News Briefs
THE ASSOCIATION OF VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS: has entered into a multi-year sponsorship extension with John Paul Mitchell Systems making the company the official hair care product of the AVP Crocs Tour through the 2008 season. The hair products company has been a sponsor of the AVP Tour since 1999. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
VACATION CONNECTIONS: adopts a new name as the vacation-sampling agency expands under new owner Stone Canyon Entertainment Corp. The expanded agency, now called Brand Connections Marketing & Media http://www.brandconnections.com, has formed three divisions: Travel Connections, Entertainment Connections and Recreation Connections. The agency handles sampling (solo and co-op), event marketing and targeted media in leisure locations including hotels, ski and golf resorts, spas and cruise lines. West Hollywood, CA-based Stone Canyon and New York-based equity firm The Cypress Group bought an interest in Vacation Connections in January. Founder Brian Martin continues to run the agency as president-CEO. Clients include American Express, BIC, Glaxo SmithKline, Gillette, Unilever, Novartis, Colgate-Palmolive, General Mills, Kraft, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., Masterfoods, Nestle USA and Pfizer.
A BIG THANK YOU: to S.C. Johnson from the National Watermelon Promotion Board http://www.watermelon.org for featuring juicy slices of watermelon on Ziploc http://www.ziploc.com packaging and its Web site. This is the second year that the Orlando-based board has given its “Wild About Watermelon” award to a non-produce, non-retail brand that helps raise awareness of watermelon as a handy snack.
