Mtn Dew Does National TV as It Hunts for Upside in Key Regions

Mtn Dew is amping up national TV buys, which could help it boost sales in underdeveloped markets around the country.

The soda brand, better known lately for crowdsourcing efforts — dubbed “Dewmocracy” — is nearly doubling its TV spend with the launch of the campaign and tagline “This is how we Dew.”

“Folks are familiar with Dew, but may not have thought about it in a while,” said Brett O’Brien, VP-marketing for Mtn Dew and flavored carbonated drinks.

The soda has been one of the best-performing carbonated-soft-drink brands, ranking fourth behind Coke, Diet Coke and Pepsi, according to Beverage Digest. But sales in certain parts of the country are much weaker than the national average, making national TV buys an intriguing move. Mtn Dew has a 5.2% supermarket share nationally, according to Beverage Digest. But in New York, the country’s largest market, its share is just 2.6%. In Miami, the brand has a 1.9% share; in Boston, 2.5%. (www.adage.com)

NFL to Permit Advertising by Casinos During Next Two Seasons

The National Football League will allow teams to accept advertising from casinos during the next two years.

A memo sent to all 32 teams yesterday said franchises could sell ads in game-day programs, on club-controlled radio and in stadiums. The casinos must be in a team’s market. Under the altered policy, advertisers can’t take bets on any sports other than horse and dog racing.

“We remain steadfast in our opposition to the proliferation of gambling on NFL games,” Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL, said in an e-mail last night. “There is a distinction between accepting advertising in a limited fashion and gambling on the outcome of our games.”

Other state-licensed gambling establishments will also be able to buy ads, the memo said. Players, coaches and other team and league employees are not allowed to appear in any of the ads or endorse the entities or their products. (www.adage.com)

Charlie Sheen’s unlikely advertising rebirth continues, as the Dutch brewer tests his sketchy sobriety

The jester who would be king—or at least, a better-paid jester.

Charlie Sheen steadily clawing his way back from ignominy is one of the quietly notable celebrity stories of 2012. The first teaser for his upcoming FX comedy Anger Management just surfaced. But his rebirth really began in advertising—first in spots for Fiat and DirecTV, and now in a new global commercial for Bavaria beer.

The DirecTV ad was the best of the bunch—part of a truly breakthrough campaign from Grey New York. But the Bavaria spot, from Amsterdam agency Selmore, has its moments, too. It opens with the 46-year-old actor leaving a rehab clinic. “We don’t want to see you back here again, Charlie,” says a white-coated doctor. “Don’t worry,” Sheen replies with a smile. “Let’s not have a drink sometime.” But as soon as he leaves the grounds, he notices that everyone, everywhere—even pregnant women, construction workers, police officers on the beat—seems to be drinking bottles of beer.

Getting more and more agitated—he thinks he might be hallucinating—Sheen eventually arrives at home (parking his non-Fiat in the driveway instead of driving straight into the house) and is greeted in his backyard by dozens of friends, all of whom are drinking, too. “What the f*ck?!” he mutters in confusion and anger, before running back inside. But he’s soon coaxed out, when it’s made clear to him that all is not as it appears. (www.adweek.com)

When parenting is this exhausting, you’d better fuel up

Everybody knows kids need a good breakfast to give them energy for the day ahead, right? According to Weetabix cereal, sometimes it’s the parents who need a boost to keep up with their wild offspring.

Building on its “Fuel for Big Days” campaign—last summer’s spot had a family arguing over who was embarking on the most stressful day—Weetabix and BBH London are once again having fun with the nuclear-family dynamic to show just how important a hearty breakfast can be. The latest spot features the typical “lone dad with his kid” situation. “Have fun!” says Mom, as she leaves her husband and son for the day. The boy, pouring milk over a bowl of Weetabix Golden Syrup, pushes the cereal across the table to his father, telling him solemnly, “You’re gonna need it.”

And need it he does, as Dad chases his son around the park, swims laps, and gets beaten up by soccer balls. “He looks shattered. You should look after him more often,” the mother says as she returns home, presumably to her husband. “I will,” chimes the son. (Is there anything cuter than a precocious kid with a British accent?)

While the concept of wheat patties drenched in milk—or “golden syrup,” for that matter—might not seem especially appealing to a U.S. audience, Weetabix is a breakfast staple in the U.K. According to the brand, 1037 million bowls of the stuff are consumed every year. So, next time you reach for the Rice Krispies, remember that your British counterparts are happily consuming a bowl of flattened, cardboard-like logs as they gear up for their hectic schedule. It’ll make you feel a lot better. (www.adweek.com)

RR Donnelley, LPGA And DonorsChoose.org Team Up For “Scoring For Schools”

During the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup tournament RR Donnelley introduced Scoring For Schools, a season-long charitable program that will provide $300,000 in donations to the schools and programs of players’ choices through DonorsChoose.org.

Throughout the season players will be awarded 5 points for every birdie and 25 for each eagle. At the end of the season the top 10 players based on accumulated points will direct donations totaling $300,000 to the schools and programs of their choice through DonorsChoose.org.

“We are delighted to collaborate with the LPGA and DonorsChoose.org in the Scoring For Schools program,” said Thomas J. Quinlan III, RR Donnelley’s president and CEO. “This is a wonderful way to continue our tradition of supporting education and literacy. Throughout the season, some of the most exciting moments on the LPGA tour will also make an important and lasting difference in classrooms. Scoring For Schools will be especially effective because it directly answers teachers’ requests for the materials that they need most.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Pure Michigan, Roush Fenway Racing And MIS Team Up For Pure Michigan 400 Mustang Sweepstakes

One lucky fan will be driving home from the Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 19 in a custom-made Roush Mustang as part of a partnership between Pure Michigan, Roush Fenway Racing and MIS.

The sweepstakes was announced today with help from 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who will be driving the No. 6 Pure Michigan Ford Mustang in the Nationwide Series Race this Friday, April 13 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth.

“This is an opportunity for a NASCAR fan to win a hot car – the Pure Michigan 400 Roush Mustang, at a cool race – the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway,” said George Zimmermann, Vice President for Travel Michigan at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “With typically sunny warm days and cool nights, Michigan summers are perfect for NASCAR racing. The high temperature for the inaugural Pure Michigan 400 last August 21 was a very pleasant 76 degrees.”

The online sweepstakes will run through Monday, August 6 with two 1st prize winners receiving a trip for two to the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway, with transportation, accommodations, tickets and pit passes for the three-day race weekend included. These two winners will be finalists in the Grand Prize drawing for the Pure Michigan 400 Roush Mustang, with one additional finalist being selected onsite during race weekend. (www.sponsorship.com)

Great Clips Named Title Sponsor Of AMA Pro Road Racing Event

Infineon Raceway and Great Clips have entered into an agreement that will make the Minnesota-based company the title sponsor of the AMA Pro Road Racing event weekend, officials from both companies announced.

Great Clips, the world’s largest salon brand, will become title sponsor of the motorcycle race weekend, which will take place May 4-6. The event will be called the Great Clips West Coast Moto Jam, and will serve as the kick-off to the 2012 Big O Tires Racing Season at Infineon Raceway. The weekend will feature competition in four AMA Pro Road Racing professional categories, as well as Supermoto USA and the TTXGP electric motorcycle series.

“We’re looking forward to this relationship with Infineon Raceway and helping support a great event for not only race fans, but for Northern California, as well,” said Kay Lynn Hartmann, senior marketing manager for Great Clips. “Great Clips has been an active sponsor of motorsports for over 10 years, so this was a natural extension for us.”

In addition to becoming title sponsor of the race weekend, Great Clips also becomes the Official Hair Salon of Infineon Raceway. (www.sponsorship.com)

Full Sail University Returns As Primary Sponsor Of The Florida Film Festival

Full Sail University is proud to return as the primary sponsor of the 21st annual Florida Film Festival held April 13 through April 22, 2012 at the Enzian Theater. This is Full Sail University’s ninth year as the primary sponsor and fifteenth year with the Festival.

“For over a decade, Full Sail has been a part of the important celebration of filmmaking that is the Florida Film Festival,” said Garry Jones, President of Full Sail University. “We are delighted to return as Primary Sponsor again this year and we look forward to sharing in the many educational and entertaining events being offered in 2012.”

The upcoming Florida Film Festival boasts a record-breaking year, including 167 films selected from 1706 entries, representing 31 countries. Of the 167 films, 144 are having their Florida premiere (or higher) at the Festival. Full Sail students, faculty and alumni have been a part of several films added to this year’s lineup including Krass, an Icelandic film produced and directed by Full Sail graduate Tomas H. Johannesson, which will have its Southeast US premiere and will screen during the International Shorts competition.

The Orlando based production Renee, starring Kat Dennings and Chad Michael Murray, was announced as the opening night film. Full Sail University graduate David McKenna co-produced the film, which included scenes shot on the university’s campus and audio post-production work completed in Full Sail’s state-of-the-art dubbing stage. Several students, faculty and alumni worked on the film, which will have it’s East Coast premier during the Festival. (www.sponsorship.com)

Cobra Gets Out There With Outdoor Enthusiasts And Key Outdoor Retailers As Sponsor Of Backpacker Magazine’s 2012 ‘Get Out More’ Tour

Cobra Electronics Corporation, a leading designer and marketer of award-winning consumer electronics and outdoor products, today announced its sponsorship and participation in Backpacker magazine’s 12th annual Get Out More Tour, an interactive mobile media and education outreach program designed to inspire readers and encourage participation in active outdoor pursuits. The Get Out More Tour makes stops at 64 locations including outdoor retailers and trail festivals across 36 states.

The Get Out More Tour collaborates with specialty outdoor retailers who share the same education and outreach ethic with their customers. At each retail stop, the tour team will conduct a 75-minute seminar/workshop on trip planning, choosing the right outdoor gear and apparel, safety in the outdoors and more. Throughout the course of the tour’s 64 stops across North America, select Cobra Electronics products geared towards outdoor and automotive enthusiasts will be highlighted and demonstrated to an expected audience of up to 300 consumers per location. They include:

Cobra MicroTalk CXT225 20-Mile Radio The powerful Cobra CXT225 is a full-featured GMRS two-way radio offering an extended range of up to 20 miles, plus the safety of NOAA All Hazards Alerts providing loud audible alerting in the event of a weather alert or other emergency.

Cobra MR HH425 VHF/GMRS Marine Radio The HH425 is a professional quality VHF radio and also the world’s first combination VHF/GMRS radio, featuring Cobra’s exclusive Rewind-Say-Again feature, GMRS Channel Dual-Band functionality, and S.A.M.E. Weather Alert Filtering. (www.sponsorship.com)

Old Mustang Is Put Out to Pasture

For the last decade, auto makers have connected with baby boomers by recreating storied cars from their youth like the VW Beetle, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger.

Now, Ford Motor Co. is betting it is time to hit the brakes on the retro trend, and shift its focus to a younger generation.

The Mustang, the Pony car that launched affordable and compact sports cars, today strongly hews to the look of the 1964 original. But Ford is working on radical makeover of its signature youth-market car, people familiar with Ford’s plans said. (www.wsj.com)

Pandora Courts Local Advertisers, by Offering Well-Defined Listeners

The music was pumping and the finger food laid out in abundance one recent evening in a subterranean Manhattan bar, as executives of Pandora Media, the Internet radio service, mingled with some of their most prized new advertisers.

Most of the clients, however, were not representing big corporate accounts or multimillion-dollar national campaigns, but rather local businesses whose budget might top off at $20,000 a month. Yet they are the focus of one of Pandora’s most important new corporate strategies as it competes with terrestrial broadcasters for a chunk of radio’s $17 billion ad market.

Pandora’s pitch to advertisers is that its technology can cater to consumers with far greater precision than radio — it can pinpoint listeners by age and sex, ZIP code or even musical taste — and that as it grows, Pandora will effectively be the top station in many cities.

“A dollar spent on Pandora is better than a dollar spent on terrestrial radio,” said Tim Westergren, the company’s founder and chief strategy officer, nearly shouting at a corner table to be heard above the din of his party. (www.nytimes.com)

Sundance Vacations extends with Chicago White Sox

Sundance Vacations has renewed its partnership with the Chicago White Sox for the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) season.

The deal will see Sundance Vacations continue its competition for fans at US Cellular Field, with prizes including a car, holidays and US$50,000 in cash. Dedicated Sundance Vacations booths will operate outside the stadium on game days. It will be the third consecutive year that the promotion has been run.

John Dowd, the owner of Sundance Vacations, said: “We are delighted to return to US Cellular Field for this promotional event. We’ve had a tremendous response from White Sox fans and visitors to our previous giveaways, and we’re looking forward to delivering another exciting game-day experience at each home game in 2012 for baseball fans in Chicago.” (www.sportspromedia.com)

T-Mobile Punches Up Attitude In New Campaign

T-Mobile spokescharacter Carly, she of the magenta dresses and cheerful demeanor, is getting a makeover as the company moves toward a brand relaunch this fall.

“In any campaign, evolution is good from a creative standpoint. We felt this was a good time to step in and do something like this,” Peter DeLuca, senior vice president of brand, advertising and communications at T-Mobile, tells Marketing Daily. “We really needed to do something to get T-Mobile some [attention] right now.”

In a new set of commercials set to begin airing this week, Carly is shown going through her closet, discarding magenta dress after magenta dress before landing upon a black leather motorcycle suit, with magenta trim. She then heads out on the town on a motorcycle, signifying the network’s speed and technological savvy.

“It sets up the new personification of her as our brand representative,” DeLuca says. “It brings out our challenger spirit. We always knew we had a competitive edge, and this is meant to express that.” (www.mediapost.com)
Atlantic City Launches $20 Million Effort

The Atlantic City Alliance is launching a $20 million tourism campaign, the largest in the city’s history.

The ads, which break April 16, kick off an ongoing initiative by Governor Chris Christie to elevate the city’s image and rebuild leisure tourism in the historic city. Gaming is not featured in the ads, which instead will showcase the city’s other offerings for visitors, including entertainment and fine dining, luxury accommodations, nightlife and the beach and boardwalk.

The integrated media campaign aims to build a year-round visitor base and shift consumer perception of the city. The effort will seek to move the area beyond a gaming center to a year-round destination that encourages tourists to take advantage of its diverse offerings.

“Transforming Atlantic City’s gaming and tourism economy and developing it into a world-class destination and resort is a vital and ongoing commitment of this administration,” Christie said in a release. “With this newly integrated tourism campaign, there is finally a concerted effort to properly fund Atlantic City marketing initiatives to attract visitors to the region, a need that has gone unmet for far too long. Through our continued collaboration and partnership with all stakeholders, we’re beginning to see the Atlantic City of the future take hold.” (www.mediapost.com)