Coca-Cola has named D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, New York,
to handle all of its U.S. media buying. Coca-Cola's total U.S.
ad budget is about $350M (AD AGE ONLINE, 4/29)....Yankees Owner
George Steinbrenner will appear in six spots with Jason
Alexander, "George Costanza" from NBC's "Seinfeld," to promote
voting for the MLB All-Star Game (N.Y. POST, 4/26). However, the
producers of "Seinfeld" have decided to drop a scene involving
Steinbrenner from the show's May 16 episode (N.Y. POST,
4/27)....American Sporting Goods Corp says it has no immediate
plans to move Avia out of Beaverton, OR (Portland OREGONIAN,
4/26)....In a regional promotion, 12-packs of Mountain Dew in
Philadelphia will include one of five special Fleer/SkyBox cards
featuring 76ers rookie Jerry Stackhouse (Fleer/SkyBox)....The
Devil Rays are expected to announce a concessionaire this week
(ST. PETE TIMES, 4/28). ....Ticketmaster will issue a credit card
this year in conjunction with MasterCard (WASHINGTON TIMES,
4/29)....Heat Coach Pat Riley will reportedly become a partner in
the All-Star Cafe when it opens in Miami "sometime this fall."
Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda is also interested should one open
in L.A. (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/29).
