MLB'S ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH: MLBP has retained GBSM
Public Relations and Sander/GBSM Marketing to provide local
PR for the '98 Pinnacle All-Star FanFest, to be held July 3-
7 at the CO Convention Center (MLBP). In Denver, Penny
Parker previews the FanFest. GBSM partner Rob Johnson: "The
average fan won't be able to drive up to Coors Field and buy
tickets for the [All-Star] game. Instead, (FanFest) will
give them a baseball Disneyland" (DENVER POST, 3/20).
LANDING ON MARS: Oakley has begun shipping its Mars
model X-Metal sunglasses line. Suggested retail price of
the glasses will be $265 to $315. The Mars design was
influenced by board member Michael Jordan, who received his
pair with serial no. 000023. Jordan is featured in the Mars
ad campaign, which launched last month (Oakley).
NOTES: The new Budweiser ad campaign from IL-based DDB
Needham will feature boxing announcer Michael Buffer and his
"Let's Get Ready To Rumble" tag. No break date has been
announced (AD AGE, 3/19)....In Boston, Gregg Krupa examines
the NCAA tournament's financial impact on participating
schools. Krupa writes that a study by NC-based Price/McNabb
estimated that last year's Sweet 16 run by UT-Chatanooga
brought the school $22M worth of free media exposure (BOSTON
GLOBE, 3/20)....In Montreal, an editorial addresses Nike's
recent woes: "While [Nike] appropriated the name of a Greek
goddess, it neglected to glance at the rest of the ancient
Greeks' beliefs. Had it done so, it might have known to
avoid hubris -- the Greek's great sin, the trait of
arrogance, of putting yourself too high. Few other
companies have gone down this road so brazenly." The
editorial concludes: "Every last thunderbolt that the
business gods throw at it Nike deserves" (GAZETTE, 3/20).
....L.A.-based K2 will begin putting its logo on shorts,
shirts and caps to be sold in surf shops. K2 is using its
acquisition of Katin USA as a "springboard" into the $1.7B
surf wear industry (L.A. TIMES, 3/19).
