball teams.”

Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager of Fox Sports South and SportSouth, added: “Adding these 45 additional Atlanta Braves games to Fox Sports South and SportSouth is big win for Braves fans across the southeast. Beginning this season, Braves fans from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean can turn to Fox Sports South or SportSouth for the most expansive coverage of Braves baseball ever” (sportspromedia.com).

Anheuser- Busch InBev Takes to Twitter to Fight Watered-Down Beer Charges

Anheuser-Busch InBev has taken to Twitter to vigorously defend itself against lawsuits claiming that Budweiser, Michelob and other brands overstate their alcohol contents.

The brewer had a PR battle on its hands earlier this week when the Associated Press ran a story on the class-action lawsuits, which were filed in Pennsylvania, California and other states. Within a few hours, stories about “watered down” beers and “buzz-killing” Bud spread across the internet.

Justified or not, the coverage served to neuter the so-called King of Beers, at least temporarily.

But the brewer got a major assist Wednesday night from hometown TV station KSDK of St. Louis, whose “I-Team” hired an independent lab that tested Bud finding that it contained 5% alcohol by volume, just as it is labeled. The news also drew the attention of NPR, which also commissioned an independent test that backed the brewer.

And in a no-brainer PR move, A-B InBev took those results and blasted them on its various twitter handles, even paying for promoted Tweets. It’s worth noting that the brewer up until very recently had stayed off Twitter. So here’s betting the folks in St. Louis are glad they are on board now” (adage.com).

Gap Reports Strong Sales on Increased Marketing Spending

Gap’s comeback continues.

Gap Inc.  reported its best holiday shopping season in six years as the retailer’s turnaround efforts take hold.

Annual measured-media spending for the company rose 13% from $302 million to $340 million, according to Kantar Media. Spending for the Gap brand in North America more than doubled from $21.5 million in 2011 to $54.5 million in 2012.

“The marketing investment was mostly in Gap brand and it was mostly made domestically,” said CEO Glenn Murphy during a conference call with analysts. “That was all about getting the brand back to relevance, getting people to see the incredible equity that is iconic American casual business. The ‘Bright’ campaign was launched 12 months ago. It has been a very good platform for the business.”

Gap brand saw same-store sales rise 4% in the fourth quarter – no small feat for a brand that had recorded just one December of positive same-store sales in North America since 2004″ (adage.com).

Dish Network Tries To Crash Fox Sports ‘Daytona 500′ TV Race

Dish Network used some in-show branded entertainment to sneak into Fox Sports’ “Daytona 500″ — this in the wake of ongoing legal activities between the two companies and after Dish said Fox rejected it from buying TV commercials in Fox programming.

Late last week satellite TV programming distributor Dish Network said it was sponsoring Nascar driver Scott Speed’s car — which has been adorned with Dish Network signage. The network got some minimal camera time when Speed briefly got into first place for two laps during the big Nascar race that was eventually won by Jimmy Johnson.

In legal filings, Fox has filed for an injunction to stop Dish Network from distributing its new Hopper set-top box unit — one that can automatically skip over huge numbers of broadcast prime-time commercials.

More recently, Fox filed for another injunction against a new version of the Hopper — one that can easily transfer TV programming to mobile devices, including tablets, using Sling technology.

Before the race Dish Network issued a press release complaining that Fox would not take any of its TV commercials for the Hopper in any of its programming — and that Dish would be sponsoring Nascar race driver Scott Speed’s car.

The Ford Fusion car was covered with the Dish Network logo on the bumper and the hood of the car with the Twitter hashtag, #AdFreeTV. Just before the race, Fox’s “Daytona 500″ pre-game coverage aired a commercial for cable TV distributor Time Warner” (mediapost.com).

Real Madrid agree Nivea for Men deal

Real Madrid have agreed a sponsorship deal with the Beiersdorf company Nivea for Men.

The skincare brand will be be a partner of the Spanish champions until the end of the 2015/16 Liga BBVA season.

The deal will entitle Nivea for Men to a range of branding rights while it has also been confirmed that Real players Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Gonzalo Higuain and Alvaro Arbeloa will appear in a new advertising campaign to promote the partnership.

Florentino Perez (pictured), the Real Madrid president, said: “Nivea is the world’s leading skincare brand and its impressive international success is testament to that leadership.

“We both share values that are fundamental in our past, our present and essential towards our future strategies. Our alliance will stretch beyond the field of play” (sportspromedia.com).

Oreo Tries Super Bowl Tweet Strategy at the Oscars

Hey, it worked during the Super Bowl, so Oreo did its best to make Sunday night’s Oscars part of a real-time Twitter marketing hot streak.

The cookie brand put out four thematic tweets–dubbed #OREOmotionpics–during the three-and-a-half-hour ABC broadcast.

Oreo’s initial Twitter message pointed to Wreck-It-Ralph–an Oscar-nominated children’s film this year–when the movie had its moment during the telecast.

The second piece was more planned, while making a play on a James Bond tribute during the ceremony that was announced last month.

A third tweet later appeared, playfully referencing an episode of The Walking Dead, an AMC show competing with the Oscars on Sunday night. Lastly, one minute after Argo won Best Picture, Oreo tweeted a message that hinted at parts of the suspense thriller’s plot.

The tweets utilized the gif-like motion capabilities of TwitPic to infuse creative fun into tweets.

Meanwhile, a savvy marketer has created a #OscarsRTM hashtag (RTM for real-time marketing). And Oscar Meyer has cleverly jumped on the term with a Promoted Tweet buy” (adweek.com).

Toyota to sponsor first stateside Nascar Mexico Series Race

Toyota has been announced as the title sponsor of the first ever Nascar Mexico Toyota Series race to be held in the US.

The 75-lap Toyota 120, as the race will be known, will take place at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) on 1st March.

“This is an important race for PIR and the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, as well as the sport in general,” said PIR president Bryan Sperber. “To have a sponsor of Toyota’s caliber join us in presenting this event is very exciting.”

Les Unger, Toyota national motorsports manager, added: “It’s exciting to see the Nascar Mexico Toyota Series grow to include a race in the Unites States at PIR. This was a unique opportunity and we wanted to be a part of this historic event.

“We have enjoyed a meaningful relationship with PIR over the years – currently the Toyota Avalon will serve as the track’s official pace car this year – and this race entitlement is a great way to expand our partnership” (sportspromedia.com).

The race at Phoenix will be the first of fifteen in this year’s Nascar Mexico Toyota series, which ordinarily takes place at eight different tracks throughout Mexico.

The 2013 edition will be the series’ tenth season overall and the seventh under the Nascar banner” (sportspromedia.com).

ESPN Lands Cheapie Big East Rights Deal

ESPN has matched NBC Sports’ bid for the media rights to the Big East Conference, and in so doing has secured its position as the league’s primary rights holder.

While neither party disclosed the value of the renewed package, sources with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal extends through the 2019-20 academic year and is worth a grand total of $130 million.

The relatively picayune dollar amount throws into relief the devastation of realignment and the short-sighted avarice of Big East officials. Two years ago, ESPN offered the conference approximately 10 times that amount—$1.2 billion over the course of nine years, or roughly $130 million per annum.

Thinking it could secure a better price on the open market, the Big East spurned ESPN’s offer.Since that time, the Big East’s very existence has been called into question.

Original member and perennial basketball powerhouse Syracuse is decamping for the Atlantic Coast Conference, as are Pittsburgh and Louisville. Notre Dame hoops is also taking up residence in the ACC, while Rutgers is moving to the Big 10” (adweek.com).

Samsung and Visa Take NFC Mobile Payments Global

Your next Galaxy S smartphone might also be your Visa card. That’s because Visa and Samsung announced Monday that Visa’s NFC payment system will be built into all future Samsung smartphones.

This is a big win for Visa, Samsung and viability of NFC payments. Visa is one of the leaders in the mobile payments space and Samsung is the world’s biggest smartphone maker. Together, the two have a solid chance of making mobile payments a global reality.

Visa is going to power the secure element that runs on Samsung’s NFC devices. The secure element is what allows a payment processor (such as Visa) to talk to a bank.

Apps and wallets can be developed for any number of payment processors and banks (not just Visa) to work with Visa’s secure element inside Samsung phones.

The benefit is that by certifying Samsung devices as able to work with Visa’s existing infrastructure, a big part of the battle for getting NFC payments sorted out is won” (mashable.com).

More Money for Mayweather in Showtime Deal

Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr has agreed a six-fight deal with pay-per-view network Showtime.

The unbeaten 35-year-old, who currently holds the WBC world welterweight title, will move from rival network HBO when he makes his return to the ring against interim champion Robert Guerrero on 4th May.

The 30-month deal ends the eight-time world champion’s 15-year partnership with HBO. CBS Corporation, which owns Showtime, will promote Mayweather contests on the CBS network.

Financial details were not released but the deal is said to be the richest in boxing history. Forbes reported Mayweather to be the world’s best-paid athlete in 2012, with earnings estimated at US$85 million.

Mayweather has been involved in the four biggest non-heavyweight pay-per-view bouts of all time. He averages over a million pay-per-view sales in the US for each fight. According to reports, if he matches those numbers at Showtime his will be the most lucrative deal ever signed by an individual sportsperson (sportspromedia.com).

Ferrari Adds UPS ahead of 2013 Campaign

Ferrari has agreed a sponsorship deal with logistics giant UPS ahead of Fernando Alonso’s debut in the team’s 2013 car at Barcelona on Tuesday.

Described as a ‘multi-year agreement’, the partnership goes beyond sponsorship of the Ferrari Formula One team. It will also include Ferrari’s other racing activities, including its entries in the World Endurance Championship and the one-make Ferrari Challenge series.

A Formula One insider with knowledge of the deal said it was worth some US$24 million annually.

UPS officially be designated Ferrari’s ‘official logistics partner’, with longer-term plans for the company to integrate its transport services and freight movement operations with the team.

The UPS deal is the continuation of a successful winter for Ferrari in commercial terms. The team has extended agreements with anti-virus software company Kaspersky Lab, watchmaker Hublot and energy drinks brand TNT and added its first Chinese sponsor, heavy equipment manufacturer Weichai Power (sportspromedia.com).

Lindsey Vonn Supports Sponsor Red Bull While in Rehab

When Gold Medal skier Lindsey Vonn’s uplifting Facebook post from rehab carried the Instagram/Twitter hashtag #givesyouwings, it was just the latest example of how injury has become another opportunity for athlete spokespeople to service their brands.

Vonn posted the positive message alongside a picture of herself working out her abs as she is recovering from knee surgery after a brutal injury. The picture included her Red Bull water bottle. (She later tweeted a graphic picture of her post-op knee).

Yes, Red Bull is a Lindsey Vonn sponsor, but the fact that the four-time World Cup champion might not strap on skis for another six to eight months isn’t stopping her endorsement duties.

In fact, as many brands are learning, there may be as much to gain from a sponsor’s thrill of victory as there is from his or her agony of defeat.

Her #givesyouwings Facebook post has been liked over 40,660 times and lists over 1,620 comments. Red Bull mentions have also been worked into the blog that Vonn’s sister Laura is publishing about her sister’s crash and road to recovery (brandchannel.com).

Brands Get Sporty to Bring in Sales

While consumers may get excited about their brands, it’s nothing compared to the passion they display when it comes to sports. With that, two European companies are tapping sports fanaticism to lure in customers.

Ford Europe, who has been selling its wares for 38 years, is currently running a campaign that aligns its brand with football across the continent.

In a commercial spot released Monday, Ford aims to discover just how loud the fans of Turkey’s Galatasary are after driving around the country in the brand new Ford Tourneo, which conveniently can handle a few traveling fan.

It’s part of Ford’s Fascinating World of Football campaign, which also has a recent spotshowcasing retired Spanish footballer (that’s soccer player to you, Yanks) Gaizka Mendieta and how he’s spending his time as a DJ now.

Be sure that more football ads are coming your way with the Tourneo front and center, but for those who want instant gratification, Ford is also pushing the ads on its special Tourneo Facebook page (brandchannel.com).

Sprint Partners With Telefónica to Form Mobile Ad Network

Sprint has partnered with European telecommunications firm Telefonica to create a mobile ad network spanning the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Brazil.

The joint venture will seek out global brands looking to reach the network’s more than 370 million mobile users.

For both companies, the agreement is an attempt to establish a new revenue stream by collecting user data and in turn offering mobile display ads targeted to users’ demographics.

The network plans to build a taxonomy of users based upon apps and mobile websites they traffic. Users then could potentially be placed in categories such as “urban jetsetter” or sports fanatic, Dan Polk, Sprint’s director of New Ventures, said. The network will also attempt to offer a combination of geo-fencing and SMS or MMS messaging to attract advertisers.

Those attending a soccer–or football, depending on where you’re reading–game might be served an ad for a nearby restaurant upon entering the stadium, Simon Birkenhead, Telefonica Digital’s director of global advertising sales, said (adage.com).

Marissa Mayer Puts Her Stamp on Yahoo.com

On Wednesday, Yahoo introduced a fresh new homepage with Marissa Mayer’s stamp all over it.

Yahoo’s home page has long been a sort of sad reflection of the company. A jazzed-up Craigslist of sorts, the site was often cluttered with low-quality ads and irrelevant content and in no way reflected the fact that Yahoo is one of the most visited sites on the Web.

With more than 700 million monthly visitors, Yahoo is still a leading source of information for sports, finance and entertainment.

Ms. Mayer took the reins as Yahoo’s chief executive last July. Before that she was a long-time executive at Google, where she was widely credited with the simple look of the Google search page.

Now she seeks to apply that same, clean aesthetic to one of the most chaotic sites on the Web (nytimes.com).

Fox Inks Partnership With YouTube’s WIGS Channel

Fox on Tuesday announced it has entered into a multi-year pact with YouTube’s female-centric drama channel WIGS.

One of the 100 or so original content channels launched by YouTube a year ago, WIGS offers broadcast-quality dramatic fare designed to appeal to female viewers. Last summer, the channel premiered a number of new series, including the 12-part Julia Stiles vehicle Blue and Neil LaBute’s Denise.

In the first week that WIGS made Blue available, the channel drew 3.51 million views. While terms of Fox’s investment in WIGS were not disclosed, the arrangement will find the broadcaster sharing the load on the programming, marketing, ad sales and distribution fronts.

Fox essentially will leverage WIGS as a sort of content incubator, developing standalone series for its own digital outlets and, quite possibly, the prime time roster.

“Our overarching goal is to create an ecosystem where creative people and ideas can find expression independently in the online environment, but benefit from the resources that the larger platform of the network affords,” said Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly, by way of announcing the deal” (adweek.com).

Michelin lands European Le Mans contract

Michelin has been chosen as the official tyre supplier for two classes of the 2013 European Le Mans Series.

The French manufacturer was selected by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), which runs the Le Mans 24 Hours, and Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) to supply the LMPC and GTC classes.

The news comes ahead of the first ELMS race of the season at Silverstone on 13th April. This year’s championship, which will feature five events and has been relaunched by the ACO for 2013, will be contested by 29 cars.

Gerard Neveu, the chief executive of Le Mans Endurance Management, said: “We are pleased to welcome Michelin as the official tyre supplier for the LMPC and GTC categories. The company has a long and fruitful relationship with the ACO and is a leader in every category of endurance racing around the world.

“The use of control tyres in these categories will help reduce the costs to the teams while maintaining a good balance of performance on the track for all the competitors” (sportspromedia.com).

Durant and Harden sign on with BBVA

Multinational Spanish banking group BBVA has signed personal endorsement deals with NBA players Kevin Durant (left in picture) and James Harden (right).

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets players have signed multi-year deals to become brand ambassadors for the bank, which already has numerous sponsorship deals across the basketball world.

The deals with the players will supplement the bank’s launch of its NBA-branded online account, NBA Banking.

“Consumers want the same convenience in banking they find in other industries, and that’s exactly what this new account offers: banking anywhere, anytime and using a device they choose,” said Manolo Sánchez, president and chief executive of BBVA Compass. “But what truly sets it apart is that the experience is as much about the NBA as it is about banking” (sportspromedia.com).

Nike’s Scandal Woes Just a Numbers Game

Nike has a troubling knack for endorsing athletes prone to scandals, right?

Not really. In fact, the brand’s troubles stem from its own success. “They just have the preponderance of athletes under contract—particularly high-profile ones,” said Terry Lefton, editor at large of Sports Business Journal. “If any athlete is in trouble, it’s more likely to be in Nike’s camps than anyone else’s.”

Indeed, Nike has committed to some $3.2 billion in endorsements over the next five years. The brand declined to share the exact number of athletes it sponsors but said it works with thousands.

Still, last week’s news that South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius was charged with shooting to death his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, means more bad press for a global sportswear marketer that in recent years has found itself uncomfortably close to a string of controversies.

As the Pistorius story snowballed, attention turned to a past Nike ad featuring the runner alongside the unfortunate tagline “I am the bullet in the chamber.” The ad was quickly pulled from Pistorius’ website at the brand’s request (adweek.com).

Maker’s Reverses Decision to Lower Alcohol Content, Makes Amends

It wasn’t quite Coke versus New Coke, but the recent decision by Maker’s Mark to reformulate the bourbon by lowering alcohol content caused plenty of uproar in the booze world.

Now, in response to the backlash, the Beam Inc.-owned brand is reversing the decision, saying in a statement released Sunday that it will keep Maker’s at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof) “just like we’ve made it since the very beginning.”

“We have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans,” Maker’s Chief Operating Officer Rob Samuels said. “We’re humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker’s Mark. While we thought we were doing what’s right, this is your brand — and you told us in large numbers to change our decision. You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down.”

The reversal comes just a few days after news spread last week of the move to lower alcohol content to 42%. The reformulation was in response to a supply shortage caused by growing demand. The laws of supply and demand dictate that a simple price increase could’ve solved that problem, but the brand maintained that it didn’t want to “price Maker’s Mark out of reach.”

But fans didn’t buy it, based on social media backlash and negative news stories carrying headlines that stated that Maker’s was “watering down its bourbon” (adage.com).

‘Fast & Furious’ Stresses Social Side of Fandom

What “Fast & Furious” does have — and it has gone largely unnoticed — is an astounding online following. Its Facebook page has 24.9 million “likes,” more than any active film series except “Avatar.” Mr. Diesel has 39 million Facebook fans; among actors, only Will Smith has more.

That kind of passion is making the next installment, “Fast & Furious 6,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. After an online promotional stunt coordinated by the studio to coincide with a Super Bowl ad, “Fast & Furious 6” is setting up one of the biggest box-office races of the year: Mr. Diesel and crew against “The Hangover Part III.”

Consider what “Fast & Furious 6” stirred up on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3. Among six movies that were advertised during the game, it generated the biggest burst of attention by far, beating “Iron Man 3” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

In fact, “Fast & Furious 6” received more mentions in social media on that day than the other five films combined, according to Fizziology, a data collection company.

“We measured the various ways audiences talked about these films online, and ‘Fast 6’ blew everything else away,” said Ben Carlson, Fizziology’s president.

Since the Super Bowl, “Fast & Furious 6” has added about 844,400 “likes” to the series’s Facebook page, more than any other advertised film; the second biggest success was Disney and Marvel’s “Iron Man 3,” which has gained more than 350,000 new Facebook followers.

The “Fast & Furious 6” extended Super Bowl ad has been viewed more than 16 million times on YouTube. The equivalent “Iron Man 3” spot has about 3 million views” (nytimes.com).

Obama’s ‘Fireside’ Shows Google’s Still Into Hangouts

Less than 48 hours after his State of the Union address, President Obama will participate in a question-and-answer Google+ Hangouts session dubbed “Fireside Hangout.” The online session starts at 4:45 p.m. ET today, borrowing a thematic page from FDR’s fireside chats during the 1930s and early ’40s and following a Google+ Hangouts appearance by Vice President Joe Biden three weeks ago.

It marks the second day in a row that Google has had high-profile programming lined up for its Hangouts feature, which lets some 100 million active users (per the Mountain View, Calif.-based digital giant) do video chats.

On Wednesday, actors Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn utilized Google+ Hangouts to premiere the trailer for The Internship, an upcoming comedy about two laid-off 40-year-olds making a go of it as interns at a successful Web-based company where their managers are twentysomethings. Social-media-savvy Conan O’Brien—of TBS late-night renown—led the interview.

In terms of Wednesday and today, the search site has pushed the Hangouts on its homepage—highly coveted real estate that Google rarely leverages for house advertising.

So while to many it appears that the Hangouts feature has struggled to gain traction among consumers since being launched in 2011, the past two days suggest that Google remains committed to cultivating an audience around it.

It seems to be tough sledding in the social realm when it comes to developing entertainment or infotainment programming that attracts eyeballs. For instance, Google rival Facebook has pushed Facebook Live in recent years. But the Menlo Park, Calif.-based firm hasn’t aired a program on the channel since pop star Rihanna appeared on Nov. 8, 2012 (adweek.com).

Who Needs the Big Game? David Beckham’s H&M Ad Kicks Aside Super Bowl Spots

If David Beckham crashing half-naked through the back yards of Beverley Hills is your thing, you’re not alone. An H&M ad to that effect, directed by Guy Richie, has shoved aside some Super Bowl commercial to become the first non-Super Bowl spot to land on the Viral Video Chart since the big game.

The ongoing controversy over whether Becks used a bootie-double can’t have hurt. You have to watch that video pretty closely, and probably more than once, to find the discrepancies in the tats and muscle definition between the soccer star and whoever stood in for the shots showing the actual, well, product.

In just about any other week, Beckham’s 7 million views last week (in just three days) would have easily topped the chart, but two weeks after the Super Bowl, it comes in at No. 9 behind some giant numbers for Samsung, Ram, GoDaddy.com, Budweiser, Doritos, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz (www.adage.com).

Dell Enters an ‘Alternative Universe’ With Delightful Y&R Spot

We have been charmed by Y&R New York’s delightful campaign for Dell, that eschews hardware and software to focus on the creative possibilities the company’s products can offer you. In the newest spot, Furlined’s Bjoern Ruehmann tells the quirky tale of Thomas, a district manager who enters a different world during his commute, thanks to the power of Dell technology and a little bit of imagination.

Previously, we saw how Dell technology could get a little girl to “fly,” and help a young man create stars for his city-dwelling friend. Check out that work on Creativity-Online.com, and follow @creativitymag on Twitter (www.adage.com).

Microsoft Rolls Out Windows 8 Ads

Microsoft’s goals with Windows 8 and its Surface tablet are nothing if not lofty. The company wants to reboot computing, provide a serious challenge to Apple and, oh, revolutionize digital advertising.

Regarding that last goal, the software giant has taken a big next step with the roll out of four new in-app tablet ad campaigns that executives hope will serve as a model for a new form of creative, engaging, touch-oriented advertising.

The four charter Windows 8 advertisers include Delta, which is running a unique ad treatment within the NBC News Windows 8 app (created by Razorfish), and Jeep, which has built a custom treatment for the AccuWeather app. The other two charter Windows 8 brands are Ford (Team Detroit), which has inserted itself into Chicago Tribune’s app, and Paramount (This Is Tommy), which recently began promoting the Tom Cruise vehicle Jack Reacher within the BBC Top Gear app (www.adweek.com).

Bayern flying on and off the pitch

German soccer giants Bayern Munich have extended their sponsorship agreement with the country’s national airline Lufthansa.

The new deal extends a nine-year partnership by at least another five years. Lufthansa continues as the official carrier and a premium partner of the Bundesliga club, who currently lead Germany’s top flight by some 15 points.

As part of its commitment, Lufthansa will fly the Bayern team to and from many of their domestic and European matches. In return the airline will receive branding at Bayern’s Aliianz Arena and on the club’s website, and the opportunity to use players and team staff for promotional purposes (www.sportspromedia.com).

DHL extends ‘multi-million rand’ Stormers deal

Global logistics firm DHL has extended its title sponsorship of South African Super Rugby team Western Province for three years.

The renewal includes naming rights to the Stormers’ home stadium, DHL Newlands, as well as front-of-shirt sponsorship on all Western Province representative sides.  

DHL and Western Province penned a three-year deal in 2011. Following a successful first two years, the logistics company has decided to renew 12 months before the deal was set for re-negotiation.  

The club confirmed the renewal is a ‘multi-million rand’ deal, though the exact financial terms were not released (www.sportspromedia.com).

Coke To Air Open-Sourced V-Day Ad On ‘American Idol’

Coca-Cola is scheduled to air a special, “open-sourced” Valentine’s Day ad tonight on “American Idol.”

The ad — filmed in New Zealand by a 23-year-old New Zealander, Hugh Mitton – was awarded first place by Coca-Cola in the 2012 MOFILM Cannes Lions video competition.

The 60-second spot, “Love Is In The Air: A Coca-Cola Valentine,” features red balloons tied to cans of Coca-Cola that float down from the sky to spread happiness to unsuspecting recipients. The ad ends with a Happy Valentine’s Day greeting.

“This work redefines the benchmark of open-sourced excellence,” said Jonathan Mildenhall, Coke’s VP of global advertising strategy and content excellence, adding that “American Idol” is by far the biggest stage the company has given to crowd-sourced content (www.mediapost.com).

‘NYT’ Mines Archives For NatGeo’s ‘Killing Lincoln’

The National Geographic Channel is riding the wave of interest in all things Lincoln-related with a new “factual drama,” “Killing Lincoln.”

The New York Times Web site is helping them drum up interest for the original production with a custom advertising unit that incorporates historic content drawn from the NYT’s own archives, available digitally via its TimesMachine platform.
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The custom unit for “Killing Lincoln” consists of a half-page with overlay showing the front page of The New York Times from April 15, 1865, with the historic headline “President Lincoln Shot by an Assassin.” (www.mediapost.com).

NBA, AmEx Roll Out Live Online For All-Stars

The NBA is rolling out some major digital participation programs for the All-Stars game this weekend, and American Express, the “Official Credit Card Partner of the NBA,” is the major sponsor. The long roster of programs on NBA.com properties give people who aren’t in Houston access to the game as well as the preceding Media Day events. 

It also gives American Express customers exclusive programs. The effort, with NBA Digital, includes “NBA All-Star Media Day Streaming Live Courtesy of American Express” on Feb. 15, which the NBA says is the first time fans will be able to watch the media availability online. The way it works is that in the days leading up to NBA All-Star Media Day, people can send in queries via Twitter at #AmexAllStar.

Another program is “Unlock Your All-Star Experience,” also at www.nba.com/amexallstar, which includes content from highlight videos as well as access for cardmembers to a line of All-Star apparel. Another element, called “Choose Your Cam,” allows viewers to have a certain amount of control over viewing by switching between four cameras — each featuring a different player taking questions live, per the NBA (www.mediapost.com).

Pernod Ricard CEO Says Open to Talks On Jose Cuervo

French drinks maker Pernod Ricard SA (RI.FR) is open to talks with Tequila Cuervo Jose SA after U.K. rival Diageo PLC (DGE.LN) in December walked away from a deal to buy the famous tequila brand, Chief Executive Pierre Pringuet said Thursday.

“Jose Cuervo is a company we know very well. We are open to all forms of discussions,” Mr. Pringuet said in an interview with Dow Jones when asked if the tequila brand could tempt Pernod-Ricard.

Mr. Pringuet declined to say if the company is already engaged in talks with the Beckmann family of Mexico, which owns Jose Cuervo, the best-selling tequila in the world.

The CEO cautioned though that Pernod Ricard is still focusing on its debt-reduction plans and that acquisitions over the next two to three years are likely to be more “tactical.” (www.foxbusiness.com).