Pepsi Confirms Relationship With Nicki Minaj But Denies New-Beverage Plans

The cola brand confirmed to Ad Age today that it has a relationship with hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj but denied there is a new beverage called Pop.

Pepsi had been mum for more than a week as rumors flew that Ms. Minaj would be “the face” of a new natural soda dubbed Pop. The rumors, prompted by a Forbes article, quickly spread around the globe. The article quoted an agency exec who is said to have brokered the deal between Pepsi and Ms. Minaj.

A Pepsi spokeswoman told Ad Age that characterizations of the rapper as the face of any new beverage were “inaccurate.” According to the Forbes report, Ms. Minaj has filmed a Pepsi commercial in South America. The spokeswoman declined to comment on those reports or to elaborate on the brand’s relationship with Ms. Minaj.

Pepsi has been working on its first global campaign, which is now expected to launch in the first half of this year. Massimo d’Amore, former head of PepsiCo’s’s Global Beverage Group, told Ad Age last year that the brand was working with both BBDO, which handles Pepsi in international markets, and TBWA/Chiat/Day, which handles the brand in the U.S., on the campaign. (www.adage.com)

Charles Barkley Pitch for Weight Watchers Now Includes Cross-Dressing

The Round Mound of Rebound has stuffed himself into a dress in an ad for Weight Watchers in which he pledges to do anything necessary to get the attention of men looking to lose weight. And that includes slipping on high heels and a wig. Jennifer Hudson, are you jealous?

Sir Charles, who stars in TNT’s NBA pre-and post-game studio shows, has been appearing in Weight Watchers ads since December as part of the marketer’s outreach to men. Mr. Barkley has shed 42 pounds, according to the company. The ad, by Weight Watcher’s agency McCann Erickson, will make its debut April 8. (www.adage.com)

‘Esquire’ Explores State of Men Worldwide

Last November, editors of Esquire’s worldwide editions came together for a day to discuss the state of man around the world. The April issue of Esquire, out this week, contains the fruits of that summit. Most of Esquire’s 21 international editions will carry the editorial package The Esquire Global Initiative Presents Dispatches From the World of Men, the first collaboration of its kind.

The section runs eight pages and contains contributions from 17 international editions, including a guide to drinking in Romania, street fashion in Kuala Lumpur, and a tip sheet for Arab tyrants (“Have a charming interview with a famous journalist. Amanpour would do.”)

David Granger, the editor of the U.S. edition, which spearheaded the project, said the topics were randomly assigned to the 17 editions that participated. “It was a really cool experiment,” he said. At a time when the Occupy Wall Street movement has spread around the world, for example, Granger said, “I think it’s kind of interesting to see China’s perspective on the rich.” (www.adweek.com)

Behind Dodgers Deal: TV Riches

The record-setting $2.15 billion sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers to a group led by former basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson and financier Mark Walter dropped the jaws of even the most bullish sports-industry veterans.

In an industry where the usual multiple is about three times annual revenue, the team sold for about 7.3 times its high-water mark of $293 million in revenue, set in 2008.

But with its lucrative media rights coming free from contract after the 2013 season, the new owners have a rich opportunity to either launch a regional sports network in the country’s second largest market or to hold an auction for the rights to telecast Dodgers games in a golden era for sports deals. (www.wsj.com)

‘Larry,’ Quaker of Oatmeal Fame, Gets a Makeover

The rosy-cheeked, white-haired man smiling out at you from the Quaker Oatmeal box is getting a haircut, losing some weight and dropping about five years from his age.

Known among insiders as “Larry,” the venerable Quaker man on the logo is getting a makeover as part of a wider effort by owner PepsiCo Inc. to reinvigorate the brand globally. It hopes to keep the 134-year-old brand “fresh and innovative,” says Justin Lambeth, Quaker’s chief marketing officer.

Consumers associate the logo and brand with heritage, trust, and quality, says Patrick Rowell, director of strategy for Hornall Anderson, Quaker’s brand-design firm. And today, people associate oatmeal with “energy and healthy choices,” he says.

To signal these qualities in the logo without losing a sense of history, Hornall Anderson made small adjustments. (The firm won’t say how much it was paid for the revamp.) (www.wsj.com)

How to Build Buzz for Bud: More Alcohol, Lime-a-Rita

Luiz Edmond has a big assignment at the world’s largest brewer: Get Americans to stop ditching his company’s beer.

The president of North American operations for Anheuser-Busch InBev NV BUD -0.76% is leading a drive to win consumers back to its brands, including Bud Light and Budweiser, which are the nation’s top-selling and third-best-selling beers but have been steadily losing drinkers to smaller brewers or to liquor.

This year, Anheuser plans to launch 19 new products in the U.S., its biggest such push since Belgium’s InBev acquired St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch for$52 billion in 2008. New offerings include small-batch “craft” brews, cider and an expanded lineup of malt beverages that take their cues from tequila and tea instead of beer.

Among other strategies being rolled out by Mr. Edmond to lure consumers: Hike the alcohol content of light beer. Lean more heavily on the iconic Clydesdale draught horses in marketing. Rein in distributors who have picked up rival brands. (www.wsj.com)

A Young Spin on Incontinence, in Spots Skirting Images of Aging

SINCE its introduction in 1984, advertising for Depend, the adult incontinence brand by Kimberly-Clark, has tended to feature elderly actors golfing, gardening or fawning over grandchildren. The message, naturally, was that the products enabled them to be active without fear of embarrassment.

But a new Depend campaign aimed at baby boomers takes a decidedly different approach, featuring younger celebrities who are not incontinent but agree to model the products as a stunt to benefit charity. The campaign is to introduce brieflike products, Silhouette for Women and Real Fit for Men.

A commercial that will be shown on Monday opens on a football field where a pitchman holding the product approaches the National Football League players DeMarcus Ware, Clay Matthews and Wes Welker.

“Now I know you don’t need one,” he says, “but will you try one on for charity to prove just how great the fit is?”

After they reluctantly comply, the players run drills as the camera lingers on their form-fitting football pants, the absorbent undergarments undetectable.

Another commercial features the actress Lisa Rinna (“Days of Our Lives” on NBC), who agrees to model the product under a clingy dress at a red-carpet event. (www.nytimes.com)

Shell on board as IndyCar heads for Houston

Shell is to sponsor the IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston when open-wheel racing returns to the city at Reliant Park in October 2013.

Described as a ‘multi-year’ deal, the title sponsorship will see the race named the Shell and Penzoil Grand Prix of Houston. Financial terms were not released but according to industry insiders, title sponsorship of an IZOD IndyCar Series race is typically worth between US$300,000 and US$500,000 a year. Shell’s commitment to a new event on the calendar is likely to be at the higher end of this scale. (www.mediapost.com)

Corona Extra, Modelo Especial Target Hispanics

Corona Extra and Modelo Especial are launching national campaigns targeting the Hispanic market.

Both campaigns were created by La Comunidad, which is the agency of record for both brands.

The Corona Extra campaign is aimed at Hispanics ages 21-34. It is an evolution of the brand’s “Refresca Como Somos” (“Refreshes How We Are”) campaign that launched in April 2011. Modelo Especial’s campaign is themed “Descubre lo Especial”(“Discover What’s Special”).

The Corona Extra campaign includes a 60-second anthem TV spot, “Life.” The theme line is “Los Latinos Tenemos Algo”(“We Latinos Have Something Extra.”) All spots in the campaign feature original music created by Grammy Award-winning artist Jorge Villamizar. The song celebrates the Latino spirit of “saber vivir,” or knowing how to live each moment to the fullest. Entitled “Todo lo que quieres es bailar” (“All you want to do is dance”), it will be available on iTunes in May.

The Corona Extra campaign also consists of two additional 30-second TV ads, as well as radio spots, out-of-home executions and digital efforts that will be featured across major networks and markets. The TV spots will air nationally on Univision, Telefutura, Telemundo, Azteca, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, Discovery en Espanol and Estrella. (www.mediapost.com)
ASICS Sets Sights On Gen Y

ASICS, which launched its “Stop At Never” campaign during last fall’s ING New York Marathon, is introducing the next phase, a video Web site aimed at bringing younger, less intense runners into the fold.

The Web site will kick off with 10 videos, each demonstrating some aspect of ASICS technology, whether it’s the ability to withstand a jackhammer, play tennis upside down, or to walk on water.

“We’ve always done well with the core runner and marathoners,” Erik Forsell, ASICS’ VP/marketing, tellsMarketing Daily. “But in the last six months or so, we’ve really intensified our efforts to reach beyond that. The person may not be logging miles and miles per week, but they still want to get out there and run and stay healthy. And we haven’t really been that in space.”

The video strategy makes sense, he says, because it’s where younger runners spend more time and get most of their product information. It’s also different. “Running is enjoying a big resurgence, and there’s a huge amount of buzz in general about shoe technology, from barefoot running to lightweight shoe technology,” he says. “That’s great, but it also makes it harder to get noticed.” (www.mediapost.com)