RAWLINGS:
the softball equipment producer, has inked a cash sponsorship deal with the National Pro Fastpitch softball league to use NPF team names and logos to market its products. Terms were not disclosed.
KFC: restaurants in Atlanta and New York City will begin offering CD-ROMs in drink lids for an additional 99 cents this week. The CD, produced by LidRock features new music from hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams and can be purchased when ordered with a 32-oz. soft drink. The CD features three songs, an interview with Williams and a sweepstakes sponsored by 1-800-Cheapseats for dinner in New York with the singer.
VERTICAL MARKETING NETWORK: Tustin, CA, has acquired two new food clients, Ventura Foods LLC’s LouAna Cooking Oils and the J. Tudor and Hula Daddy Coffee brands.
GRAND CENTRAL MARKETING: has been retained by NASCAR to create a home for race fans in New York City. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races will be shown live at Buster’s Garage, a sports bar, weekly beginning April 4. Loews IMAX Theater in New York, which is currently showing NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience, will cross-promote the events.
ZIPATONI: has opened a San Francisco office. Sarah Johnson is managing director.
SCHOLASTIC.COM: is offering families a way to preview and purchase children’s software online via its new online program, Downloads2Go. The program offers free one-hour trials of children’s CD-ROMs and narrowband software. The site, www.scholastic.com/dowloads2go also provides families with a way to purchase game titles without needing the actual software. The site launched this week with over 35 children’s games from Scholastic such as I Spy Fantasy, Math Missions: The Race to Spectacle City Arcade and Clifford Phonics.
GAP, INC.: has appointed Jorge P. Montoya, the president of Global Snacks & Beverages and Latin America for Procter & Gamble, to its board of directors.
THE GOT MILK CAMPAIGN: is crossing the Atlantic beginning this month. Great Britain’s Milk Development Council (MDC), a generic promotional program for dairy farmers in the U.K., will begin offering the Got Milk? Trademark throughout England, Wales and Scotland. The MDC expects to begin researching consumer perceptions and potential use at point-of-sale within the next few weeks.
CARLSON MARKETING GROUP: Minneapolis, promoted Lillian Murphy to senior VP-Atlantic region and named Thomas Wessling senior VP-Pacific region for the relationship-marketing agency. Murphy had been senior VP for Carlson Marketing Group Canada; Wessling had been senior VP-client services for Coactive Marketing Group, Great Neck, NY.
BBDO: New York City, has given additional responsibilities to exec VP-managing directors Nancy Hill and Anne Devereux. Hill, 46, will oversee business development, including creating new revenue streams; she continues to manage the America Online and PeopleSoft accounts. Devereux, 42, becomes chief integration officer, overseeing integration of marketing disciplines; She continues to manage direct-to-consumer healthcare advertising.
MILLSPORT: Stamford, CT, hired Richard Goldschmidt as VP-business development as part of its growth initiative. The Interpublic Group of Cos. veteran comes to Omnicom-owned Millsport from managing venture-capital investment in the music industry.
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