Marketplace Roundup

Gordon Will Drive With Retro Pepsi Paint Scheme At Talladega

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon Sunday at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway will have a retro Pepsi Throwback paint scheme on his No. 24 Chevy. Gordon will also wear a Pepsi Throwback racing suit. The last time the yellow paint scheme was seen was when Darrell Waltrip drove the No. 11 Pepsi Challenger in '83 (Pepsi).

ON THE FENCE: Rusty Wallace Racing Owner Rusty Wallace is debating whether to take his team to the Sprint Cup level or stay in the Nationwide Series, where he currently fields two cars. Wallace: “It’s all about sponsorship money, me feeling comfortable enough that there’s a solid three or four year commitment by sponsors. Right now it’s close, but not there. … Are we going to go Cup racing next year, I’m going to put it at 40%, and are we going to stay in Nationwide next year, I’m going to put it at 60%. That’s where I’m at right now” (“NASCAR Now,” ESPN2, 4/23).

WALK THIS WAY: MEDIAWEEK's Lucia Moses reported Airwalk will use artists and athletes in a print and social media campaign titled "We are Airwalk" in hopes it will "promote skateboarding's accessibility in trying economic times." The campaign includes athletes in "environmental and studio settings -- a nod to the sport's influence on music, fashion, art and film." The campaign "will break in print in the June issue of Vapors, a skateboarding/lifestyle magazine." The brand also "will have a presence on MySpace and Twitter." Media spend for the campaign was not disclosed (MEDIAWEEK.com, 4/21).

EUROPEAN EXPANSION: TENNIS WEEK reported Fila on Tuesday "opened its first flagship European store" in Milan. The concept store "will feature the Fila Vintage and Fila Gold collections (available in Europe only) as well as the co-branded Fila-Wimbledon footwear collection." Limited-edition lines and exclusive products "will also be retailed" through the store (TENNISWEEK.com, 4/21).

O, YEAH: In Boston, Fee & Raposa report Red Sox CF Jacoby Ellsbury this week "recorded a free-flowing radio spot" for all-natural sports drink owater (BOSTON HERALD, 4/24). Ellsbury has been endorsing owater since May '08 (THE DAILY).