In Houston, Craig Hlavaty reports Texans DE J.J. Watt's new ad campaign for Reliant Energy "comes complete with two commercials that Watt filmed with director Phil Joanou." In one ad, Watt "tries his hand at synchronized swimming, and in another he’s participating in a curling event." Watt's other deals include Reebok, Gatorade, Ford, and grocery chain H-E-B (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/23).
STAR BRIGHT: AD AGE's E.J. Schultz reported the NBA "has shifted media planning and buying duties to Starcom Mediavest Group." The media work "had recently been handled by Media Storm, which is part of the Water Cooler Group network." The agency shift "comes as the NBA spends more aggressively" under new CMO & Exec VP Pam El. The NBA's lead creative agency is Translation (ADAGE.com, 7/22).
FAILING HEALTH: In Richmond, Gregory Gilligan reported signs for Health Diagnostic Laboratory on VCU athletics buildings "have started to come down." VCU interim Dir of Public Affairs Michael Porter said that the first one -- a banner on the marquee entrance to the Siegel Center -- "was removed Monday." Porter said VCU "didn’t have a specific time frame" for the rest of the removals. Gilligan noted HDL "filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection early last month and informed VCU recently that it would not be able to continue its sponsorship" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 7/22).
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: Chicagoland Speedway on Tuesday announced that it "has signed American Ethanol E15 as the new title sponsor" of its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Sept. 18. The coalition of Growth Energy and the Illinois Corn Marketing Board "will be the primary sponsor of the 'American Ethanol E15 225' event at the track." American Ethanol replaces Lucas Oil as title sponsor (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 7/21).
