Reebok Spokesperson Double Dips With PUMA

inthebiz-front.jpg

Recently, rapper Lupe Fiasco signed a marketing deal with Reebok to appear in several ad campaigns but just last week he appeared at a PUMA-sponsored event to hype the release of the company's Karmaloop sneaker. Needless to say, Reebok's a bit pissed and isn't so happy it paid Fiasco millions only to have him help promote a competitor's brand. Apparently, there's an emergency meet between the two sides this week to iron out the whole mess.

by Steve Hall    Jul-26-06    
Topic: Bad, Events, Sponsorship



Truth Campaign Fuses with Fuse For Warped Tour Documentary

waroed_2006.jpg

Television music network fuse has joined with the truth anti-smoking campaign, , for a documentary, called Warped: Inside & Out, which will look at the alternative music and extreme sports event, Vans Warped Tour 2006. The documentary will cover the three month-long music tour and will feature truth brand presence by incorporating the orange truth truck and its crew. The series also includes the tour¹s creator Kevin Lyman and his staff, roadies, guitar techs, tour bus drivers, members and managers of the 100+ bands that will be on the tour.

The documentary will include a supporting campaign with content accessible on fuseMobile, fuse On Demand and online at fuse.tv. which will have a micro-site designed to give tour-goers and non-attendees the details on Warped. The site will have a bunch of clips from Warped, along with photo galleries and blogs that will cover the tour.

by Steve Hall    Jul-26-06    
Topic: Cable, Events, Mobile/Wireless, Online, Sponsorship



Kelly Monaco, Brooke Burke Rally For Gillette's NoScruf

e79_kelly_monaco_maxim.jpg

Dancing With the Stars' Kelly Monaco and former Burger King queen Brooke Burke are bringing Gillette's NoScruf campaign (previously) to New York's Herald Square today around noon with a rally to carry the movement's message: we aren't going to shave until you do. Boston's Digitas created the faux, Geocities looking site to launch the cause that encourages men to shave - with Gillette razors, of course - by threatening men with women who don't shave. At the event, there will, apparently, be an army of unshaven women freaking out the men of New York. It's the double standard kind of thing. Public relations firm Porter Novelli organized the event. If anyone attends, please send us pictures.

by Steve Hall    Jul-11-06    
Topic: Celebrity, Events, Good



Volkswagen to Host ZSG Block Party in Miami

vw_tyson_zo.gif

Organized by as*itive, Volkswagen is sponsoring a block party in Miami to benefit Alonzo Mourning Charities. The event, called the ZSG Block Party, is being held in conjunction with the 10th Annual Tyson Foods Zo's Summer Groove at the American Airlines Arena from 1PM to 6PM July 16. VW is the Official Vehicle of the event and will provide cars and drivers to transport invited guests, celebrities and athletes, along with the event host Alonzo Mourning.

Volkswagen's theme will be carnival meets Mardi Gras featuring stilt walkers, steel drummers, jugglers, a magician, tattoo and caricature artists, cotton candy, snow cones and a dunk tank. Miami DJ¹s and radio personalities from WEDR-FM will also be onsite throughout the day. In addition to trivia contests and raffles for seat upgrades at the game, there will be an autograph session with Alonzo in the VW tent.

Radio advertising, prize giveaways,promotional street teams and Rabbit, GTI, Jetta, Passat and Toureg test drives will lead up to the event.

by Steve Hall    Jul- 7-06    
Topic: Events



World Cup Takes on Super Bowl Qualities With Wet T-Shirt Contest

world_cup_wet_t.jpg

And just when we thought the World Cup was a fine, upstanding, respectable event unlike the gratuitous, sex-laced, GoDaddy-powered Super Bowl we get Wet T-Shirt World Cup.

by Steve Hall    Jun-28-06    
Topic: Bad, Events, Online



Professional Bull Riders Is Not PBR

contest_pbr_01.jpg

If we were writing a press release for our client Amp'd Mobile and we were talking about how the company was the official sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders and the client would be simalcasting events to Amp'd Mobile customers, we probobly wouldn't refer to the Professional Bull Riders Association as PBR unless the sponsorship also involved the actual PBR - Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Even if the client insisted. Just a thought.

by Steve Hall    Jun-27-06    
Topic: Bad, Events, Games, Mobile/Wireless, Online



42Below Hosts Its Own World Cup

42below_world_cup.jpg

New Zealand vodka maker 42Below is hosting its own World Cup except this one involves bar tending instead of football. From September 10-17, the company's annual Cocktail World Cup will take place in the mountains of Queenstown New Zealand and involve bungee jumping, rafting at 80 MPH and sliding down snow covered mountains. It's yet another way the cheeky vodka maker has a bit of fun while, at the same time, gaining some publicity. For the event, 42Below seeks the 42 best bartenders from the UK, Ireland, USA, Central America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. What...there's no good bartenders in Africa?

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Events, Good



Richard Branson Saves Kevin Federline From Britney Spears

scan19qx.jpg

Now that Britney has no real use for Kevin Federline, Virgin's Richard Branson has, apparently, taken pity and recruited Federline for a Virgin Mobile Penny Texting promotion which seeks to leverage legislation that will, apparently, eliminate the penny. Branson, Federline and American Common Cents Director Mathew Eggers will be the first to sign a "Save the Penny" petition in New York's Times Square Wednesday June 21 at 1:30 PM.

Virgin Mobile's Penny Texting plan offers 1,000 text messages for $9.99 per month, hence the need for pennies. Nothing like leveraging disparagement, U.S. legal idiosyncrasies and the lowly penny for a marketing promotion but we'd expect nothing less from Virgin.

by Steve Hall    Jun-20-06    
Topic: Events, Good, Promotions



Couple Gets Advertisers to Pay For Wedding

baseball_wedding.jpg

What do two people working in the marketing and advertising business do when they marry each other? They rent a baseball stadium, negotiate sponsorship deals with 1-800 Flowers, Spirits, Harlem's Grandma's Secrets, Wedding Plaza and Red Carpet, print 8,000 sponsor-branded wedding programs and hold a press conference to promote the whole thing. That's exactly what Long Island radio station sales manager Caroline Fischer and consultant Dave Karpen did for their upcoming wedding at the Brooklyn Cyclones stadium in front of 8,000 people. Now that's how to pay for a wedding!

by Steve Hall    Jun-14-06    
Topic: Events, Good, Sponsorship



In Sponsoring Music Festival, AT&T Finally Delivers Blogging

ACLMF_AT&T_RGB_resized.jpg

As part of promoting the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Project D.U., an AT&T blogger-powered portal and branded RSS reader, is hosting a blogging contest that awards the winner a free press pass and pass for a guest to the three day event. Held in an area where WiFi is not available, AT&T will provide service, finally lending, perhaps, some truth to those Blogging Delivered outdoor boards that ran a while ago. Any music blogger that isn't already part of the Project D.U. network of bloggers can submit writing samples to be considered here.

by Steve Hall    Jun-13-06    
Topic: Events, Good, Promotions, RSS, Sponsorship, Weblogs