Chief Marketer Staff

• Finch to Head Think Partnership Advertising Division

  Think Partnership Inc. has named Lewis Finch as president of its advertising division.

• People in the News

  DDB Los Angeles has named Judy Carpenito director of direct marketing solutions. She comes from Grey Direct in Los Angeles. Before that, she worked at Doner in Baltimore and the Martin Agency in Richmond, VA.

• New River Taps Crossbow Group

  NewRiver Inc., a financial document services firm, has selected Crossbow Group to develop and execute offline and online lead generation and event support campaigns for its FundPoint product line. The budget was not revealed.

• Agencies

  USPS Eyes 2009 for Total Intelligent Mail Adoption

  By 2009, the U.S. Postal Service expects to have in place one technology that can continuously track mail and give feedback to customers, USPS officials told its Board of Governors this week.

• Agencies

  Pepsi To Give Away $100,000 Diamond-Studded Soda Can

  Pepsi upped the ante yesterday, adding a watch-and-win contest offering a jewel-encrusted Pepsi can and other prizes to its already lucrative National Football League Sponsorship.

• KFC Launches Ties Snacker Freebie to American Idol Premiere

  KFC is reviving its Snacker promotion with a new TV twist.

• Former Gap Exec Takes SVP Marketing Post at Kenneth Cole

  Kenneth Cole Productions has named Kyle Andrew, Gap’s former vice president of marketing, to lead its marketing and advertising initiatives.

• Agencies

  Sesame Workshop Launches Apple Program with Hannaford

  Sesame Workshop and Hannaford Supermarkets are hoping to give kids a little encouragement to eat apples with the help from Grover and friends.

• Agencies

  Febreze Goes on the Road to Find a Fresh Face for a TV Spot

  Febreze will hit the road Saturday, touring the country to sample its air freshener and find a new star for an upcoming TV spot.

• Happy New Year—Though Not for Toys ‘R’ Us

  In December, Toys ‘R’ Us opened its first store in mainland China with great expectations that the largest emerging consumer market in the world would rush to embrace its mascot Gregory.