Daily Buzz

By Natlie Zmuda

As part of the brand’s Dewmocracy program, more than 200 ads were submitted via 12seconds.tv, including a number of ads from advertising agencies, said Brett O’Brien, Mtn Dew’s director-marketing.
Come April, the spots will air and the three flavors will hit shelves nationwide. From there, consumers will have 12 weeks to choose their favorite flavor. The winning flavor will become a permanent part of the Mtn Dew lineup and launch in September 2010.

By Jack Neff

Sanofi agreed to pay $1.9 billion in cash — a rich four times more than 2008 sales — pending regulatory and shareholder approval for Chattem, a company assembled over the years from a hodgepodge of brands cast off by bigger players.
Merck paid $41 billion for Schering-Plough earlier this year, in part to gain access to a consumer-brand portfolio that includes Dr. Scholl’s and Coppertone.

By Rupal Parekh

After years of no marketing investment or agency relationships, beauty brand Goody is aiming to return in 2010 with a new look, new products and new ad agency.
The brand is owned by Newell Rubbermaid
After years of handling the bulk of its advertising in-house, work-wear brand Dickies this fall hired Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, as its new creative agency. Golfing retailer Golfsmith has long relied mostly on its in-house agency, but last week handed all creative work except catalog marketing to GSD&M Idea City in Austin, Texas.

By: Mike Shields

Synergies between social media and virtual worlds are on the rise. Now, leading kids virtual community Habbo is looking to accelerate that trend by cross-pollinating its audience with the worlds’ leading social network

By: Staff

An ad-sponsored digital music download service called FreeAllMusic.com began a private beta this week. The service’s first sponsors include large brands like Coca-Cola, Warner Bros. Television, Zappos and LG.

By: David Gianatasio

Four agencies have emerged as contenders for creative chores on Baskin-Robbins’ ad account.
Pitching the business are MDC’s Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather and Omnicom’s Merkley + Partners, all in New York, and 22Squared, an independent agency in Atlanta.

By: Todd Wasserman

Initial DDB ads talked about the history of soy, and SoyJoy’s Web site includes a timeline of the crop going back to the 28th century B.C. With New Year’s just around the corner, though, SoyJoy and DDB are moving into phase two of the campaign: Touting soy’s health benefits.

By: Andrew McMains

Kraft Foods has further expanded its relationship with roster shop mcgarrybowen by shifting creative duties on Kraft Lunchables to the agency’s Chicago office, the company has confirmed.