Parent of Lucky, Juicy Apparel Lines Taps Loyal3 for Facebook Stock Plan

Want to own some Juicy Couture? Not a handbag or a velour hoodie, but shares of stock, in three clicks on Facebook? Parent Fifth & Pacific Companies, owner of Juicy, Kate Spade, Jack Spade and Lucky Brand, is going to give consumers the chance.

One Wednesday the company is the first to launch a customer-stock-ownership plan with startup Loyal3 that will allow consumers to buy fractions of shares in $10 increments and then share that transaction on Facebook.

Fifth & Pacific CEO William McComb said he sees the stock-ownership plan as fertile ground in brand-building, loyalty programs and customer-relationship management. “We look at this as yet another way to be closer to and be more intimate with the people that love us the most and are our best customers,” Mr. McComb said in an interview.

Loyal3, backed by former Facebook chief privacy officer and onetime candidate for California attorney general Chris Kelly, has built a technology platform to allow brands to sell stock to consumers. The idea is to create a class of consumer-shareholders who will have an incentive to spread the word about the brand — what CEO Barry Schneider has called “the ultimate ‘like’ button.” (www.adage.com)

London Olympics 2012 Ticket Designs Unveiled

Ticket designs for the London Olympics, designed by IPG’s brand consultancy FutureBrand, have been revealed. Commissioned by Olympics organizer Locog, each ticket features a pictogram (designed by Someone) that corresponds to a specific sport, and is color-coded according to the venue.

The tickets are also pretty sophisticated in terms of security, with holograms, barcodes and the booker’s name appearing on each, along with the purchaser’s name. Every ticket can be traced back to who bought it. (www.adage.com)

The Huffington Post Wants to Help Brands Create Their Own Content Sites

The Huffington Post is expanding the way it works with brands in an effort to cash in on the popular brand-as-publisher trend, Ad Age has learned.

The company, part of AOL, has been talking to ad agencies and marketers about helping them build websites for brands and subsequently aiding in content creation, curation and distribution to consumers.

Razorfish has spoken with The Huffington Post about a project for one of its clients, for example, although it hasn’t closed a deal, according to Jeff Lanctot, global chief media officer at the agency. “It would allow a brand to be a publisher,” Mr. Lanctot said, “and the HuffPo engine would power it so you would get all the social savvy that comes with the Huffington Post.”

Janet Balis, senior VP for sales strategy, marketing and partnerships for AOL Advertising, confirmed the talks with agencies and brands. But she characterized the offering as another step in the evolution of the type of work that The Huffington Post does with brands rather than a drastic shift in strategy. “The theme in the marketplace is brands are increasingly recognizing that they are in the business of producing content,” she said. (www.adage.com)

Captain Morgan Black gets a little bolder

Thanks to director Tom Hooper’s casting of Josh Burrow—the swashbuckling stud who’s actually up to the role of playing a buccaneer—those new Anomaly spots for Captain Morgan have helped the frat-fave rum brand achieve the hitherto impossible: It’s finally growing up. But overlooked amid all the Web chatter about the dark and sexy new captain is the marketing vehicle that’s more likely to make the sale at the retail level—the dark and sexy new bottle.

It belongs to Captain Morgan Black, the higher-proof, “darker, bolder” spiced rum Diageo introduced last month and is currently in national rollout. Designed by Landor Associates, the bottle is an embossed cylinder with a bulged neck and cork stopper “that would have been similar to those found on Henry Morgan’s ship,” said Jesse Damashek, innovation director, at Diageo. A wraparound label with a yellowed hue and deckle edge (inspired by official trading documents of the Caribbean colonial era) imitate aged parchment. The captain himself remains largely unchanged, though he’s now rendered all in black, woodcut style.

But the bottle’s most memorable design feature is actually on the label’s reverse side (which means you need to drain the rum to see it). Morgan’s skeleton emerges from beneath his clothing alongside the scribed legend of how, after his 1688 death, an earthquake carried the pirate’s body out to sea. (www.adweek.com)

The New York International Latino Film Festival Partners With Marketwire As 2012 Exclusive Wire Sponsor

The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF), the premier Latino film festival in the U.S., announces Marketwire as its exclusive wire sponsor for 2012. Marketwire will provide press release distribution services for NYILFF and expand visibility for the festival and its programs through its comprehensive U.S. Hispanic Newsline, which delivers news and information to more than 1,800 media outlets and 50 key websites reaching Hispanics throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Celebrating 13 years, NYILFF runs from August 13 to 19 in New York City and includes features, documentaries and shorts as well as star-studded red carpet gala events, industry panels, receptions and memorable after-parties. NYILFF offers a unique film experience for audiences as it unspools new and fresh works and brings together filmmakers and industry executives in a celebration of film. The festival is currently accepting submissions for the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition until May 29. For more information, log on to www.nylatinofilm.com. NYILFF is presented by HBO.

“We’re delighted to partner with Marketwire,” says Elizabeth Gardner, co-executive director of NYILFF. “They will provide the festival with much-needed resources to amplify our message and our programs not only to the Hispanic audiences but also into mainstream media.” (www.sponsorship.com)

NBA, HP And BFI Partner To Launch 2012 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA School-Based Program In India

The National Basketball Association (NBA), in collaboration with HP and Basketball Federation of India (BFI), today announced it will launch the 2012 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA basketball development program in India on May 26. The program will reach approximately 10,000 students and 800 coaches in five cities and marks an important step in incorporating basketball into the regular sports routine of Indian youth at the school level.

The program will visit Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Chandigarh, and will culminate with the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge National Finals in Delhi, 14 – 15 July. This marks the NBA’s first program in Chandigarh, showcasing the league’s commitment to growing basketball across the country. The NBA has now implemented sustainable grassroots programs in seven cities in India.

BFI and HP will support the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program and enhance the experience for Indian youth throughout the event.

The 2012 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program will tip-off with a two-day ‘Train the Trainer’ program in each city led by NBA coaches. ‘Train the Trainer’ will feature on-court clinics and classroom sessions for approximately 150 coaches in each of the five cities. (www.sponsorship.com)

K12 Inc To Sponsor Veach

K12, the nation’s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs for students in kindergarten through high school, announced today they have signed on to serve as the primary sponsor of Andretti Autosport Star Mazda Championship driver Zach Veach, beginning with his race at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and continuing through the balance of the 2012 season.

“K12 is honored to partner with such a positive and accomplished young man,” said Ron Packard, CEO and Founder of K12 Inc. “Zach is the perfect example of how individualized learning can make life easier for a student who is working towards a dream yet still wants to receive a full-time education.”

K12 has delivered over 4.5 million online courses from its extensive portfolio over the past decade, including courses developed for credit recovery, core courses, world languages, and AP and high school electives. Curriculum solutions provided by K12 are used in over 2000 school districts and through full-time online public schools like the one Zach attends. The flexibility and quality of these programs, where students access lessons, classrooms and teacher support via the Internet, appeals to a wide variety of students including advanced learners and those who are honing unique talents. For Veach, online learning keeps him on pace to pursue his career as a semi-pro racing driver.

Veach, a 17-year-old from Stockdale, Ohio, is currently enrolled in The Ohio Virtual Academy, an online public school that pairs state-certified teachers with the curriculum provided by K12 to individualize education. Racing since age 12, Veach joined INYDCAR’s “Mazda Road to Indy” developmental ladder program in 2010. After a tailored 2010 season, he returned to the series in 2011 by using two race wins and three pole positions to capture the Cooper Tires USF2000 Winterfest championship before the regular season, where he finished fourth in driver points with one win, five podiums and three pole positions. (www.sponsorship.com)

TicketNetwork To Sponsor SS&C SummerWind Concert Series

TicketNetwork, the leading online marketplace for event tickets, today announced it will be the Series Sponsor for this summer’s arts and culture events at the SS&C SummerWind Performing Arts Center in Windsor, CT. Scheduled for Sundays starting July 1, 2012 through August 19, 2012, the SS&C SummerWind event series will include a wide range of arts and culture performances, spanning everything from rock to ballet. Performers include The Hartford Pops Band (July 1), Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra (July 29), and Viva Quetzal & The Val Ramos Ensemble (August 19), among others.

“We are so proud to be sponsoring this summer concert series,” said Jessica Cushing, Associate Vice President Online Marketing, TicketNetwork. “Enjoying live entertainment is such an integral part of summer fun; we are glad that we can help make arts and culture events more accessible to Connecticut families by sponsoring the SS&C SummerWind Performing Arts Center.” (www.sponsorship.com)

idegy Scores With MLB’s Nationals, NFL’s Ravens, MLS’ D.C. United

idegy, a Columbus-based Merchandising Agency with an 18-year track record of serving corporate clients, has signed agreements to become the Official Promotional Merchandise Partner of the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League and D.C. United of Major League Soccer, idegy President and CEO Matthew Grossman announced today.

idegy has also inked a deal to be the Official Merchandise Partner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants who are one of the most successful franchises in minor league baseball. Washington, D.C.-based Aquarius Sports and Entertainment handled negotiation of the partnerships for idegy.

idegy will enhance the experience of the team’s respective fan bases by producing exciting and cutting-edge game-day give-aways and engaging the team’s sponsors by assisting them with sports and entertainment collectibles, sponsorship activation, corporate partnerships, advertising promotions and third-party tie-in promotions.

“We’ve been providing ‘best in class’ full-service promotional merchandise and services since 1994. And, we’ve had successful partnerships with teams in all of the major sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball,” Grossman said. “These agreements will allow us to continue to showcase our products, services and work ethic to the teams and sponsors involved with major-league professional sports, and we are more than proud to partner with these successful franchises and entities.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Sony, Samsung Rein In Retailers’ Discounts on TVs

Sony Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. are trying to force retailers to rein in discounts on televisions, a tactic aimed at preserving profit margins that may also help protect chains such as Best Buy Co. and Target Corp. from cutthroat online competition.

The new policies by two of the world’s largest TV makers prevent U.S. retailers from advertising or selling televisions in stores or online for less than the prices set by the manufacturers. But the manufacturers are taking a gamble if consumers resist the higher prices. (www.wsj.com)

Band-Aids and Muppets Aim to Soothe Child’s Scrapes

SOME leading brands of wound treatments were themselves bloodied by the economic slump, as consumers switched to cheaper store brands.

Store brands accounted for 39.4 percent share of the domestic market in adhesive bandages, gauze and first-aid tape in the 52 weeks that ended April 15, a gain of 2.2 percent from the year before, according to the SymphonyIRI Group, a market research firm.

Over the same period, the market share of Johnson & Johnson, with its Band-Aid brand adhesive strips and Johnson & Johnson brand gauze and tape, slipped 2.2 points, to 45 percent. (Band-Aid has about a 33 percent share, and the J.& J. brand has the remaining 12 percent.)

Because adhesive bandages are more popular in households with accident-prone children, Band-Aid has long licensed such characters as Barbie and Spider-Man to appeal to youngsters. Now the brand is introducing a marketing effort tied to Muppets characters and centered on that most charged of moments: when children have just skinned knees or elbows. (www.nytimes.com)

Judge Says Pom Wonderful’s Advertising Is Misleading

Pomegranate juice lost a little of its pizazz on Monday when Pom Wonderful, the company that made it a best seller on grocery store shelves, was ordered to dial down its claims about the extent of the health benefits its product bestows.

An administrative law judge issued a cease-and-desist order after determining that the company had insufficient evidence to support claims that its juice reduced the risks of heart disease, prostate cancer and impotence.

The order will remain in effect for the next 20 years. It was issued after an Federal Trade Commission complaint two years ago, contending that Pom Wonderful had engaged in false and misleading advertising,

“The greater weight of the persuasive expert testimony demonstrates that there is insufficient competent and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate claims that the Pom products treat, prevent or reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction or that they are clinically proven to do so,” D. Michael Chappell, chief administrative judge, wrote in his decision, which was dated Thursday and released Monday. (www.nytimes.com)

Thirsty? How About A Brees, Waltrip or K-Cho?

Here’s a marketing dilemma: You have a new product that’s known colloquially as the name of a prominent celebrity. What’s worse, a competitor already has a licensing deal with said celebrity to market a similar product, using his name and image on packaging. It’s the prime selling season for your product. What do you do?

If you’re Country Time Lemonade (and the new product is a half lemonade/half iced tea drink mix, aka an Arnold Palmer), you enlist a handful of celebrities to spend the summer campaigning to change the nickname to something else.

“We’re purposely being a little tongue-in-cheek,” Brett Hartmann, brand manager for Kraft-owned Country Time, tells Marketing Daily, noting that Palmer has a licensing deal with AriZona Beverage Company. “We thought it would be fun to enlist some other big name celebrities to see if we can come up with a new nickname.”

Through a social media effort, the brand has recruited Drew Brees, Kristen Chenoweth and Michael Waltrip to come up with a new nickname for the beverage made from the new drink mix. (Non-celebrity fans can also make their own nominations through Country Time’s Facebook page.) The key to the contest, however, will be to lobby for the most popular name, a practice both celebrities and consumers will be encouraged to continue throughout the summer (coinciding, not coincidentally, with the presidential election, Hartmann notes). (www.mediapost.com)

Amtrak Invites Train Stories For Contest

In honor of the fifth anniversary of National Train Day, Amtrak is hosting an online contest inviting train fans to share their travel experiences.

The “See More On A Train” online contest runs through May 29.

Train fans are encouraged to upload their original photos, videos and stories chronicling how they have been inspired by their train travel to NationalTrainDay.com for the chance to win prizes.

A grand-prize winner in each of the three categories will have their choice of one of four provided Amtrak Vacations Tour Packages for two travelers. (www.mediapost.com)

Giant Is Consumers’ Favorite Grocery Store Brand

While other chains may beat it on price, Giant Food is still consumers’ overall favorite grocery store, according to a new ranking from Market Force Information.

The research, based on 6,400 shoppers around the U.S., put ShopRite in second place, followed by Walmart, Publix and Costco. (Last year, Kroger and ShopRite came in No. 1 and 2.)

ALDI came in No. 1 for price, beating Walmart. But the survey found that price differences were somewhat less important to shoppers than in past years.

“The close scores in the pricing category demonstrate that consumers are not seeing differentiation on price as clearly as the price leaders would hope,” writes Janet Eden-Harris, Market Force’s CMO, in the report. “Low pricing is the tablestakes for grocers who must now find new ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors down the block.” (www.mediapost.com)

Beer-at-Burger-Chain Fad May Leave Hangover

Want a beer with that burger and fries?

Fast feeders such as Burger King, White Castle and Sonic are dabbling in booze in test markets. Starbucks has started selling wine and beer in five Seattle locations and at one in Portland, Ore. It plans to offer wine and beer in seven locations in Chicago and will expand the offerings to Southern California and Atlanta to boost evening sales.

The moves can bring higher check prices, but also regulatory headaches. And for big fast-food chains, selling booze on a large scale won’t deliver huge margins — at least at first — since it’s also likely to add upfront costs for franchisees who would need to install new equipment such as coolers and booze lockers. (www.adage.com)

P&G, Lever Battle for Sexes in Dandruff Wars

Is your dandruff male or female?

One might think dandruff is the same whether it’s on a man or a woman, but Unilever and Procter & Gamble beg to differ. Each are introducing shampoo lines with dandruff products targeted specifically at each sex.

Unilever’s Clear, a global brand sold in more than 40 countries that’s now coming to the U.S., aims to redefine the segment around “scalp health” with lines designed for men, women and African-Americans. Meanwhile, P&G hopes to preempt Clear by introducing men’s and women’s lines of its segment-leading Head & Shoulders, which has long had a stranglehold on the market.

“The genderization of Head & Shoulders is a natural evolution for the brand, as we have seen the trend happening in categories such as deodorants and personal cleansing,” said a P&G spokeswoman. While dandruff may be the same whether male or female, she said genders “have different hair-benefit priorities and package-design preferences.” (www.adage.com)

Personalized Products Please But Can They Create Profit?

In June 2005, Procter & Gamble announced that it was pulling the plug on Reflect, a highly touted venture overseen by then-Chairman A.G. Lafley that promised the mass customization of beauty products, including 10,000 shades of lip gloss, sold online and in stores. Despite some momentum — at one point the Reflect site had 1 million unique visitors — P&G said that it would instead focus on its big brands.

The failure of the experiment was heard as a “tap-tap-tap” across the marketing industry: the nail in the coffin of mass customization. But seven years later, the strategy appears to be rising from the dead.

Thanks to more-affordable digital tools and customer-facing technology that help make the tailoring process easier, there are fresh possibilities. One boost comes from social media, which lets customers show off their looks. Marketers love the enhanced profile that type of pass-around can bring.

A Forrester report last year, “Mass Customization Is (Finally) the Future of Products,” said that while initial movers such as Dell and Levi’s failed because their setups were expensive or lacked key considerations (Levi’s, for example, offering consumers the choice of fit, but not color), major brands including Ford, Kraft and Wrigley are now experimenting with sophisticated build-to-order products. (www.adage.com)

Perky ‘Trudy’ Drives True Lemon Push

A perky, energetic character named “Trudy” is central to Roth Partners’ first work for True Lemon, a natural lemon flavoring for water that’s looking to steal share from bigger players like Crystal Light.

Dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt and matching eyeglass frames, Trudy will appear in two TV ads and a series of videos that will live online. In the ads, she pops into scenes like Jeannie from “I Dream of Jeannie” and pitches True Lemon to women as effervescently as “Flo” touts Progressive to insurance buyers.

The campaign, which breaks Monday, also includes social media efforts, contests and events. The total budget for the effort—an estimated $4-5 million—is modest compared to bigger competitors, but it represents the largest marketing push for the brand to date.

“I don’t have to be as big as Crystal Light,” said Al Soricelli, CEO of True Citrus Co., parent company of True Lemon. “When I started here [in June 2010], we had about 2 percent household penetration. We’re hoping to get up to about 6. That would be phenomenal.”

One TV ad is set in a yoga studio and another in an office. In each setting, True encounters a thirtyish woman who represents the consumer that the brand seeks to reach.

“Truth out,” Trudy says in the yoga ad, using her hands to form the signal for time out. In seconds, she replaces the exerciser’s flavored water with a bottle infused with True Lemon. (www.adweek.com)

Hot Stuff – Angry Birds and Lotus F1 Team Reach a Milestone Together

While Lotus F1 Team will contest its 500th Grand Prix in Monaco, the No.1 digital game in the world – Angry Birds – has just reached 1 billion downloads. As a result, both brands have decided to join forces to celebrate these respective milestones.

To commemorate this noteworthy occasion, Rovio’s famous game will become the team’s “Official Angry Partner”, represented by eye catching Angry Birds branding on the team’s E20 cars.

In addition, a unique version of the Angry Birds game will be available exclusively from the team’s Facebook fan page for a limited period of time. ‘Lotus F1 Team Angry Birds’, specifically designed for the Monaco Grand Prix, will be playable from Wednesday May 23rd onwards. (www.sponsorship.com)

GM to Forgo Pricey Super Bowl Ads

General Motors Co. said it will forgo advertising in the next Super Bowl rather than swallow a price hike, a surprising reversal of strategy that comes as the auto maker overhauls its global marketing operations.

Super Bowl advertising is effective but has become too expensive to justify the cost, Joel Ewanick, GM’s global marketing chief, said in an interview. Ads for next year’s National Football League championship game are up about 9%, selling for about $3.8 million for a 30-second spot, according to media buyers.

“It’s just getting too expensive,” Mr. Ewanick said on Friday. “And we’re not just going to do the same thing every year.”

It’s Mr. Ewanick’s second high-profile move this week as he shakes up marketing at GM, the nation’s third-largest buyer of media advertizing, rattling ad shops and media companies along the way.

On Tuesday, GM said it would stop paid ads on Facebook, and instead rely on the website’s free content, because the company felt paid ads did little to influence consumer automobile purchases. That controversial move, two days ahead of Facebook’s initial public offering on Thursday, grabbed attention. (www.wsj.com)

Clash of the Theme Parks

Pull down your lap bars: Universal Studios, the theme park chain now controlled by Comcast, is rolling out new weapons in its battle against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts — and Disney is fortifying its defenses.

Universal’s parks have always languished in the shadow of mouse ears, and that will not change anytime soon. Disney has eight parks in California and Florida that attract over 73 million visitors each year, with summer the busiest season. Universal operates three parks, with annual attendance totaling about 18 million.

But Universal is starting to look a lot less puny. A $265 million Harry Potter-themed addition to its resort here sent 2010 attendance soaring 30 percent over the year before, draining attention from Walt Disney World in the process. Universal is now racing to replicate the attraction at its parks in California and Japan while expanding the boy wizard’s presence in Orlando.

To maintain momentum, Universal — with more Comcast money — is introducing a swarm of offerings. A major 3-D ride themed to Michael Bay’s “Transformers” movies opens this Friday at Universal Studios Hollywood, at an estimated cost of $100 million. New draws at Universal Orlando include a refurbished Spider-Man ride, a lavish parade, a high-tech fountain and pyrotechnics show and a ride based on “Despicable Me.” (www.nytimes.com)

Hilton checks in to continue stay at McLaren

Hotel chain Hilton Worldwide has renewed its longstanding partnership with the McLaren Formula One team.

The partnership, which began in 2005, will continue for an undisclosed period, which was described as ‘multi-year’ by the team. The new phase of the partnership will include promotion of the Hilton HHonors guest loyalty programme, which has 30 million members worldwide across Hilton’s ten brands.

Hilton HHonors logos will appear on McLaren’s cars, while a variety of other activation elements, including a dedicated website and digital marketing strands, were also announced. (www.sportspromedia.com)

VW Enlists Dave Matthews Band For Eco Promotion

Volkswagen of America is partnering with Dave Matthews Band for its 2012 summer tour.

The band will be stopping in 40 cities nationwide. Throughout the tour, Volkswagen will give fans the opportunity to win tickets and on-site upgrades.

“The partnership allows us to engage with our fans while bringing together shared passions of great music and environmental responsibility,” said Tim Mahoney, chief product and marketing officer, Herndon, Virginia-based Volkswagen of America, in a release.

This is not the first automotive sponsor for the band. Last summer Chrysler’s Jeep brand sponsored Dave Matthews’ four-city summer music festival. As sponsor of the “Dave Matthews Band Caravan,” Jeep had an experiential marketing footprint at tour stops and the 2011 Compass was the exclusive automotive sponsor for the tour. (www.mediapost.com)
AT&T Sings Facebook Fans’ Praises

Rather than offering a traditional blanket “thank you” or a discount or promotion for reaching two million Facebook fans, AT&T will take two full days this week to celebrate a number of its fans individually … and through song.

“We felt this milestone was important because it was indicative of the fact that we’d created a relationship with our fans,” Morgan Dewan, a member of AT&T’s youth marketing team, tells Marketing Daily. “We wanted to give our fans a richer experience and do something fun.”

Over the past week, AT&T has been soliciting e-mails from its fans explaining what makes them (the fans) awesome. On May 21 and 22, AT&T will turn 500 of those emails into songs to be broadcast on the company’s Facebook page and its YouTube channel.

“We wanted to make it about them, not us,” Dewan says. “Tell us something that makes you awesome.”  (www.mediapost.com)

Your Charity Will Determine What Film You Watch, in 3-D Cinema Campaign for Pedigree

Colenso BBDO thought up this innovative interactive way to drum up public interest in New Zealand’s Pedigree Adoption Drive, the brand’s effort to rescue and put up for adoption abandoned dogs around the world.

Cinemagoers picked one of two types of glasses: Yellow, if they chose to donate, and red, if they didn’t. Director Nic Finlayson shot two parallel stories, one showing a dog that was lucky enough to have been rescued, and the other showing the same one who just wasn’t that fortunate.

Partnering with production company Finch, the agency used 3-D cinema technology to project both films on the same screen, so those who donated would see the benefits of their charity, while the others would probably cry a little and end up donating anyway. (www.adage.com)

USA Set to Launch Six ‘Social TV’ Tie-Ins Aimed at Superfans

USA is doubling down on its commitment to digital media this year, with a broad portfolio of ancillary projects—six, covering the network’s slate of originals—to boost viewership, draw in megafans, and provide deeper ad integrations for the shows’ partners while the series are running. This year, the company has not one but four major automotive sponsors (Ford, Toyota, Lincoln and Lexus) buying tie-in digital integrations, and Capital One on a fifth.

Unscripted television is no stranger to these sorts of deals, but USA’s collection of character-driven dramedies would seem to be a harder sell, not to advertisers, but to writers. But programming honcho Bill McGoldrick told Adweek that his writers have been using the integrations (created with companies like Ford and Capital One) to further flesh out corners of the worlds they’ve been creating that might otherwise go unexplored.

“A lot of our shows are closed-ended A stories,” McGoldrick said (meaning the episode-long tale that drives a 42-minute narrative). “We usually have a personal B story, and what we have left over tends to be the C story, and that’s the mythology. When you start dividing up the pie between the three you’re only left with so much for that C story.” The shows’ writers, McGoldrick said, like the concept. “Left to their own devices, they’d probably want to tell more of the stories anyway,” he said. (www.adweek.com)

United Launches 2012 Team USA Sponsorship, Kicks Off “Fly Me to London” Sweepstakes

United Airlines has launched its 2012 Team USA sponsorship effort with the “Fly Me to London” Sweepstakes, offering three grand-prize winners the chance to cheer on the U.S. Olympic Team with two roundtrip tickets to London, hotel accommodations and entry to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In recognition of the 17-day Olympic Games and United’s 17 daily nonstop flights to London, 17 first-place winners will receive two roundtrip tickets to anywhere United flies in the United States.

Participants may enter for a chance to win by visiting united.com/flymetolondon or United’sFacebook page before May 30, 2012, clicking the menu and claiming a “virtual seat” onboard one of United’s 17 daily nonstop flights to London. Participants will not be booked on an actual flight; instead, United will automatically enter participants into the random drawing.

Participants may also invite others to enter for a chance to win by sharing the sweepstakes on Facebook or posting a tweet on Twitter. For each friend who enters in response to the invitation, participants will receive one additional entry into the drawing. Participants can submit a new entry each day of the 17-day sweepstakes with a maximum of 10 entries per person, per day. (www.sponsorship.com)

RH Laboratories and Forgiven Announce Major Rock USA Sponsorship

RH Laboratories, the distributor behind Forgiven Alcohol Metabolizer, has announced that they will be sponsoring the Rock USA music festival this year with a stage named after the product.

The Forgiven Stage will be located within the Budweiser Pavilion, and will be accompanied by a booth selling the product. The sponsorship also includes another booth in the marketplace area and prominent signage throughout the event including high-traffic areas like the main entrance gate.

Rock USA is a music festival held July 12th-14th at Ford Festival Park in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The line-up includes big names and rock legends like Shinedown, Hinder, Skillet, Mötley Crüe, Tesla, Kid Rock, Seether, and Papa Roach.

“We’re really excited to be a part of Rock USA,” says RH Laboratories President, Joshua Maurice. “It’s going to be an amazing event and a great environment to introduce people to Forgiven.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Bud Light Returns As Sponsor Of The Music Stage Of The 2012 LG Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival

The Crescent Street Merchants’ Association and BBF Promotions & Events are pleased to welcome La Brassarie Labatt du Canada as sponsor of the Bud Light Stage for the 2012 LG Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival. The Festival, now in its thirteenth year, will feature the Bud Light stage as the main attraction and offer music and entertainment to the masses every night from June 7 to 9, 2012.

As the official sponsor of the Bud Light Stage on the corner of Crescent and de Maisonneuve, Labatt will be offering festival goers the most spectacular and innovative musical and visual experience yet. As a sponsor of the Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival for the last thirteen year’s, Bud Light is excited to be back as sponsor of the main stage after a three year absence.

“Crescent Street during the Grand Prix is a great place for Bud Light to be. I think you’ll find this year we have a lot of exciting activity to bring to F1 fans – from the Bud Light Music Stage to an experience built around our new innovation,Bud Light Lime Mojito,” stated Lisa Kittelsen, Marketing Manager Bud Light. “We’re proud to be able to contribute to the ever-growing success of the LG Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival through this sponsorship.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Dish’s Ads to End All Ads

Dish Network Corp. plans to promote its new ad-skipping feature with, ironically enough, a television ad—that is, if broadcast TV networks agree to run the spot.

Amid mounting anger about the capability, at least two are resisting. Fox and NBC both said Wednesday they won’t accept ads promoting the satellite-TV operator’s new digital video recorder that contains the ad-skipping capability.

Dish is rolling out an array of television, radio, newspaper and social media ads to spread the word about the DVR, dubbed the “Hopper.” (www.wsj.com)

Can Wal-Mart Think Small?

No SUV-driving American shopper would be surprised to find 20 lb. sacks of dog chow at a Wal-Mart supercenter. But at an urban minimart that is trying to attract bag-toting pedestrians? Not so much.

Unless that minimart is operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The Bentonville, Ark., retailer is betting that small urban stores called Walmart Express could eventually help jump-start its growth in the U.S. and fight off competition from rapidly expanding dollar-store chains.

The heavy bags of Ol’ Roy dog food suggest Wal-Mart is struggling to think outside the supercenters that remain its focus, analysts say. (www.wsj.com)

Two and a Half Men’ Aims to Lift Thursday

A YEAR ago, the television industry was abuzz about the CBS decision to keep the popular series “Two and a Half Men” on the air by replacing Charlie Sheen with Ashton Kutcher. A year later, all eyes are on “Men” again as CBS readies a move of the sitcom to Thursday from Monday, on which it has spent its entire run.

The shift, which CBS discussed during its 2012-13 upfront presentation on Wednesday, will be the second time that CBS has moved a successful Monday comedy to Thursday to try to establish a stronger beachhead with viewers later in the week.

For the 2010-11 season, it was “The Big Bang Theory,” which became a bigger hit on Thursday than it had been on Monday. For 2012-13, it will be “Two and a Half Men,” the sitcom that was revived nine months ago with the casting of Mr. Kutcher to replace Mr. Sheen. “The Big Bang Theory” will remain at 8 p.m. and “Two and a Half Men” will follow at 8:30, replacing a skein of sitcoms that failed to capitalize on the large audiences for “Big Bang.”

Thursday is a particularly lucrative night of the television week because advertisers like movie studios, retailers and automakers run commercials to reach viewers making weekend plans. (www.nytimes.com)

Buffalo Bills staying with hotel partner

The Buffalo Bills NFL franchise has renewed its partnership with Adam’s Mark Hotel & Events Center in downtown Buffalo.

Under the terms of the deal, the venue where the team stays before each home game played at Ralph Wilson Stadium remains the official hotel of the franchise.

“We are pleased to have the Adam’s Mark Hotel & Events Center return as the official hotel of the Buffalo Bills,” said Bruce Popko, the side’s senior vice president of business development. “The Adam’s Mark location and newly renovated guest rooms provide Bills players and fans with an outstanding, enjoyable stay.” (www.sportspromedia.com)

Nissan Is Back In Black (Spandex)

Nissan is back for the second year as automotive sponsor of the Amgen Tour of California. It’s the U.S. version of the Tour de France, but you probably haven’t heard of it unless you follow bicycle racing as closely as Europeans do. Nissan hopes to pique our interest with an assist from NBC Sports, which will broadcast it live.

The eight-stage, 750-mile road race started this week, and concludes in Los Angeles on the May 20 following stops in 40 cities. It’s not for the faint of heart, as it snakes along parts of the Pacific Coast Highway, across mountains and along city streets, with riders powering through the drizzling, cold breaks in the otherwise balmy weather. Some 15,000 people reportedly turned out for the end of Stage Three yesterday in Livermore, Calif. (Peter Sagan with team Liquigas-Cannondale took that one.)

Nissan is in its third year as official automotive sponsor of the race (having replaced Volvo) and will own that title through 2014. The Japanese automaker has brand activity at each stage and is furnishing 40 vehicles for the providers of lead, operations and medical services, as well as VIP cars that are part of the official race entourage leading and following the riders’ peloton.

Jay Schaffer, Nissan North America’s promotions manager, says the race is the first event outside one of the various auto shows to feature the redesigned 2013 Altima sedan. “We are putting lots of activation onsite,” he says, noting that the new Altima is serving as pace car for the race. Also featured are the all-electric Leaf, and the Murano convertible, serving as team medical vehicle. (www.mediapost.com)
Schwinn Celebrates Lifetime Of Riding

Two years after moving away from a broadcast-based marketing plan, Schwinn is looking to reach consumers through the Internet.

The effort, created by Minneapolis agency Colle + McVoy, includes a pre-roll video that looks to encompass the company’s 116-year history (as well as its relationship to bikers of all ages) in one minute.

The video begins with a young boy riding a Schwinn through his yard. The scene then cuts to the boy, older now, riding his bike with his friends, stealing glances at a pretty girl riding along with him. The boy is then seen as a young adult riding with the girl, then as a slightly older adult with the sign, “Just Married” hanging off his bike. The commercial ends with the husband and wife following their young son on his first Schwinn. ”Life’s a ride,” says a voiceover. “Enjoy it on a Schwinn.”

“The payoff kind of sums it up,” Mike Caguin, chief creative officer at the agency, tells Marketing Daily. “Some of your best memories happen on a bicycle. What kind of bicycle do you want to have them on? It’s a Schwinn.” (www.mediapost.com)

Twitter and ESPN Plan Branded Campaigns Around TV Sports

Twitter is looking to cash in on the sky-high volume of tweets about sports on TV, launching a partnership with ESPN to create custom campaigns for brands around events like the World Series and the Super Bowl.

The two companies are announcing the first program, called GameFace, at ESPN’s upfront Tuesday morning. GameFace will center around the NBA Finals and be promoted on Twitter with the #GameFace hashtag. The social-TV dimension calls for the hashtag and program to be promoted on-screen during ABC’s live broadcasts of the NBA Finals, as well as on ESPN’s “NBA Tonight” show.

The goal of this initial campaign is to get fans to tweet photos of their best “game face” accompanied by the dedicated hashtag. At the end of each game of the finals, “NBA Tonight” studio analysts will display some of the top contest photographs on air. Some photos will also get exposure at ESPN.com/NBA.

Twitter and ESPN will be co-selling the campaign — which includes promoted tweets and trends, as well as plugs on ESPN, ABC and ESPN.com — as a single package for each potential sponsor. It’s the first time Twitter has collaborated with a TV network to build custom sponsorship packages around major events. (www.adage.com)

Pernod Ricard Plans New Cuban Rum

Liquor giant Pernod Ricard today said it will launch a Cuban-made rum called “Havanista” in the States — if the U.S. government ever lifts its Cuban embargo.

What sounds like some serious advance planning is actually Plan B in a long-running trademark battle over the company’s Cuban-made Havana Club brand, which is sold in more than 120 markets. Even though the rum is not allowed in the U.S., Pernod has sought to renew the trademark rights here, but has run into regulatory hurdles. A major blow came today when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a lower-court opinion denying the renewal.

Competitor Bacardi also sells a brand called Havana Club in Florida, but it is made in Puerto Rico. Bacardi obtained the U.S. trademark rights to the name in 1997, purchasing them from Jose Arechabala International, the creator of the brand, according to Bacardi.

Pernod Ricard’s Havana Club is the product of a joint venture between Pernod and Cuba Ron, a Cuban state-owned company. The U.S. trademark issue involves a law called Section 211, which bars the registration or renewal of trademarks confiscated by the Cuban government. (www.adage.com)

Ford Plans to Take ‘Go Further’ Global

Ford Motor Co. plans to convert buzz from a 60-second TV spot in which the Ford name is neither shown nor mentioned into a global marketing campaign to capture consideration from untapped audiences.

“Go Further” will replace “Drive One” and, in Europe, “Feel the Difference,” as Ford pursues a strategy to change consumers’ “preconceived notions” about the brand and its reputation for quality, said Jim Farley, group VP-global marketing, sales and service, during a press conference Monday at the company’s headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.

“We’re not trying to tell people what the brand will be, we’re just documenting what the company already is,” Mr. Farley said about the video, which launched two weeks ago. It was created by Ford’s agency, Team Detroit. (www.adage.com)

Jay-Z Strikes Deal With Budweiser to Stage Annual Concert

Budweiser is reviving its annual tradition via a partnership with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, who has agreed to curate and headline a summer music festival in Philadelphia, “Made in America.”

The move is a bid to breathe new life into Budweiser Superfest, which between 1979 and 1999 was known for featuring some of the biggest names in music, including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Budweiser tried to bring the festival back recently — last year’s show featured songstress Jill Scott — but it didn’t reach the series didn’t seem to match its former glory.

Rebranding the event “Made in America” is a play on words: It underscores the Anheuser-Busch brand’s American heritage, as well as a song featured on Jay-Z’s 2011 album with Kanye West, Watch the Throne.

Company execs say this is part of an effort to target a younger, more multicultural demographic. (www.adage.com)

Financial-Services Firms Crowd Into Olympic Field

Financial-services companies are gearing up to be big players in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. But with companies such as Citigroup, TD Ameritrade and Visa competing for consumers’ attention, who will stand out?

Citi, the retail-banking sponsor and a first-time U.S. Olympic Committee sponsor, is clearly putting heft behind its “Every Step of the Way” campaign. Breaking May 14, the effort is billed as the largest and most cohesive U.S. sponsorship in the company’s history.

Citi declined to elaborate on outlays, but executives with knowledge of the deal said the company will spend almost $10 million over the course of the three-month campaign. That’s in addition to the $10 million to $15 million it shelled out to become a USOC sponsor for a four-year cycle.

“There’s no question we have to differentiate,” said Dermot Boden, Citi’s chief brand officer. (www.adage.com)

AmEx Adds Personalized Offers to iPhone App

Last year Facebook shuttered its deals business in an apparent forfeit of the market to Groupon among others. But since closing its first day of trading at $26.11 per share, Groupon’s stock has plummeted to $9.90 as of Friday’s close. And the rest of daily deal industry hasn’t fared any better; 798 deal sites didn’t survive the second half of 2011, according to Fast Company. So why is American Express doubling down on its deals business?

“Our goal is not to bombard customers but to give them relevant offers so that you’ll use the offer,” said Ed Gilligan, vice chairman of American Express. “It’ll be meaningful to you, and the merchants will see more business as a result.”

All daily deal providers claim, or at least should claim, to surface relevant offers for consumers, but AmEx’s cardmember data gives the company a leg up. “We know a lot about our cardmembers. We know who they are, where they spend. In effect what we have is a spend graph,” Gilligan said, likening the spend graph to Facebook’s social graph and Foursquare’s location graph. (www.adweek.com)

Burger King And USA Basketball Team Up And Score A New National Promotion

Burger King Corp. and USA Basketball today announced a new marketing partnership that will make Burger King the Official Quick Service Restaurant Partner of USA Basketball.

As part of this partnership Burger King will introduce commemorative cups that celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the USA Basketball Dream Team, available with the purchase of any large drink. This cup series will highlight four of USA Basketball’s memorable teams over the last two decades, including the 1992 Dream Team, and the teams from 1996, 2000, 2008, along with this year’s 2012 USA Basketball team. Each of the cups will feature the unique jersey designs from one of the teams as part of the five cup series.

Burger King and USA Basketball will also engage and empower fans through the “Your Team. Your Voice.” campaign. This initiative will give fans a chance to actively participate in and influence a variety of elements during USA Basketball’s summer exhibition tour. Through digital activations, fans will select which jersey the team will wear during its exhibition game in Las Vegas on July 12, guess which twelve players will make the final team, and a number of other fan interactive elements.

“We know the passion that America has for USA Basketball and are excited to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Dream Team,” said Alex Macedo, Senior Vice President, North America Marketing, Burger King Corp. “We hope everyone in America gets into the game and get to see all five cups at Burger King restaurants.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Bank of the West Sponsors Southern California’s Most Famous Smooth Jazz Festival

Bank of the West is proud to be the presenting sponsor for the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Jazz Festival, to be held May 18 -20 in Newport Beach.

More than 25 smooth-jazz artists will perform during the three-day event, including three-time Grammy-nominated artist Boney James. The festival attracts over 10,000 music fans, making this venue one of the premier smooth jazz festivals in Southern California.

“Bank of the West has a strong tradition of supporting the music and the arts, as well as education, cultural and sporting events in the communities we serve,” said Rick Davis, Bank of the West’s Southern California Division executive. “This sponsorship is just one way of thanking thousands of customers while also supporting the Southern California music scene that contributes to our vibrant community.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Activision Reaches Back to Rev Up

Activision Blizzard Inc., the world’s biggest videogame maker by market capitalization, is banking its future on games that go back more than a decade.

As it attempts to rev up growth, Activision Blizzard has reached into its game vault and dusted off old titles. On Tuesday, the Santa Monica, Calif., company will debut the latest result of that strategy: “Diablo III,” a new version of the dungeon exploration game that last came out in 2000.

“Diablo III” is just one of the game franchises that Activision Blizzard has revived and is now riding. (www.wsj.com)

ESPN Doubles Up on ’30 for 30’ Documentary Series

ESPN’s faith in sports documentaries is so deep that on Tuesday it will announce a second go-round for its “30 for 30” series, which made its debut in the fall of 2009.

The first 30 films — produced by independent filmmakers as diverse as Albert Maysles, Barry Levinson and Ice Cube — were meant to celebrate ESPN’s 30th anniversary over a 15-month period. But the network, which began in 1979 and is now owned by Disney, grew so enamored of documentaries that it kept making them under the ESPN Films banner before agreeing to introduce a new “30 for 30.”

“When we embarked on ’30 for 30,’ we always wondered if there would be 30 good stories,” said Connor Schell, vice president and executive producer of ESPN Films. “Now, I think all of us in this group believe that there is an infinite number of stories.”

There are new dimensions to the series, which will return this fall and span two years. The documentaries are being integrated with Grantland.com, the ESPN sports-culture journalism Web site whose editor in chief is Bill Simmons, the popular ESPN columnist and podcaster. Mr. Simmons prodded ESPN to produce “30 for 30,” and is an executive producer. (www.nytimes.com)

Amstel Light Urges Consumers To ‘Savor Complexity’

Amstel Light’s new ad campaign, “Savor Complexity,” highlights the complexities of simple items.

Consumers are encouraged to consider and appreciate things such as the burger, pigeon, dartboard, umbrella and ping pong.

The effort aims to position the brand in a different light by celebrating the unique complexities of both the brand and target consumer, said Belen Pamukoff, brand director, Amstel Light.

“This campaign showcases the overall versatility of our product and its relevance to their lives,” Pamukoff said in a release. (www.mediapost.com)
Allrecipes.com Launches OOH ‘Dinner’ Campaign

The latest trend in mobile marketing aims to help busy commuters get their meal planning and shopping done while they hurry to and from work, using mobile QR codes and billboards displaying enticing food items.

In the most recent version, AllRecipes.com is plastering high-traffic commuter hubs in downtown Los Angeles with out-of-home ads showing the most popular local food items (the most searched-for recipes), alongside QR codes. They lead users to the relevant recipes, allowing them to create a shopping list that can be accessed at the store via smartphone or using the AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner app.

The “Fix Dinner” campaign — AllRecipes.com’s first venture into out-of-home advertising — includes an eye-catching “station domination” at the 7th St./Metro Center Station. The LACMTA rapid transit system, for which 7th St./Metro Center is a main hub, carries about 350,000 passengers on an average weekday. (www.mediapost.com)
Target’s Little Shop Of Surprises

Just as it’s rolling out its first phase of The Shops at Target, the retailer has unveiled the lineup up for its next round of specialty stores-within-its-stores: This fall, it will introduce four boutiques — New York’s Kirna Zabete and Odin, San Francisco’s The Curiosity Shoppe and Boston’s PATCH NYC — for a limited engagement at all its stores.

Currently, Target shoppers are browsing the store’s inaugural specialty shops, which rolled out last week. Those include The Candy Store, Cos Bar, Polka Dog Bakery, Privet House and The Webster.

In each case, the Minneapolis-based retailer works with the shop owners to “co-create” exclusive apparel, home collections or treats, and is part of the company’s efforts to remind shoppers that it’s not just a discounter, but a chic and quirky one, as well.

“There are fewer and fewer places that have this treasure hunt mentality, where shoppers can browse through the unexpected and still stay within budget,” says Katie Geraty, VP/director of insights and strategy for the Integer Group, tells Marketing Daily. “Like Costco, Target is masterful at sourcing new merchandise and finding new relationships and that creates a sense of urgency.” (www.mediapost.com)

New Charlie Sheen Series Safe to Sponsor, FX Tells Advertisers

With Mr. Sheen starring in the cable outlet’s new “Anger Management” sitcom — and a potential multi-year deal in the balance — executives at the News Corp. network have been out in force telling advertisers that the actor is safe to sponsor.

“You know what everyone has in the back of their mind,” said Michael Brochstein, senior VP-ad sales at FX Networks. “Who am I seeing? Am I seeing ‘Two and A Half Men’ comedy, or am I seeing the Charlie Sheen who is a little bit out there? We dealt with it head-on.”

Fiat, whose commercials feature Mr. Sheen, has already signed on to be a season-long sponsor of the show, which debuts June 28.

“Anger Management” extends FX’s investment in the Charlie Sheen business. Repeats of “Two and a Half Men,” his previous roost, fill a good portion of the network’s schedule. And “Anger Management,” a sitcom featuring Mr. Sheen as a one-time baseball hopeful who must learn to tone down his temper after he sabotages his sports career, would extend the network’s dependence on the actor’s ability to draw a broad audience. (www.adage.com)

Pepsi Max and Cadbury First to Use Shazam in U.K.

Pepsi Max and Cadbury will be the first U.K. brands to run Shazam-enabled TV advertising when they appear during this Saturday’s finale of Simon Cowell’s “Britain’s Got Talent.”

The two have signed up to bring extra content and giveaways to viewers during the live finale of the series, which has been attracting an average of 10 million viewers.

Last month, ITV signed an exclusive deal with Shazam, a U.K.-based company that became a popular music-identification app and now sells itself as a “media discovery company” through which users can share music, TV shows and other media.

Pepsi Max is showing a “Crowd Surfing” spot that features a group of famous soccer stars storming an outdoor music festival. Pepsi will give away festival tickets, merchandise and screen savers to Shazam users who follow an on-screen prompt and use their Shazam app to tag the commercial. It will also link to iTunes, so fans can download the ad’s soundtrack, “Let’s Go,” by Calvin Harris and featuring Ne-Yo. (www.adage.com)

Quiznos Launches First Campaign Since 2010

Quiznos has had a rough couple years, facing store closings, plummeting sales and coming close to bankruptcy, which it managed to stave off after a financial restructuring that resulted in new ownership by Avenue Capital Group in January.

But the chain has growth plans for 2012, which include its first major campaign in nearly two years. The campaign introduces a new tagline, “Qrave Quiznos” — created by its lead creative agency, indie Barkley in Kansas City, Mo. Barkley began working with Quiznos in December, creating product ads earlier this year for limited-time offers such as the chain’s lobster sub.

The new campaign will support the rollout of the chain’s 25 new menu items — which includes wraps, salads and flatbreads — announced Wednesday, and is an effort to rebuild awareness and boost sales after a comparatively dormant marketing phase.

Last year the chain’s systemwide sales tanked 19.2%, and the number of units dropped 11.8%, according to Technomic. Its measured-media spending sunk accordingly, spending a total of $12.5 million in 2011, down from $35 million in 2010 and $54.7 million in 2009. It’s the third-largest sandwich chain in the U.S. by sales, trailing No. 1 Subway and No. 2 Arby’s, according to Technomic. (www.adage.com)

Johnson & Johnson Supports Values-Based Educational Programs Through Sponsorship Of The First Tee

The First Tee, a nonprofit youth development organization that helps young people develop character and learn life skills through golf, plans to greatly expand the capacity of its programs and deepen its impact on young people through a new Johnson & Johnson sponsorship. The sponsorship helps accelerate The First Tee’s stated goal of reaching 10 million more young people by 2017, and continues a long-standing commitment to children by Johnson & Johnson. The company plans to become the inaugural Legacy Partner of The First Tee.

The announcement was made today at THE PLAYERS Championship by Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive of The First Tee, Tim Finchem, commissioner of the PGA TOUR and chair of The First Tee Board of Directors, and Michael Sneed, vice president, Global Corporate Affairs, Johnson & Johnson.

“At this time, one in four public high school students do not graduate on time in the United States,” said Barrow. “The First Tee is providing young people the opportunity to learn life skills and build character to help them be successful in school and in life. We are appreciative that Johnson & Johnson chose to sponsor The First Tee as we carry out our ambitious efforts to reach 10 million additional young people over the coming years.”

“Johnson & Johnson and The First Tee share a common commitment to developing lifelong values in today’s youth,” said Sneed. “The First Tee is already positively impacting the lives of millions of young people through its efforts in communities and schools across the country and in select international locations. Our goal with this contribution is to help significantly expand its reach and impact.” (www.sponsorship.com)

2012 Long Beach International City Bank Marathon Announces Volkswagen As Official Automotive Partner & Sponsor Of The Volkswagen 26.2 Bike Tour

The Long Beach International City Bank Marathon & Half Marathon today announced that Volkswagen of American has signed as the Official Automotive Partner of Southern California’s premier fall marathon event held Oct. 5 to 7, 2012.

Approximately 25,000 runners and cyclists are expected to participate in the full marathon, half marathon, 26.2 Bike Tour and Run Forrest Run 5K on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 along with 2,000 children taking part in The Aquarium of the Pacific Kids One-Mile Fun Run on Saturday, Oct. 6. An estimated 50,000 people attend the two-day Health and Fitness Expo while an additional 50,000 attend the Finish Line Festival. The event has raised and donated over $3.5 million to its official charities since 2005. For information on the Marathon events, please visit www.runlongbeach.com.

The two-year agreement with Volkswagen includes sponsorship of the Volkswagen 26.2 Bike Tour, a major interactive display in the two-day Health and Fitness Expo and a large Fan Festival at the Finish Line. Volkswagen will also showcase their global “Think Blue” sustainability campaign, an initiative to promote eco-friendly mobility and progressive ideas for responsible action in everyday life.

“Volkswagen is proud to align with a world-class endurance event whose commitment to sustainability mirrors our own,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “Through this partnership, we look forward to both supporting those with a passion for active lifestyles and advancing our ‘Think Blue’ philosophy. We are excited to join with Run Racing and the City of Long Beach to offer consumers unique sustainability experiences that not only showcase Volkswagen’s fuel-efficient product range and innovative manufacturing practices, but also promote individual action to support eco-friendly behavior.” (www.sponsorship.com)

Zap! New DVR Wipes Out Ads

Commercial-free prime-time shows—the Holy Grail of TV watchers—has come to Dish Network Corp.

And it’s likely to wreak holy havoc.

On Thursday, the satellite-TV operator began offering its customers a DVR feature that allows viewers to completely avoid commercials—rather than just fast-forward through ads, as the old model digital-video recorders do.

The new “Auto Hop” feature comes on a DVR dubbed the “Hopper,” a device that has been available to subscribers since March. With Auto Hop, viewers see a black screen momentarily where the ads were broadcast, or a glimpse of the first frame of the first commercial. Then the show resumes. Consumers merely have to click an on-screen Auto Hop button before a show to enable the feature. (www.wsj.com)

Mixing Ads and Comedy Shorts Online for TBS

IT may not be a bad idea to begin this article the way a comedian might: A funny thing happened to TBS on the way to the upfront.

TBS, the cable channel that bills itself as the home of “very funny” programming, is teaming with the actors Will Arnett and Jason Bateman and DumbDumb, their company that creates humorous Web video clips for brands like Denny’s, Old Navy and Orbit gum.

DumbDumb and TBS will offer marketers a chance to run sponsored comedy videos on the TBS Web site, tbs.com. The marketers will also be able to run the videos in digital domains like their own Web sites, Facebook fan pages and YouTube channels.

Initially, DumbDumb will produce up to six comedic digital shorts, each from three to five minutes long. The sponsored videos will be promoted on TBS during shows like “Conan,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Family Guy,” as viewers are invited to watch them online. (www.nytimes.com)

Virgin Airlines Team For Campaign

Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia are teaming up for the first time to debut a joint campaign.

The entertainment, digital and out-of-home advertising aims to convey the unique Virgin in-flight experience in the Los Angeles market and mark the airlines’ global frequent flyer partnership. The campaign creative was developed by San Francisco-based agency Eleven and Virgin Produced (the entertainment arm of the Virgin Group.)

The centerpiece is a short film, which was shot in 20 hours, across three continents and on three commercial flights while at 35,000 feet. “Departure Date” was written and directed by writer and director Kat Coiro and stars Ben Feldman (“Mad Men”), Nicky Whelan (“Hall Pass”), Philip Baker Hall, Luis Guzman, Janeane Garofalo and Max Brown.

The scenes were shot in both Virgin America’s first-class and main cabin, Virgin Atlantic’s upper class cabin, economy cabin and onboard bar and Virgin Australia’s international business cabin, which featured the sit-down bar, ladies-only bathroom and exclusive row five. (www.mediapost.com)