Callaway Golf and Orlimar have settled the lawsuit
brought in January by Callaway accusing Orlimar of false and
misleading advertising. No details of the settlement were
disclosed (Callaway)....Microsoft is the "latest sponsor" of
the NYC Marathon, making its MSN Web site the Official ISP
of the event. MSN is offering a free "ChampionChip" that is
"affixed to runners' shoes and tracks their times, and
allows runners to be sorted and grouped by various criteria"
(BRANDWEEK, 9/6 issue)....Nike Corporate Communications
Specialist Claudine Leith said that "traffic counts" during
last month's fashion shows at 12 U.S. NikeTowns "were up,
and sales climbed at least a couple of percentage points."
Nike will "consider repeating the events next year"
(BUSINESS JOURNAL OF PORTLAND, 9/6 issue)....Leffler
Agency's Bob Leffler, on winning the Devil Rays ad account:
"We treat sports like retail. I'm talking about things like
telling people why they should buy tickets, how to buy
tickets, when to buy tickets, and what happens when they buy
tickets. What we're talking about doing really hasn't been
done yet with the Devil Rays" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 9/10).
NAMES & FACES: General Mills had "planned to distribute
about" nine million Wheaties boxes featuring former Lions RB
Barry Sanders, and "about 3 million boxes got out before"
the company learned of his retirement, marking the "first
time that an athlete has retired" while the company was
"marketing a new box" around the athlete. But General Mills
Senior Marketing Communications Manager Greg Zimprich said,
"We are looking to leverage our relationship with Barry and
will continue to do that" (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 9/10).
....In a deal negotiated by IMS, WBC super featherweight
champion "Pretty Boy" Floyd will wear Flip The Switch-
branded apparel during his fight tomorrow against Carlos
Gerena in Las Vegas (FTS).
