PR exec Richie Akiva "apparently did not have the
authority to act as a spokesman for Nike" when he discussed
the company's plans for renting a summer house in the
Hamptons for some of its endorsers in the N.Y. Post (see THE
DAILY, 4/3), according to Andrew Goldman of the N.Y.
OBSERVER. Nike Senior Manager of Communications Bob
Mitchell: "Quite frankly, when I saw it in the paper, I was
shocked. Richie Akiva is not working for us. I don't know
how he got involved in this story." While Mitchell said
that Nike "presently has no plans to rent or buy a Hamptons
mansion and give the keys to any" athletes, Alan Wilzig, who
owns an "eye-popping castle" there, said that he "recently
hosted" Nike Dir of Sports Style Marketing Jerry Erasme and
"thought a deal to rent the castle to Nike was 'imminent.'"
Wilzig said he would charge Nike about $200,000 for use of
the place this summer (N.Y. OBSERVER, 4/24 issue).
AWARD: Nike Golf's "Hackeysack" spot via W&K, featuring
Tiger Woods bouncing a golf ball on his club, was named one
of 36 Int'l ANDY Award winners for excellence in advertising
by the Ad Club of N.Y. (N.Y. TIMES, 4/27).