Chief Marketer Staff

• Agencies

  ‘World of Warcraft’ Taps Loyalty Via Visa Card

  Game developer Blizzard Entertainment forged a deal with First National Bank to launch a video game-branded credit card, in which users rack up rewards points for game play time.

• WWE Beefs Up Marketing Department

  World Wrestling Entertainment has ramped up its marketing department with additional staff.

• News Brief

  AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA CO.: is launching new packaging for multi-grain versions of three pasta brands, Mueller’s, Heartland and Golden Grain

• Agencies

  P&I Postscripts

  TOYS R US: has launched a new service that lets customers buy gift cards online

• Agencies

  Loose Cannon: ZIP+4 Brought To Heel

  News item: According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Postal Service has awarded the shoe department of Saks Fifth Avenue

• Email

  Image Fiasco: What AOL’s Changes Mean to You

  AOL last week spurred a ruckus in the e-mail marketing industry when it rolled out a new version of its AOL.com and AIM.com free e-mail services that automatically block images by default.

  First the Email Experience Council issued a report saying that the services were blocking all images by default. Then deliverability concern Return Path issued a report saying that according to its tests, the services were blocking images only for new subscribers.

  So which is it, and what does it all mean to you?

• Email

  Belligerant Anti-Spammer Watch: Mumma’s Claims Debunked

  Self-proclaimed tireless anti-spam litigator Mark Mumma has been telling anyone gullible enough to believe him that he had no idea I was a reporter during an interview in which he went ballistic earlier this year.

• Email

  Stupid Media Watch: Narcissists Declare “E-mail Bankruptcy”

  Multiple news outlets

• Listline e-Newsletter 05/29/07

  The names of more than 1 million individuals have been assembled on this
  file. It’s comprised of transaction data that identifies product
  purchase categories.

• Agencies

  FTC Reported Checking GoogleClick’s Antitrust Cred

  The Federal Trade Commission will reportedly check the antitrust impact of Google’s intended $3.1 billion purchase of ad management firm DoubleClick.