MARKETING DEALS AT THE "I": The IHL and A-B renewed
their partnership for the '97-98 season, making Bud Ice and
Bud Ice Light the official beers of the IHL. A new
component of the deal includes the "Bud Ice IHL Skills
Challenge" as part of the league's All-Star festivities,
February 9....Days Inn, title sponsor of the Days Inn/IHL
All-Star Fan Balloting, distributed 1.1 million ballots
during the voting period from November 27-January 11 (IHL).
NOTES: The '99 Women's World Cup has licensed Mattel to
produce a WWC Barbie next year, with $500,000-600,000 in ad
support. The toy firm also has a WNBA Barbie in the works
(BRANDWEEK, 1/19)....Serena Williams, who was defeated at
the Australian Open yesterday by sister Venus, has beaded
her hair with green and gold beads in honor of the Packers
(THE DAILY)....The Harlem Globetrotters are profiled on the
front page of today's WALL STREET JOURNAL. Sponsors include
Denny's, Reebok, Monsanto (socks), Northwest Airlines and
Disney, which will assist in developing a broadway musical
about the team's history. Globetrotters merchandise brings
in "more than" $2M a year (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/21).
....PBS's Paul Kangas reported that Fila Holdings stock
finished trading on the NYSE down 2 1/16 to 19 11/16 "after
Goldman Sachs cut earnings estimates" ("NBR," 1/20).