After the Lockout, Marketers and Fans Flood Back Into Fantasy Football

• As the National Football League prepares for its regular-season kickoff on Sept. 8, more than 30 million consumers and a raft of major marketers are quickly gearing up for the game based on the game: fantasy football.
• Fantasy players and brands had both been waiting to see what happened with the nearly five-month lockout. Its sudden conclusion in late July unleashed a free-agent frenzy among teams and players without binding contracts, but also unleashed advertisers from Volkswagen and Toyota to Subway and Pizza Hut to fill the digital ad space on CBSSports.com, ESPN.com and Yahoo Sports, the three major online players in fantasy football.
• Other fantasy football sponsors this season include Sprint, Geico, Dodge, Corona, GMC, Miller, FedEx and Snickers.
• It took less than two weeks for CBS and Yahoo Sports to sell all the online ad inventory around their fantasy football properties. According to buyers and industry executives, fantasy sponsorships typically range from the high six figures up to $3 million for presenting sponsors. (www.adage.com)

CSPI ‘Campaign’ Targets Sugary Beverages

• The Center for Science in the Public Interest is teaming up with city health departments and several health groups on a new campaign, “Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks.” The only problem? The campaign isn’t really a campaign at all.
• Dr. Michael Jacobson, executive director of CSPI, said that there are no plans for any actual media, because the group doesn’t have the money. For now, the campaign consists of a website, fewersugarydrinks.org, which urges people to sign up for the “challenge” to limit sugary drinks. The site sells branded clothing, coffee mugs, aprons and earrings, among other items.
• The announcement of the campaign is simply meant to rally organizations and companies and get “real buy in,” Dr. Jacobson said during a conference call with reporters. CSPI is looking for those groups to limit or eliminate sugary drinks from vending machines, cafeterias and meeting facilities, as well as offer preferential pricing for healthier options. The next step will be to plan a conference to bring the disparate organizations together to learn more about the issue, develop strategies and determine what can be done to “make some real progress,” Dr. Jacobson said. (www.adage.com)

AMC Considering a Talk Show About AMC Shows

• Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live—a talk show hosted by network exec Andy Cohen, with a guest roster (mostly) made up of Bravo reality stars, on which everyone (mostly) discusses Bravo shows—has proved a huge success for the network, pulling in an average of 1.5 million viewers last season. Now AMC, home of the highbrow yet equally discussable drama, is considering launching its own postgame talk show, and has even hired the WWHL team to produce it.
• Sources told New York magazine’s Vulture blog that AMC commissioned WWHL executive producer Michael Davies and his Embassy Row Productions to shoot a pilot for an AMC-themed series several weeks ago. Chris Hardwick, blogger for the Nerdist and former MTV personality, hosted the pilot episode, featuring a discussion of The Walking Dead.
• Because of the pilot’s focus on The Walking Dead, Vulture ventures a guess that if AMC decides to move forward with the show—which it would probably do in the next few weeks—it would premiere when The Walking Dead returns in October. And because it’s still in pilot stage, there could be changes to the format, and Hardwick could be replaced. (www.adweek.com)

A Redesigned Brand Hopes to Avoid Tropicana Storm

• As an up-and-coming beverage brand gets a new look, executives are hoping to avoid a redesign debacle like the one that roiled Tropicana orange juice.
• Honest Tea, which sells organic drinks under the Honest Tea and Honest Ade names, will soon bring out new labels for its plastic bottles. An announcement is expected to be made on Thursday.
• The labels are meant to be less cluttered than the current ones, brighter-looking and more inviting to potential customers. For instance, fruits that appear on the labels of products like Honest Tea Peach White Tea and Honest Ade Pomegranate Blue will now be shown cut open rather than closed and whole.
• Such details may seem picayune, but what a label looks like on a crowded shelf could make the difference between a product’s being bought and being overlooked. Worse yet, a design that consumers deem unappealing could actually cost a brand business, as PepsiCo learned in 2009. (www.nytimes.com)

Whole Foods commences test run of Wellness Clubs

• Retailer Whole Foods is continuing its foray into the health-and-wellness realm.
• The retailer, which doesn’t shy from health-and-wellness initiatives — including a healthy eating mobile application, “cooking coaches” and the recently-launched charity aimed to provide children with access to healthy food choices through partnerships with schools, educators and organizations — has commenced a pilot of membership-only Wellness Clubs in five cities, including Dedham, Mass., Chicago, Oakland, Calif., New York and Princeton, N.J. Chicago and Oakland Wellness Clubs will open next month, while the New York and Princeton Wellness Clubs will launch in October. It is speculated that if the pilot program proves successful, the Wellness Club offering will be taken nationwide.
• Whole Foods Market Wellness Clubs provide an inviting environment where members are empowered to make educated and positive lifestyle choices that promote their long-term health and well-being through coaching, delicious food and a supportive community,” the Whole Foods Wellness Club page reads. (www.drugstorenews.com)

London 2012 set to become first 3D Games

• The London 2012 Olympics is set to become the first Games to be screened live in 3D, after Japanese electronics giant Panasonic announced it will partner the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) to provide high definition 3D television production.
• Panasonic, a worldwide Olympic sponsor, will install on-site technology across 40 venues to support a number of national broadcast rights holders around the world, including the BBC in the United Kingdom and NBC in the US, and work alongside the OBS to produce over 200 hours of 3D action from a range of sports, including the opening and closing ceremonies on 27th July and 12th August respectively.
• According to the Press Association, Olympic Broadcasting Services director Manolo Romero described the news as “the most significant step in the sporting history of broadcasting.”
• Takumi Kajisha, Panasonic’s corporate communications managing director, added: “It is no doubt that the Olympic Games provides the best ever content for the 3D market and 3D will drastically change the way we enjoy the Games in the living room.” (www.sportspromedia.com)

World number one signs with Audemars Piguet

• Luxury watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet has announced that the world’s number one tennis player, Novak Djokovic, has signed on to become an ambassador for the brand.
• “I have discovered a new passion for fine watchmaking and I truly admire both the traditional and modern aspects of the work accomplished by Audemars Piguet,” said Djokovic upon visiting the watchmaker’s workshops in Le Brassus, Switzerland.
• Financial details of the deal, which has been announced to coincide with the start of the 2011 US Open, have not been released.
• “We are particularly honoured by the friendship we enjoy with this great champion who expresses through his sport our own values of excellence and audacity,” said Audemars Piguet chief executive, Philippe Merk. “We wish him a warm welcome and the best of luck for the rest of the season which he has dominated so far, but the battle with his rivals isn’t over yet.” (www.sportspromedia.com)

Esurance, AmEx Serve Up U.S. Open Activities

• Esurance and American Express are serving up a range of activities this weekend in conjunction with their U.S. Tennis Association’s U.S. Open tennis tournament.
• American Express is a top-tier sponsor. Other sponsors in that category include Chase, JP Morgan, Citizen, IBM, Mercedes-Benz and Olympus. Esurance is a tier two sponsor and is joined by Heineken, Polo by Ralph Lauren, United Airlines and Xerox. Tier three sponsors include Adecco, Evian, Gatorade, Grey Goose, Moet & Chandon, Nabisco, The New York Times, Nirmal Lifestyle, Panasonic, ticketexchange, Tiffany & Co., Westin and Wilson.
• Esurance is the official car insurance of the 2011 U.S. Open and is in the second year of a three-year sponsorship deal. “Partnering with the USTA and sponsoring the Open is a great way to increase our exposure to a wider audience,” says an Esurance spokesman. “The 2010 Open drew more than 710,000 fans; more than 70 million domestic TV viewers watched the Open last year.”
• Esurance has sponsored tennis events since 2005. Since 2007, Esurance has been the title sponsor of the Esurance Tennis Classic, which takes place in Northern California and benefits the Harbor Point Charitable Foundation. This year’s event takes place Sept. 23-25, 2011, and will include John McEnroe, the Bryan Brothers, Tracy Austin, Gigi Fernandez and Murphy Jensen. (www.mediapost.com)

Ford, Zipcar Create A Unique Partnership

• Ford and Cambridge, Mass.-based car sharing network Zipcar, Inc. have inked a two-year deal that’s a first for both companies. Ford will be Zipcar’s largest university vehicle partner, a partnership that involves Zipcar’s programs at more than 250 U.S. campuses.
• Zipcar says it will add up to 650 Ford cars and trucks to its lineup this academic year and up to 1,000 Ford vehicles during the life of the agreement. The automaker says the Focus and Escape will be prevalent in the Zipcar lineup.
• The Dearborn, Mich., automaker has been looking hard at Millennials and their desire for access and convenience without the costs and responsibilities of ownership, even it means more sharing of products.
• Now the company is doing something about it, said CEO Bill Ford in a company statement, “Today’s students are thinking differently about driving and transportation than they have in the past. This program enables today’s new drivers to experience our latest fuel-efficient vehicles, while helping them reduce their cost of living and help relieve congestion on campus.” (www.mediapost.com)

UTexas – Austin Ads Feature 3D Projections

• The University of Texas at Austin is launching a campaign promoting the university on the new Longhorn Network and on broadcasts of UT games, as well as at school events. The ads feature footage of a video projection on UT Tower that spotlights famous alumni and uses 3D graphics to make the building look as if it is made of spinning blocks that fit together like puzzle pieces.
• The effort, via GSD&M in Austin, and Klip Collective, comprises five spots extending the university’s 10-year-old “What Starts Here Changes the World” tag.
• Under the themes of “Look Up,” “Why,” “Footsteps,” “Competition,” and “Awards,” the ads show images of famous graduates like Walter Cronkite, Michael Dell, heart surgeon Denton Cooley; NASA astronaut Alan Bean; and writer John Coetzee, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• The first of the ads aired Aug. 26 on the Longhorn Network. The ads will also air in-game on stations like FSN, ABC and ESPN, the UT JumboTron, and online at www.UTexas.edu. (www.mediapost.com)

CSPI, Cities Launch Soda-Curbing Campaign

• The Center for Science in the Public Interest, the public health departments of five major cities and 110 local and national health groups are cooperating on a campaign to reduce consumption of soda and other sugary drinks.
• Dubbed “Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks,” the campaign seeks to reduce average U.S. consumption of all kinds of sugar-containing beverages, including juice drinks, iced teas, lemonades and energy and sports drinks, to about three 12-ounce cans or 450 calories per person per week by 2020.
• The three-can recommendation comes from The American Heart Association. Average U.S. weekly per person consumption is now more than double that level.
• The announcement comes on the same day as the release of a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finding that more than half of Americans drink too much soda, and that the problem is worst among minorities. Last week, the Department of Agriculture rejected New York City’s proposal for a pilot banning food stamp recipients from buying soda with the stamps. (www.mediapost.com)

Bali’s ‘Live Beautifully Daily’ Launches

• Bali Intimates is kicking off the latest in its efforts to link the department-store bra brand with fund-raising efforts for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, with a “Live Beautifully Daily” campaign.
• The social media effort draws on the expertise of celebrity stylist Jennifer Rade, who will offer tips on fit and styling, and is a continuation of its connection with BCRF. Earlier this month, Bali, owned by Hanes, began its second-annual fund-raising drive to support BCRF. For every 25 new “likes” the Bali Facebook page received, the company donated $25 — generating 25,000 new fans and $25,000 for BCRF.
• In this phase, Bali will match donations to BCRF made by Bali Facebook fans — up to an additional $25,000 — for a total donation of up to $50,000. Since beginning its partnership with BCRF in 2007, Bali has donated more than $200,000.
• “The Bali brand inspires women to live beautifully by providing intimate apparel that looks great on and under clothes — helping to strengthen confidence,” says Rade in the company’s release. “My philosophy is similar to that of Bali: any woman can look and feel beautiful if she starts her day with confidence and with the goal to live beautifully.” (www.mediapost.com)

Airline offers free snacks, but with a side of advertising

• Maybe there is such a thing as a free lunch, if you include a little advertising.
• For a few weeks this summer on select US Airways Shuttle flights from Logan International Airport, passengers got a snack box without charge – thanks to a sponsor who paid to print a commercial message on the box.
• The ads were the brainchild of Ryan D. Matway, who founded Air Advertainment LLC, based in West Palm Beach, Fla., to commercialize the concept.
• So far, the agency has conducted one snack-box advertising campaign at a time; in July, it launched a promotion for the New York-based online luxury retailer Gilt Groupe,, a members-only shopping service. (www.boston.com)

The Top 10 Back-to-School Ads

1. Microsoft: PC or Mini-Fridge?
Agency: CP&B

The ad pits a mini-fridge that comes with a free ice tray against a Windows 7 PC that comes with a free Xbox 360. A robot emerges and blasts the former to pieces.

2. JC Penney: Turn your small change into Pennies from Heaven
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi.

JC Penney’s charitable Pennies from Heaven effort urges shoppers to round up their purchase totals to the nearest dollar to benefit local after-school programs. It’s the retailer’s most extensive cause-marketing campaign to date.

3. Crayola: Crayola Dry-Erase Crayons and Dry-Erase Board Sets
Agency: mcgarrybowen

Crayola promotes its dry-erase crayons and board sets, which combine “all that kids love about dry erase with all they love about crayons.”

4. Best Buy: Geek Backpack Intel
Agency: CP&B

With a geek attached to her back, this college girl can do just about anything with her new laptop.

5. Staples: Flash Drives
Agency: McCann Erickson

“Modern Family” star Rico Rodriguez wonders at the ability of a flash drive to store what once required huge computers.

6. Walmart: No Problem
Agency: Martin Agency

A mom shopping for back to school learns that Walmart stands by its ad-match guarantee, even when she doesn’t have the ad.

7. Walmart: Frat House
Agency: Martin Agency

In this second Walmart ad to make the list, when a library backdrop collapses to reveal a wrestling match, a college student using a smartphone to video chat with his Dad is caught off guard.

8.Chex: Fingertips
Agency: In-house.

“Choose the snack that gives back,” the ad states, promoting Box Tops for Education, which partners with Chex Mix.

9. Dell: Derek
Agency: Sid Lee

A student lauds his Dell Inspiron 15R for enabling him to “try new moves on and off the court.” Also promotes a free Xbox with the purchase of select PCs on Dell.com.

10. Best Buy: Geek Squad Backpacks
Agency: CP&B

The second Best Buy ad on the list touts the benefits of going back to school with Geek Squad because it offers 24/7 support. (www.adage.com)

CashCall Mortgage Renews Sponsorship of Top Cycling Team

• CashCall Mortgage is excited to announce the renewal of its sponsorship of the CashCall Mortgage Cycling Team for the second year in a row. The agreement to sponsor the team through 2012 was made official at the “Summers End GP” race in Ontario, California on Aug 14, 2011.
• The CashCall Mortgage Cycling Team has been a formidable force on the cycling circuit. With cyclists David Santos, Devan Dunn and Lee Muse on the top 5 Southern California Cup Standings for 2011 (Category 1-2). All together, the team earned 24 wins and 60 podium finishes over the 2011 season.
• According to Paul Reddam, President of CashCall, Inc., the sponsorship is a logical choice. “Our speed, expertise and efficiency are what allow us to undercut our competitors and offer lower refi rates than the big banks. We see the same characteristics mirrored in this team…these are qualities we like to nurture.”
• The CashCall Mortgage Cycling team will race next at the San Clemente Criterium in San Clemente, CA. (www.sponsorship.com)

Drugstore Chains To Formulate New Sponsorship Strategy

• As previously reported in IEG SR, U.S. health care legislation has resulted in new sponsorship activity on behalf of both hospitals and health insurance companies. And now drugstore chains could soon get into the act. Case in point: Walgreen Co. reportedly plans to begin selling health insurance products later this year by setting up its own health insurance exchange, according to a CNN Money report. The product offering would place Walgreen in direct competition with health insurance companies. (www.sponsorship.com)

Wunder Beer Becomes Official Craft Beer of Infineon Raceway

• Wunder Beer has become the “Official Craft Beer” of Infineon Raceway, the two companies announced today.
• Wunder Beer, a product of Casa Fuego Spirits Company, Inc., will be the exclusive craft beer at all Infineon Raceway major-event weekends in 2012, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. It will also have exclusive year-round signage at the raceway. The partnership is for three years.
• “We are honored and extremely proud to be associated with Infineon Raceway,” said Greg Olson, CEO of Casa Fuego Spirits Company, Inc. “We look forward to a long-term relationship with the track and all of the wonderful people that make up the staff at Infineon.”
• Casa Fuego Spirits resurrected the Wunder Beer name and brand in 2008 – Wunder Brewery, with its original roots in San Francisco, had been shut down since 1909. Casa Fuego Spirits, based in Elk Grove, Calif., introduced the Pale Ale and I.P.A. varietals earlier this year; they will be featured at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma this weekend (Aug. 26-28). (www.sponsorship.com)

Taking the Buzz Out of the Beer

• When it comes to drinking, Spain is known for its Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines.
• But Spain also is a world leader in sales of nonalcohol beer and some of Western Europe’s biggest brewers are taking notice. To help combat flat sales at home, brewers are looking to Spain as a model for marketing nonalcohol beer.
• Netherlands-based Heineken NV has introduced at least 10 nonalcohol beer brands and varieties at home, in Italy and elsewhere since 2008. Denmark’s Carlsberg A/S recently introduced varieties of its nonalcohol beer in Norway, Finland and other countries. (www.wsj.com)

AT&T-Verizon-T Mobile Sets $100 Million for Google Fight

• Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc. and T- Mobile USA plan to invest more than $100 million in their joint venture that lets consumers pay for goods with mobile phones, people with knowledge of the project said.
• The investment sets up a showdown between the venture, known as Isis, and rivals like a mobile-payment service from Google Inc. The amount of funding depends on how successful Isis is at attracting banks and merchants, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the financing is private.
• The carriers have created the alliance to grab a piece of the market for mobile commerce, which lets consumers buy things by tapping devices against a reader at checkout. The market may reach $670 billion by 2015, Juniper Research says. The carriers may invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the venture if it gains followers, one person said, helping it catch up with Google, which unveiled its own mobile-wallet service in May.
• “Over the long haul, operators have to create new businesses that derive value from more than access,” Chetan Sharma, an independent wireless analyst in Issaquah, Washington, said in an interview. “It’s a given that people are going to be transacting more over cell phones. It could open a potential new revenue stream for them.” (www.bloomberg.com)

Giants Bring Twitter To Games, Broadcasts

• New cross-channel media initiatives are getting complicated. Take the latest social media push from the New York Giants, in partnership with Mass Relevance, covering social media, digital out-of-home video, broadcast TV and experiential marketing.
• Among other things, the football franchise will now begin integrating fan tweets on its “jumbotron”-style video boards, as well as other digital displays throughout the stadium, including LED video pylons by the entrances, “ribbon” LED displays between stadium levels and 2,200 flat screen TVs located around the venue.
• For fans watching at homes, the Giants will incorporate Twitter into TV broadcasts for the last two preseason games of the year. The team claims it will be the first to introduce live, real-time Twitter updates into its regular broadcast TV coverage.
• Mass Relevance is responsible for aggregating, curating and delivering Tweets to stadium displays, TV broadcasts and Giants.com. New Twitter-enabled features and events include online voting for the most important player of each game. Fans can then get discounts on the winning player’s associated merchandise at the Giants’ online store. (www.mediapost.com)

Tecate Gets Double Mileage From September

• Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is getting back in the ring this year to engage in a pay-per-view prize fight. Everyone wants to see Mayweather Jr. fight Manny Pacquaio. Even those who don’t follow the sport probably know Mayweather is unbeaten and lionizes that “0″ on his loss column like it’s the Hope Diamond.
• Beyond boxing, Mayweather has gotten his name out there on “Dancing With the Stars,” and dancing in and out of court. The interesting thing about the upcoming Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz fight on Sept. 17 is that it happens on the same evening as another big bout, with Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez versus The Contender winner Alfonso Gomez. And viewers will see both.
• As Alvarez, Canelo, Gomez, and Eric “El Terrible” Morales (the future Hall of Famer who fights on the Mayweather/Ortiz undercard) are all directly or indirectly from Mexico, and since boxing is one of the two most popular sports among Hispanics (soccer is the other), it makes perfect sense that Heineken’s Mexican cerveza brand Tecate will be involved as a sponsor.
• The good news for fans and for Tecate is that the sponsorship involves both fights under Golden Boy Promotion’s’ “Star Power” event on HBO Pay-Per-View, meaning that fans at the two arenas will see both fights, as will those who watch it on PPV and at movie theaters around the country. And they will also see Tecate branding. (www.mediapost.com)

SiriusXM Tries To Lure Back Listeners

• Remember when anti-drug advocates would warn against the drug dealers who would give the first hit for free in order to reel in new users? SiriusXM is taking that approach with an offer to lure back former subscribers.
• In a mailing that went out late last week, the New York-based satellite radio company is offering two free weeks (Aug. 30 – Sept. 12) of access to 60 channels. The promotion, with the theme: “Bringing Your Radio Back To Life,” includes a laminated card featuring the free stations.
• After the two weeks is up, former subscribers are offered the change to re-sign for five months of programming for $25, which is more than a 60% savings off the regular subscription price. The deal includes the waiving of the activation fee and ends Sept. 30. A dedicated website is also promoting the offer.
• SiriusXM did not respond by post time to several requests for details on the promotion, including how many former subscribers were receiving the mailings. (www.mediapost.com)

Best Buy, Sears, Target Lead In Cross-Channel

• While Best Buy, Sears and Target came up tops in a recent survey on successful cross-channel selling, retailers are surprisingly behind the curve in what works and what doesn’t, according to a new survey.
• The study looked at the capabilities of some of the largest cross-channel retailers (excluding Walmart), and found that just 12%, for example, had the capability to access a customer’s pending web order in store.
• “And two years ago, when we did this study, only a small percentage of retailers allowed customers to purchase an item online and return it instore,” Mark Fodor, CEO of CrossView, which provides cross-channel solutions and which conducted the survey, tells Marketing Daily, “and while it was 100% of companies this time, it illustrates how slow retailers can be in moving to deal with crosschannel capabilities.”
• Another area where retailers lag is using collaborative filtering, which provides tailored recommendations to customers, with only 52% taking advantage of it. “These are things that should be no-brainers, and they’re not. You hear the words ‘multichannel’ and ‘crosschannel’ often, but very few retailers can deliver it.” (www.mediapost.com)

British Airways Reveals New Advertising Campaign

• British Airways is to launch a new advertising campaign to try to get people proud of the British brand again. The row it has had with union Unite over the past few years, causing strikes and planes to be grounded for 22 days in total, cost the company over £150 million. However, this cost of lost flights was not the only thing they lost, as people are now less happy towards the brand as they were in the past. They hope that by reminding the public of the heritage of the brand, it will bring back some of their old customers and encourage new ones to try them out.
• The campaign has been created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty and will cost £1.5 million. It will be launched next month, according to a report in Marketing Magazine. The campaign will centre around a 90 second film which focuses on the role that the company has taken in the history of British Aviation and it will include things like the merging of British Overseas Airways Corporation merging with Imperial Airways in 1971, which formed the company as well as Concorde.
• It is hoped that potential passengers will feel more committed to the brand when they are reminded about its roots. However, an incident that happened very recently may lower the opinion even more of potential customers. A man, Tom Bradley form America was arrested after he threatened to stab staff on a British Airways plane with broken glass. According to witnesses he was drunk and threatened staff when he was refused more alcohol. Police were waiting at the gate to arrest him when the plane landed at terminal five. (www.compareaway.co)

Dove Fresh Spin Videos Promoting go fresh Products

• Dove go fresh Deodorant and Body Mist and MTV have created the Dove Fresh Spin video series, featuring female DJs Jessica Who, Chelsea Leyland and Diamond Kuts. The trendsetting DJs share personal stories, style secrets and music insights in the spots.
• The 20-something DJs will represent everything that is ‘cool and fresh’ at the ‘2011 MTV Video Music Awards,’ NY Fashion Week and ‘O’ Music Awards. Fans across the country can follow the Dove go fresh DJs as they mingle with the hottest stars and spin at exclusive parties.
• The three DJs made their debuts with MTV at the annual pre-VMA tour, held July 28 through August 5, and will appear at the MTV U Campus Invasion Tour in October. While on tour they will be spinning at local stops around the country and greeting music fans face-to-face. (www.popsop.com)

Carnival CMO Wants to ‘Attract More Brits’

• Carnival Cruises, which is eyeing the U.K. market for growth, is out talking to a range of shops in London to handle ad duties, the company told Ad Age.
• James Berra, senior VP-chief marketing officer at Carnival Cruises, said in an email: “We are in the early stages of the review process to select a strategic and creative partner in the U.K. to help us expand our efforts to attract more Brits to the world’s most popular cruise line. We expect to conclude our process and have a partner named by the end of this year.”
• The pitch is being managed by consultancy Ark Advisors.
• Carnival’s lead creative agency in the U.S. and Australia, Havas-owned Arnold, now has a chance to grab the U.K. business as well. Its U.K. office, dubbed ArnoldKLP, is participating in the pitch along with a handful of local shops — both large and small — people close to the pitch say. (www.adage.com)

RIM Announces Very Limited (and Expensive) BBM Music

• On the heels of last week’s report that RIM was in talks with major record companies to create its own cloud-based music service, the BlackBerry maker announced today that it’s launching BBM Music in hopes that BlackBerry Messenger addicts will be willing to pay for a tiny fraction of the songs available elsewhere for free.
• RIM’s $4.99 monthly service allows users to stream (and store offline) a maximum of 50 songs. In order to enforce that 50-song limit, users will only be able to swap out up to 25 songs per month. Compared to services like Spotify, which offers unlimited music for twice that price in its premium plan, those 50 songs seem pretty paltry—and pretty expensive.
• The whole point of the app, according to RIM, is to link with friends’ BBM Music profiles and access their 50-song libraries, which they can listen to or even add to their libraries. As users build their networks, they’ll have hundreds of songs at their disposal, the thinking goes. But that would require enough people to actually pay five bucks for BBM Music. And with Spotify offering similar social features even in their free service, RIM could be facing an uphill battle. (www.adweek.com)

Bloomberg to Snap Up BNA

• Bloomberg LP agreed to acquire legal-research firm BNA in a deal valued at about $990 million, a bold move in the financial information company’s evolving efforts to diversify its business.
• The deal, announced Thursday for $39.50 a share in cash, is Bloomberg’s largest-ever acquisition and is aimed primarily at bolstering the company’s recent entry into the market for electronic legal research.
• Bloomberg said it expects the transaction to close in 2011, though it still has to be approved by current and former BNA employees, who own the Arlington, Va., company. (www.wsj.com)

She Hopes to Help a Dove Campaign Become a Hit

• UNILEVER’S Dove brand, which made its advertising mark in “real beauty” commercials with women who were not models, is showcasing women disc jockeys to attract young consumers to its newest deodorant products.
• Dove is working with MTV for its new “Fresh Spin” campaign, whose first big event occurs Sunday at the Video Music Awards. Last year, the broadcast drew 11.4 million viewers, nearly half of whom were females ages 12 to 34.
• That is the top demographic for Dove’s new effort to market Rebalance deodorant and body spray. The brand is showcasing three young women D.J.’s in a new video series, social media and a new Web site, dove.mtv.com. The D.J.’s also are engaging fans in an interactive music game on the Internet site.
• “Women disc jockeys are the newest trendsetters for music, fashion and popular culture,” said Kathy O’Brien, vice president for Unilever’s United States personal care division, which includes hair, skin and deodorant products. (www.nytimes.com)

Pandora Gains on Subscriptions and Mobile Ads

• In its first quarterly earnings since going public, Pandora Media, the company behind the Internet radio service, reported increased revenue on Thursday, as well as growth in subscriptions and mobile advertising.
• For the three months that ended July 31, its fiscal second quarter, Pandora reported $67 million in revenue, up 117 percent from the same period a year ago. That beat the expectations of most analysts, who had predicted $60 million to $61 million. It was the company’s sixth consecutive quarter of triple-digit growth in revenue, measured year-over-year.
• Pandora posted a net loss of $1.8 million, or 4 cents a share.
• Advertising was $58.3 million of Pandora’s revenue for the quarter. Ads for mobile devices, where the majority of the service’s listening takes place, represented about half that amount. It was the first time mobile ad revenue had reached that level, the company said, although it has not disclosed the ratio in the past. (www.nytimes.com)

Insurance Company Rebrands Itself as Kemper

• It is not unprecedented, but it is unusual: a company that makes an acquisition sheds its own name to take the name of a product or brand it has acquired.
• It happened when SBC Communications bought AT&T and became AT&T. When Chemical Bank took the Chase name. And when Allied Signal assumed the Honeywell name.
• On Thursday, another such name change is to be announced by Unitrin, a Chicago-based insurance company with $2.7 billion in revenue and more than $8 billion in assets. Unitrin, formed in 1990 by a spinoff from Teledyne, will become the Kemper Corporation, assuming the name of its Kemper division.
• (It certainly seems to make sense. Kemper is known as an insurance brand. “Unitrin” sounds like a prescription drug.) (www.nytimes.com)

Aetna partners USTA to promote tennis participation

• American health insurance company Aetna and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) have announced a new three-year partnership aimed at encouraging healthy living for children through participation in the sport.
• As a sponsor of the country’s governing body for tennis, Aetna will run a number of events and activities at the upcoming US Open in New York, as well as school and community-based programmes throughout the term of the agreement.
• Beginning with the Arthur Ashe Kids Day at Flushing Meadows, the partnership aims to benefit the USTA’s National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, a nationwide group of community tennis organisations for young people.
• “Aetna is proud and pleased to support some of the activities planned for Arthur Ashe Kids Day and to continue honouring Arthur Ashe, who was such a significant part of the Aetna community,” said Floyd W. Green, Aetna’s vice president of community relations and urban marketing. (www.sportspromedia.com)

Chevron join Hornets’ sponsor roster

• The New Orleans Hornets has further bolstered its sponsorshop roster by bringing aboard Chevron, as the National Basketball Association (NBA) continues to try and offload the team.
• The NBA bought the Hornets at the end of 2010 in the absence of any other owners but has so far failed to sell the team on. However, good commercial progress has been made with Chevron’s seven-figure deal following a similar agreement with Entergy earlier in August, which is likely to help efforts keep the team in New Orleans.
• Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit will join Entergy, Cox Communications, 7-Up amd Oschner Health System as top-tier Crescent City Champion level partners. The company has upgraded its existing sponsorship of the team. (www.sportspromedia.com)

Calif. Realtors Launch Testimonial Campaign

• The California Association of Realtors is launching an integrated campaign that features testimonials from satisfied consumers.
• The effort, from Philadelphia-based Red Tettemer + Partners, marks a change in strategy for the association with creative that is much more “consumer inclusive and conversational.” Spending is under $2 million.
• Titled “Champions of Home,” the campaign was created in direct response to the economically challenged real estate market, to show consumers they can rely on their realtor. The multiplatform campaign features homeowners in California, telling their individual stories of buying and selling homes and how their realtors helped conquer the process.
• The stories focus on everything from short sales to epic tales of paperwork and highlight realtors as experienced professionals guiding them toward closing. The campaign targets first-time homebuyers and sellers in California. (www.mediapost.com)

Subaru Bows Facebook Cause-Marketing Program

• Subaru is launching a Facebook campaign that encourages people to choose a charity for the automaker to partner with in this fourth annual Subaru Share the Love event.
• The automaker, which launched the program in 2007, said it has donated $15 million to charities, and plans to donate $20 million this year.
• The program gives $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased from Nov. 19 through Jan. 3. What’s new is that the Facebook voting program allows Facebook fans of Subaru to vote for a “People’s Choice” charity, per the Cherry Hill, N.J. company.
• Teach For America, The American Red Cross, The Children’s Miracle Network, and The Make-A-Wish Foundation are the four charities people can vote for. (www.mediapost.com)

Marketers Dance Closer to 9/11 Anniversary

• As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, marketers like the Home Depot, General Motors and American Express are struggling with the best way to connect with the tens of millions of consumers who will observe the day, without appearing to be either exploitive or insensitive.
• The Home Depot is the latest, just announcing that its foundation is working with The Mission Continues and rock band 3 Doors Down to introduce a “Celebration of Service” campaign, an effort to enhance the lives of U.S. military veterans. The campaign kicks off on Sept. 11, and is scheduled to run through Veterans Day Nov. 11, addressing some 200 service projects that it says are directly aimed at “improving homes, facilities and community centers where veterans live and receive services.”
• Last month, the General Motors Foundation and Chevrolet donated $250,000 to the Travis Manion Foundation, to help increase participation around the country in the 9/11 Heroes Run. And companies like American Express, Chase and Best Buy are key supporters of the 9/11 Day of Service. That group, founded by families of 9/11 victims, reports that nearly 70% of Americans say they are interested in paying tribute somehow on the 10th anniversary. (www.mediapost.com)

Nissan Seeks Youthful Drivers For Newest Versa

• Nissan is playing with the dichotomy between real and virtual cars and friendship in its first big campaign for its little car, Versa, in three years. The campaign for the 2012 Versa focuses on vehicle features, interior amenities, and the price tag, which starts just south of $11,000.
• The campaign, via the L.A. office of TBWAChiatDay; Critical Mass, Calgary; and media agency OMD, gets the spacious message across with youthful creative and a fashion focus, and an open-ended theme line, “Most ___ Per Dollar.”
• Ads, which start Monday, feature hip twenty-somethings whose challenge to the Versa’s interior space does not come in the usual form — loads of gear — but with their vertiginous hairstyles, platform shoes, slippers, roller skates, an assortment of hats and lots of friends.
• The ads, which use stop-action photography to offer an urban montage of different people popping in and out of the car, are also set to an unreleased track from the band Foster the People. The song is also streamed on Nissan’s social media platforms. The track will be a free download on the upcoming Versa iAd and NissanUSA.com Web site. (www.mediapost.com)

McD’s Latest Happy Meal Toys: Mini Skechers

• Taking Happy Meal partnerships into the realm of apparel, McDonald’s has launched a three-week promotion in which kids can receive one of six toy versions of Twinkle Toes by Skechers shoes with the purchase of a meal.
• The toys come in six color combinations. Each features an image of the animated character Twinkle Toes from the Skechers Kids footwear line for girls — and like real Twinkle Toes sneakers, has a button on the sole that lights up the shoe.
• The promotion starts Aug. 26 in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., each toy will come with a Twinkle Toes sticker sheet and a “Mommy & Me” discount coupon valid in Skechers stores and on Skechers.com.
• The promotion will be supported by a McDonald’s Happy Meal television commercial featuring Twinkle Toes, banner ads and promotions on HappyMeal.com, graphics on the meals’ packaging, and in-store and drive-through-window signage. (www.mediapost.com)

WNBA Puts Boost Mobile Across Team Jerseys

• If the major professional sports leagues in this country ever inch closer to having sponsor names on jerseys, it will be the Women’s National Basketball Association that nudges them there.
• For the second time in two years the WNBA has signed an agreement to put marketer names on coveted jersey space, this time inking a precedent-setting deal with Boost Mobile that makes the wireless carrier the first league-wide, marquee partner of the WNBA.
• The Boost Mobile name will be featured at the bottom of the game jerseys of 10 of the 12 WNBA teams — San Antonio and Phoenix already have existing sponsor deals with wireless providers and won’t have Boost Mobile on the jersey, but are part of the overall deal. Boost Mobile is the prepaid, no-contract phone service of Sprint.
• Two years ago, the league allowed teams to feature corporate sponsors on their uniforms. Five franchises — Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Seattle and Washington — have company logos at the tops of their respective jerseys. But this marks the first time the WNBA has had a league partner with jersey branding with multiple WNBA teams throughout the season other than Adidas, the league’s official outfitter. In addition, Boost Mobile will have a strong presence in these 10 teams’ arenas, where its brand will be displayed on courts and pole pads, and the wireless company will be the title partner for the league’s All-Star Game, as well as sponsoring special programming highlighting the WNBA’s top 15 moments for its 15th anniversary season. (www.adage.com)

Shoppers Scramble for Discounted HP TouchPads

• Following Hewlett-Packard’s announcement last week that it’s ditching its tablet and smartphone efforts, sales of the company’s TouchPad have gone through the roof—thanks to a massively discounted price tag.
• In order to get rid of remaining inventory, HP cut the price of its cheapest TouchPad from $499.99 to $99.99, while a full-featured version was reduced from $599.99 to $149.99.
• News of the price cuts blew up online, with bloggers publishing rolling lists of which retailers still had the clearance-priced tablets in stock. Demand was so heavy that by Saturday night, all of the TouchPads in the Bay Area were sold out, a Best Buy saleswoman in San Francisco told The Wall Street Journal. And by Sunday, sites including Amazon, Target, Walmart, B&H Foto, and Fry’s Electronics had also run out of the tablets. (www.adweek.com)

FIAT North America Returns as Presenting Sponsor of the 2011 Concorso Italiano

• FIAT North America is proud to return to the preeminent Italian lifestyle gathering in the world, Concorso Italiano. The annual event focuses on everything great from Italy including cars, fashion, food and wine in an elegant setting on the greens at the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch.
• “Concorso Italiano is a unique event that brings together an amazing collection of vehicles and enthusiasts who are truly passionate about Italian design and heritage,” said Laura Soave, Head of FIAT Brand North America. “The new Fiat 500 and 500 Cabrio pay homage to this rich heritage and project it forward by delivering Italian-by-design function, value and efficiency, intelligently tailored for the North American market.”
• As the presenting sponsor of this year’s event, FIAT North America will have several vehicles on display including:
• A 2012 Fiat 500 hatchback and 500 Cabrio

A vintage 1962 Cinquecento

A Mopar accessorized version of the Fiat 500

Patrons to the event are invited to enjoy the ‘FIAT Cafe” where Fiat fans can enjoy complimentary gelato, espresso and cappuccino, served by baristas. (www.sponsorship.com)

Sony Turns Up The Volume On One-For-All Sponsorship Strategy

• Sony Corp.’s six-year-old effort to activate sponsorship across multiple business units is starting to gain some traction. Case in point: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. and Sony Electronics, Inc. over the past two years have both used the Dew Tour, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and other events as a platform to tout their products. Those include SCEA’s PlayStation video game products and Sony Electronics’ Bloggie camcorder and headphones. (www.sponsorship.com)

Franklin Templeton Returns as Title Sponsor of Greg Norman’s PGA TOUR Event

• Franklin Templeton and tournament host Greg Norman announced today an agreement in which Franklin Templeton Investments will be the title sponsor of Southwest Florida’s PGA TOUR event. The agreement covers the 2011 and 2012 events.
• The Shootout, which has been a mainstay on the TOUR for 22 years, will return to Naples for an 11th year December 7-11 at Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. The event raises funds and awareness for a variety of local and national charities.
• Franklin Templeton was the title sponsor of the Shootout from 1992 through 2005 and has been a corporate partner since the Shootout’s inception.
• “We are pleased to continue our association with the Shootout as title sponsor,” said Greg Johnson, president and CEO of Franklin Resources, Inc. “This event features some of the golf world’s best players, demonstrating skill that comes from discipline, experience and persistence – values we embrace in our business. But first and foremost, this is a charity event, and we are very happy to support the worthy causes that will benefit from the Franklin Templeton Shootout.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Chopard USA to Be Presenting Sponsor of Mille Miglia North America Tribute

• Stratus Media Group, Inc. today announced that Chopard USA is now expanding its 23-year partnership with the growing Mille Miglia brand. The luxury watch and jewel maker brand is now sponsoring the Mille Miglia North America Tribute, which will take place in the Golden State of California October 25-28, 2011.
• “We are delighted to continue our legacy with the Mille Miglia,” said Marc Hruschka, President and CEO of Chopard USA. “As a sponsor of the official North American Mille Miglia Tribute event, we will extend our brand association and further enhance our commitment to timeless distinction at this thrilling international automotive event.”
• The announcement, made during the annual Monterey Historics Week, exemplifies the mutual desire among Stratus Media Group and Chopard USA to communicate the rich tradition of the famous motorsports event in the United States. In 1988, Chopard established its partnership with the fabled 84 year-old open road endurance race, and has since maintained the tradition of developing special edition Mille Miglia timepieces each year.
• Paul Feller, President and CEO of Stratus Media Group, said, “We are honored to have one of the most recognized and elite luxury brands become affiliated as a key corporate partner and sponsor of the Mille Miglia North America Tribute. Chopard is a premium and leading brand within its industry and will help propel the MMNAT to a successful automotive legacy.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Ticket Service Set for Debut

• Concert promotion giant AEG Live said it is close to starting a new ticket-selling service that it hopes could challenge Ticketmaster, which currently dominates the market for concerts and other live events.
• The new service, Axs Ticketing, is to begin selling seats on Saturday for concerts at two venues in Denver, the Ogden Theatre and the Bluebird Theater. AEG is owned by billionaire Phil Anschutz’s Denver-based Anschutz Corp. (www.wsj.com)

A Magazine Bets That Readers Play Tag

• The Condé Nast magazine is hoping that readers will use their cellphones to connect to additional digital content through mobile codes. For example, readers intrigued by the pop star Rihanna — and who want to know more — can use their phones to interact with a Facebook logo on the September cover issue and access a video of the singer answering questions about her life. Inside the issue, they can point their phones at more logos to learn about discounts, giveaways and other offers from the magazine and advertisers.
• Readers can also immediately “like” the magazine or “like” an advertiser’s page and have deals delivered to their mobile phones.
• “Our theme is social networking across the board,” said Jenny Bowman, Glamour’s creative services director. “Social is so huge that we wanted to take it to the next step and make it seamless for our audience.”
• Glamour’s effort is part of a push by beauty and fashion magazines, which have long relied on lush advertisements and spritely content to keep audiences faithful, to assure that digital-era readers come back for more. Many women’s magazines, particularly at Condé Nast, struggled to capitalize on their readership when they began migrating content to the Web. (www.nytimes.com)

AmEx Biz Gold Gives Reward Points For Marketing

• American Express Open is launching the Business Gold Rewards card that will help small businesses earn double rewards points on marketing spending.
• The card offers double points for all spending on online marketing. The announcement comes on the heels of American Express allowing cardmembers to use points for Facebook advertising. This marks the first time any company has connected a rewards program to advertising spend — it also represents the only rewards program designed to generate demand for a business (most are cost-cutters), according to the company.
• What small businesses need is demand for their products and services, said Doug Tabish, vice president of Charge Cards at American Express Open.
• “They are pushing us to help them think more holistically about how to generate demand,” says Tabish in a release. “We’re responding by offering maximized benefits with Business Gold Rewards, allowing entrepreneurs to reinvest the points they earn to better their existing businesses.” (www.mediapost.com)

Orbitz Giveaways Feature Marriott, Caribbean Cruise

• Orbitz is launching a Facebook promotion that features 50 dream vacations worth up to $15,000.
• The vacations include brands such as Marriott, Caribbean Cruise and Radisson. The game, called “Orbitz 50 Faves,” runs through Sept. 18.
• To play, people can “Like” Orbitz on Facebook and then begin bidding. To start, each new player will receive five bids. Every bid placed represents one entry to win. Players can check out the trips, look at what their friends have bid on, and then place bids on their favorite trips.
• Each day, players get an additional bid for every friend playing the game. The more friends the player has, the more bids they get and the greater their chances of winning. To further encourage players to invite more friends to play, six trips have been “locked” and can only be “unlocked” if at least 10 of a player’s Facebook friends are playing the game. (www.mediapost.com)

Gap Blames Lower Results On Marketing Troubles

• Marketing problems continue for The Gap. Last year, the company adopted a new logo, only to reverse course and reinstate the old logo after negative backlash from consumers. Now the CEO is blaming at least part of the company’s poor financial performance on its marketing program.
• Gap Inc. Chairman and CEO Glenn Murphy took the company’s marketing to task this week, saying that the effort shared some of the blame for the company’s lackluster first-half results. Murphy’s remarks came during a conference call with analysts to discuss second-quarter earnings that were issued Thursday.
• The company reported a 19% drop in net income to $189 million on a 2% gain in total sales to $3.4 billion for the quarter. But same-store sales — a key metric — were down 2%.
• According to a transcript of the earnings call produced by Seeking Alpha (www.seekingalpha.com), Murphy said: “We had some ineffective marketing in the first half.” He specifically called out subsidiary Old Navy, stating that the company “had some good story lines but the marketing did not pull — did not drive traffic as much as we wanted. We’re still very fixated on getting new customers in our stores.” (www.mediapost.com)

Feds Launch National Anti-Terror TV Campaign Ahead of 9/11

• As the 10-year anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks approaches, the Department of Homeland Security has launched a national television campaign to remind citizens to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to authorities.
• The government agency announced the public-service campaign in a blog post Wednesday by Secretary Janet Napolitano. “As I’ve said in the past, hometown security is the key to homeland security,” she wrote. “Time and again, we’ve seen terrorist attacks thwarted by alert individuals who notify authorities when something just doesn’t seem right … security is a shared responsibility and we all have a role to play.”
• The TV spots are inspired by a local campaign that began across New York subways and buses in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. The Big Apple’s Metropolitan Transit Authority owns the rights to the campaign idea — and its memorable tagline, “If You See Something, Say Something” — and has licensed that tagline to Homeland Security for its anti-terror and anti-crime efforts. The MTA’s work has proved successful, and was credited with thwarting a potentially deadly attack in New York’s Times Square last May. (www.adage.com)

How Havana Club Runs International Marketing From Cuba

• Yves Schladenhaugen, Havana Club’s international marketing director, is a rarity: a senior marketer living and working in communist Cuba. The Frenchman has been based in Havana for the last three years.
• Havana Club rum is a joint-venture between Pernod Ricard — the Paris-based owner of brands including Absolut vodka, Jameson whiskey and Jacob’s Creek — and Cuba Ron, a Cuban state-owned company.
• Mr. Schladenhaugen draws on Cuba’s lively, sultry cultural scene for inspiration for events and a website featuring artists and musicians, and relies on M&C Saatchi’s Paris office for ads. M&C Saatchi won the business in 2005 and is behind the current campaign that started last year with the theme “Nothing Compares to Havana.” Ads that look like scenes you might see on a Havana street include a beautifully dressed bridal couple on a bicycle, a pair of ballerinas limbering up, and a 1950s era car above the line “When you drink don’t drive. This might explain the longevity of our cars.”
• Agency creatives from Europe spend at least two weeks a year in Havana working on ads that run in 27 countries, excluding the U.S., where the embargo on trade with Cuba continues. M&C Saatchi’s latest project, co-financed by Pernod Ricard, is a feature film called “Seven Days in Havana” to be released next summer. (www.adage.com)

Madonna Signs With Smirnoff

• Madonna, who turned 53 this week, is the newest celebrity booze endorser, inking a new global deal with Diageo’s Smirnoff vodka.
• The Material Girl will kick off her new partnership with an international contest in which fans of the vodka brand can vie to become a dancer on her next tour. The competition is part of year two of Smirnoff’s Nightlife Exchange Project, an ambitious global campaign that will seek to unite the globe for one big party this fall.
• But how much relevance does Madonna still have in the age of Lady Gaga? Diageo thinks she is timeless. “She stands for originality,” said Michelle Klein, Smirnoff’s VP for global content and communications. “She’s always creating cultural movements, whether it’s in dance or music or fashion. She is a trend setter.”
• In one respect, Madonna is still at the top of her game, recognized by 98% of U.S. consumers — which is 20% more than Katy Perry — putting her on par with Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and Bill Gates, according to the Marketing Arm’s Davie Brown Index (DBI), an independently conducted survey that marketers use to determine a celebrity’s ability to influence consumer brand affinities and affect purchasing decisions. Madonna’s influence score, while decent, is a bit more pedestrian, ranking No. 478, which puts her in the same neighborhood as Jada Pinkett-Smith and Bette Midler, according to the index. (www.adage.com)

Nikon To Sponsor Joe McNally’s “Faces Of Ground Zero – 10 Years Later” Exhibit At Time Warner Center

• Nikon Inc. is the exclusive photographic equipment sponsor of the “Faces of Ground Zero — 10 Years Later” exhibit at the Time Warner Center in New York. The free exhibit, marking the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, will take place from August 24 to September 12, 2011. The exhibit features more than fifty images and videos by internationally acclaimed photographer, Joe McNally, that bring to life some of the extraordinary individuals personally impacted by the events of 9/11.
• Based on McNally’s renowned “Faces of Ground Zero, Portraits of the Heroes of September 11, 2001,” this updated special exhibition will feature original life-size portraits, along with new digital images and exclusive video interviews shot with the latest Nikon cameras, revealing where the subjects are today and how 9/11 indelibly affected their lives.
• “Nikon is proud to be a sponsor of the ‘Faces of Ground Zero — 10 Years Later’ exhibition,” said Bo Kajiwara, Director of Marketing, Nikon Inc. “The still images and videos shot by Joe McNally document in compelling detail a very significant event in recent history and are vivid, powerful reminders of the human spirit.”
• The exhibition includes portraits and video of everyday people such as firefighters and other uniformed rescuers, families of victims, survivors, caregivers, politicians and students from nearby schools. Some of the individuals honored in this exhibition include Firefighter Louie Cacchioli, Josephine Harris and Ladder 6 and Chef Michael Lomonaco as well as former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. (www.sponsorship.com)

Kroger Sponsors Kenseth in Pure Michigan 400

• Kroger is proud to announce their sponsorship of Roush Fenway Racing’s Matt Kenseth and his No. 17 Ford in the Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event this weekend. The race will speed into Michigan International Speedway, located in Brooklyn, Michigan on Sunday, August 21 with television coverage presented by ESPN starting at noon EST.
• “We are excited to be a part of Michigan racing and to support the Michigan auto industry, in general,” said Dale Hollandsworth, Customer Communications Manager, The Kroger Co. of Michigan. “Just as automobiles are a tradition in Michigan, Kroger supporting its customers and local organizations is a Michigan tradition, too.” Whether it is Fuel Rewards or Kroger Community Rewards, Kroger will support its communities and customers.
• Kroger helps Michigan drivers save money through its fuel reward program by providing discounts on fill-ups. Kroger offers customers one point for every dollar they spend when they present their Kroger Plus card at any store within Michigan. Customers have the convenience of redeeming these points for fuel discounts up to $1 per gallon at any Kroger fuel center and up to 10 cents per gallon at participating Shell stations.
• Kroger has long sponsored various organizations in the communities it serves with programs such as Kroger Community Rewards, which contributes $2 million to participating organizations throughout Michigan each year. Kroger Community Rewards is open to groups that are tax exempt under 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, with organizations earning cash rewards every time their members purchase food and other products at Kroger. (www.sponsorship.com)

Buffalo Bills And Hunt Real Estate Announce Partnership

• The Buffalo Bills announced today a new partnership with Hunt Real Estate, the largest family-owned and operated real estate company in the area. As part of the agreement, Hunt Real Estate will be the Official Real Estate & Relocation Firm of the Bills.
• In addition to being the Official Real Estate and Relocation Firm of the team, Hunt Real Estate will share in-stadium real estate listings for fans, engage fans and attendees with training camp activation and receive Bills website advertising opportunities.
• “We look forward to partnering with Hunt Real Estate during their 100th Anniversary Year and raising brand awareness with our fans,” said Bruce Popko, Buffalo Bills senior vice president of business development. “The Bills and Hunt Real Estate have both been entrenched in the Buffalo community for a long time and we share a passion for providing our fans and customers with the best services possible.”
• “The Buffalo Bills are a priceless part of the fabric of our community,” stated Peter Hunt, Hunt Real Estate Corporation chairman and CEO. “Along with many thousands of other enthusiastic fans, we have supported the team since the days of the American Football League. Now we are honored to be the Official Real Estate and Relocation Company of the Bills, and to support the team and the fans in this new way. It is our hope that this partnership with the Bills, in our 100th Anniversary Year, will raise awareness of the quality of investment in real estate to other passionate sports fans throughout Western New York.” (www.sponsorship.com)

The Power of Pets by Mars Petcare Sponsors Nationwide Series of “Woof Walk” Fun Runs Community Dog Walks Will Be Co-Hosted by local YMCAs in Cities across the Country Share

• Mars Petcare today announced it will sponsor a series of “Woof Walk” fun runs as part of The Power of Pets program for 2011. Co-hosted by local YMCAs nationwide, the events will feature a two- to three-kilometer community dog walk, as well as healthy and fun activities for the whole family.
• The first event will take place in Chicago on September 24. Events will follow throughout the fall in cities across the country, including: Washington; Staten Island, N.Y.; Nashville, Tenn.; San Diego; Austin, Texas; Miami; and Portland, Ore.
• The Power of Pets by Mars Petcare, a community-focused initiative that celebrates the health benefits of pet ownership, is focusing its 2011 program on dog walking as a way for families to increase their physical activity levels while spending more time together and outdoors. (www.sponsorship.com)

Putting the Hot Back in Hotel

• A lobby full of trendsetters can make a hotel chic, but luring them in is easier said than done. W Hotels is looking to a fashion insider to help it recapture cutting-edge cachet. The hotel company today will name Jenné Lombardo to a job it calls “fashion director.”
• Fashion directors aren’t common at hotels, but Ms. Lombardo’s job is more about making productive connections than about choosing clothes. For the past year, she has challenged management company IMG’s iron grip on New York’s runway shows by hosting a stream of fashion-week events for the MAC & Milk alliance, a partnership of the cosmetics brand and the photography studio.
• Unlike the formal fashion shows in IMG’s tents at Lincoln Center, the MAC & Milk events often are mass soirées, where editors mingle and view collections in informal presentations. Suno, a colorful Kenyan-textile-inspired label, appeared in Vogue magazine in 2010 after Anna Wintour saw the collection at Milk. (www.wsj.com)

A Feminine Approach to Incontinence

• A PRINT ad for Poise Hourglass, a new line of bladder protection products from Kimberly-Clark, features the bare back of a woman facing away from the camera, her supple torso assuming the shape of an apostrophe.
• “You,” says the type that stretches across her back. “The inspiration for our new shape.”
• Being more tapered in their midsections than other pads, Poise Hourglass promises a better fit for some women. They are “shaped to fit your body better,” the ad continues, “because they are the only line of pads designed to fit a woman’s curves.”
• Kimberly-Clark estimates one in three women over 18 experience at least occasional instances of light bladder incontinence. So the company wants women to perceive Poise as more of a feminine care product than something for the elderly. (www.nytimes.com)

Polo Gold Cup secures Bentley sponsorship

• Luxury car manufacturer Bentley has agreed a deal to sponsor the Hublot Polo Gold Cup. Both Bentley Motors and Bentley Geneva are included in the deal.
• The competition, which will be held in Gstaad, sees three teams consisting of the world’s top players compete against one another.
• Bentley will provide each team captain as well as tournament referees with a Bentley for the duration of the competition. (www.sportspromedia.com)

Cowboys Stadium announces official electricity supplier

• The Dallas Cowboys have announced Reliant Energy as a major sponsor of the NFL franchise and the official electricity supplier to Cowboys Stadium.
• Voted as the world’s third most important sports venue in the June 2010 edition of SportsPro, the Dallas Cowboy’s magnificent home stadium was completed in the summer of 2009 at a cost of US$1.3 billion and represents the global benchmark for ultra-modern stadia.
• In Reliant Energy’s new capacity as electricity supplier to Cowboys Stadium, the energy company will purchase Texas renewable energy credits in order to help reduce the 80,000-capacity football stadium’s environmental impact on game days. (www.sportspromedia.com)

Subway Takes On Grease In Product Launch Spots

• Subway is taking shots at the grease in some other QSR foods in two TV spots for its latest product launch, an Oven Crisp Chicken sub.
• The sub’s white-meat chicken, tossed in seasoned breading and baked, is being billed as offering “breakthrough” flavor and a crispy texture “without the calories and fat of a traditional fried chicken sandwich” — and the sub chain clearly has high expectations for it. “We’re always looking for new options that offer great flavor and a good health profile, and this fits that bill perfectly,” says Tony Pace, SVP and CMO of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust.
• Subway’s nutrition facts show a typical 6″ (273-gram) Oven Crisp Chicken sub having 0 trans fat, 6.7 grams total fat (1.5 grams of saturated fat) and 30 milligrams of cholesterol (60 of its 420 calories are from fat). The sandwich also has 23 grams of protein, 67 grams of carbs and 940 milligrams of sodium. (A quick check of KFC’s menu shows 0 trans fat in all of its chicken items, with total fat and saturated fat grams per piece ranging from 3.5 to 33 and 1 to 4.5, respectively, depending on the method of preparation and the chicken part.) (www.mediapost.com)

Allstate Links With Radio Personality Tom Joyner

• Allstate hopes to double the contribution its “Quotes for Education” program makes to college-bound students via its partnership with The Tom Joyner Foundation.
• The Northbrook, Ill.-based insurance company will donate $10 to the foundation for every insurance quote (auto, renters, homeowners and more), up to $200,000, received through Dec. 31. Consumers can ask for quotes online at a dedicated Web site by phone or via an agent.
• The program continues Allstate’s history of investing in initiatives that strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This is the third time Allstate has linked with nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner for the effort. Allstate also is linked with Joyner to sponsor the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion.
• Although the deadline for entries for a contest to get tickets to the event has passed, that Web site includes Grammy and Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson, Brian McKnight, Kenny “BabyFace” Edmonds and Keith Sweat. The Labor Day event takes place at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, Fla. (www.mediapost.com)