With its market share slipping as new competitors enter the
sports drink category, Gatorade, and its parent Quaker Oats, "has
a game plan" for their summer ad campaign, according to the
latest AD AGE.  Michael Jordan "will return to a higher profile"
as two commercial spots are already in rotation and more "being
planned soon," according to a Quaker spokesperson.  Gatorade is
also considering a return of the "Be like Mike" campaign, but in
the meantime will continue with "Life if a sport, drink it up"
ads from Bayer Bess Vanderwarker.  PepsiCo's All-Sport is "hiking
spending" by 20% and will use Ken Griffey, Jr. and Shaquille
O'Neal in more ads by BBDO Worldwide, with Jerry Rice and Steve
Young recently signed to two-year endorsement deals.  Coca-Cola's
PowerAde isn't "showcasing any top jocks this summer," but will
feature weightlifting and hurdles in ads created by McCann-
Erickson Worldwide.  But the "ace in the hole" comes next year
for Coca-Cola with their Olympic sponsorship, as rings will adorn
their PowerAde logo and a new flavor will be introduced (Andrew
Wallenstein, AD AGE, 5/1 issue).

     The Lions are in the process of choosing a design for a
"special-events jersey" for the '95 season.  The jersey will be
worn for special games, which could include the opener, Monday
nights and Thanksgiving.  In Detroit, Kuplian & O'Hara report
that the team is "following the Cowboys with the special-events
jerseys," after last year's throwback jerseys "were gigantic
hits" (DETROIT NEWS, 4/30).

     MasterCard International has signed a one-year agreement to
be "presenting sponsor" of the PGA Tour's Colonial Golf
Tournament in TX.  Officials hope the arrangement will "lead to a
multi-year agreement" with MasterCard to become the tournament's
title sponsor.  The Colonial has been without a title sponsor
since Southwestern Bell didn't renew its contract after the '94
event (FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 5/2)....At the recent
sponsorship forum organized by Clarion Performance Properties and
AD AGE, Patrick Kemp, Dir of Marketing Operations at GM, said
sports efforts by top corporations are better handled by the
marketing department "because sponsorship comes out of the same
marketing checkbook at the end of the day."  AD AGE's Jeff Jensen
notes the leagues also are "stocking up" on their own marketing
talent (AD AGE, 5/1 issue).

     Virgin Cola advertising hits British TV screens tonight in
the company's next step in its bid "to take on the might of Coca-
Cola and PepsiCo in the global soft drinks market.  After
introducing his drink in November, Virgin Chair Richard Branson
aims to sell Virgin Cola in 140 countries within three years, but
that "hinges crucially" on how it "develops in the UK over the
next few months."  Branson's strategy is "staying cheap" as he
wants to make up for lack of money with the "pull of the Virgin
name and his own-high profile personality" (Roderick Oram,
FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/2).
     IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO SAY, SAYONARA:  Coca-Cola has had to
slash their prices in Japan as retailers have come out with
discount colas.  The "onslaught of inexpensive, generic soft
drinks" are "hurting the sales and influence of brand-name sodas"
(WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/2).
     COORS HEADS OVERSEAS:  This morning's "Bloomberg Business
News" reports that Coors Brewing plans to spend more money "on
getting a bigger piece of the foreign beer market."  Anheuser-
Busch and Miller Brewing already have foreign expansion efforts
underway (PBS, 5/2).
     A-B MESSES WITH TEXAS:  Anhesuer-Busch is testing a "for-
Texas-only-specialty" beer, ZiegenBock Amber.  Brewed in Houston,
it will "challenge the huge regional presence of Gambrinus'
Shiner Bock" (BRANDWEEK, 5/1 issue).

     Russell Athletic will sign on as title sponsor of NHL's All-
Star balloting for the '96 game in Boston, according to Terry
Lefton in the current issue of BRANDWEEK.  Lefton also reports
that the NHL is "shoring up its roster" of sponsors for its
grassroots tournament, "Breakout."  Details are not final, but it
is expected the Russell deal "will be akin" to the program used
by MLB in which apparel retail chains such as Champs and J.C.
Penny were used as voting sites.  For Russell, the "buy is the
latest in a series of increasingly aggressive marketing moves,"
as they plan a sweepstakes to coincide with balloting.
Blockbuster had been the NHL's All-Star balloting sponsor.  For
"Breakout," the NHL has signed Bauer, Nike, Coke, Sports
Illustrated For Kids, and Hyperwheels as sponsors of its nine-
city grassroots tour.  NHL Enterprises Senior VP & COO Rick
Dudley said the program is "all about lowering the barriers of
entry to ice hockey."  Dudley noted the NHL has discussed with
"potential partners" the possibility of developing official
ice/roller hockey rinks with complete with food courts,
merchandise stores, and a virtual reality arcades (BRANDWEEK, 5/1
issue).

     The latest issue of ADVERTISING AGE lists the top 200 mega-
brands by '94 ad spending.  The Top Ten:  1) AT&T;  2) Ford; 3)
Sears; 4) Kellogg's; 5) McDonald's; 6) Chevrolet;  7) Toyota; 8)
MCI;  9) Circuit City; 10) Chrysler.  Also spotted on the list:
Budweiser (19), Miller (24), Coke & Diet Coke (30), Nike (44),
Pepsi & Diet Pepsi (54), Coors (76), Sega (122), Reebok (130)
(ADVERTISING AGE, 5/1 issue).