Marketplace Round-Up

In London, Carl Mortished wrote under the header, "Ronaldinho Helps Lift Advertising Underdogs." A Rexona deodorant ad featuring FC Barcelona MF Ronaldinho was devised in Sao Paulo by local Brazilian brand managers of Unilever, the owner of Rexona. Unilever is "spending more on advertising," and "more money is going into the bigger brands, developing single campaigns that can translate smoothly across borders." WPP Chair Sir Martin Sorrell: "London and New York are no longer the creative centres of the world. It is inevitable. Talent is on a normal distribution curve. It is not distributed by wealth" (LONDON TIMES, 4/7).

WIN Products Aims Efforts At Athletes

SO FRESH & SO CLEAN: WIN Products, a six year-old Atlanta-based company, yesterday was profiled by CNBC’s Mike Hegedus. Hegedus said the proliferation of synthetic athletic attire, which wicks away sweat from the athlete’s body, is a $15B industry “that has grown up in just over a decade,” but also has created the problem of the clothes smelling after workouts. WIN detergent “promises to take the stink out of your workout clothes.” WIN Products CEO Mark Konjevold: “The thing about this idea is that when you tell it to people they all get it.” Hegedus said the product is marketed to athletes and people who work out regularly. Hegedus noted the USOC “took to it right away” and WIN Products is an Official Licensee (CNBC, 4/7).

OLYMPIC SITE: A Panasonic marketing exec said that the company will "put interactive content at the heart" of a Beijing Olympics Web site. The exec said that Panasonic will "invite submission of videos of 'waves' to fill an Olympic stadium" starting with the Web site's launch on April 11. AROUNDTHERINGS.com's Maggie Lee reported the company will "upload in-house video content as well, including a one-minute promotional video and 'Beijing diary' videos of the company's preparations for the Games." The diary videos also will run on CNN outside the U.S. (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 4/7).

WNBA DEALS: The WNBA has agreed to new marketing deals with Kia Motors, Pitney Bowes and IHOP. Kia becomes an official partner of the league and the April 9 WNBA Draft. Pitney Bowes will support the league’s “Read To Achieve” program and the launch of a new literary program. IHOP will serve as a WNBA halftime presenter and will support the league’s online fantasy game, “WNBA.com Pick One Fantasy Challenge” (WNBA).