MARKETPLACE ROUND-UP

     Quaker Oats has selected Jordan McGrath to handle buying
assignments in prime time, late-night and syndicated TV
programming for Snapple beverages.  The buying was previously
handled by JL Media (N.Y. TIMES, 4/3)....Today's USA TODAY
features a story on using controversial figures like Rush
Limbaugh and Dennis Rodman as product endorsers.  Pizza Hut
debuted ads last week which feature both.  Dottie Enrico writes,
"Marketing experts say companies are now willing to risk
controversy because they believe the exposure outweighs any
significant threat to sales.  And in a cluttered marketplace,
bland ads are easily forgotten" (USA TODAY, 4/3)....NBA's "Inside
Stuff" went behind the scenes of the new McDonald's TV commercial
with Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Larry Johnson,
Reggie Miller, and Shawn Kemp.  Johnson: "If I had to rate
Charles on his acting, I would give him about a seven and a half.
Of course, I am an eight and a half" ("Inside Stuff," 4/1).