Marketplace Roundup

"Pepsi Lemon NFL Kickoff" Colas To Be Available In Stores Next Month

BRANDWEEK's Kenneth Hein reported PepsiCo will debut its "Pepsi Lemon NFL Kickoff" colas on August 11. The limited-time, lemon-flavored soda will be available until November and "will be available nationally in 20-oz., two-liter and 12-pack cans." The soda "will be supported by TV, print and online ads" via BBDO, N.Y., featuring Cowboys QB Tony Romo. The commercial will mark Romo's third appearance in an ad for the soft drink company. The soda will also "endorse the current Pepsi Stuff promotion," as each cap of "specially marked Pepsi NFL Kickoff will feature a code worth double Pepsi Stuff points" (BRANDWEEK.com, 7/9).

TRYING TO STAY AFLOAT: Steve & Barry's, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday, said that it cut 172 "corporate and field staff positions ... and is considering selling some or all of its assets to pay its debt" (NEWSDAY, 7/10). The company said that its 276 stores "would remain open while the company continued to look for a buyer or sold some of its assets" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/10).

PREVENTING AMBUSH MARKETING: BRANDWEEK's Barry Janoff reported BOCOG officials "have ramped up efforts to ban, remove and eliminate ads throughout the city and elsewhere that either promote non-Olympic sponsors or contain any unauthorized use Olympics logos and images in ads." BOCOG said that inspection teams "'will be dispatched to airports, railway stations, places near Olympic venues and other public areas' beginning July 11 to observe whether ads contain unauthorized Olympic logos and the Beijing Olympic signs." BOCOG also will "monitor electronic media as well as on-line ads" (BRANDWEEK.com, 7/8).

SK8R BOI: Jones Soda has released a new Tony Hawk's Boom Boom HuckJam Limited Edition four-pack, which features images related to skateboarder Tony Hawk and his skateboarding tour. In conjunction with the four-pack, Jones Soda will launch their Under the Cap Text-to-Win promotion (Jones Soda).