Diet Coke will run a $30M "watch-and-win" sweeps in January
around NBC's "Friends." Cast members will appear in ads and in-
store promos leading up to a post-Super Bowl XXX special on
January 28. ... Cadbury Schweppes' Squirt is the title sponsor of
an eight-page tailgate "advertorial" to be inserted in Touchdown
Illustrated, the college football game-day program with 2 million
circulation. ... In addition to new spokesperson Deion Sanders,
General Mills will feature a special limited-edition Wheaties
Super Bowl box featuring Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy
Aikman. ... Stouffer Foods has inked a deal with Major League
Alumni Marketing for a baseball card promo on 3.5 million boxes
of French Bread Pizza. The cards will feature Yogi Berra, Gary
Carter, Don Drysdale, Bob Feller and Willie Stargell. Hawthorne
Sports Marketing/Pittsburgh is the marketing agent for MLAM
(BRANDWEEK, 9/25 issue)....Golfer Phil Mickelson has signed a
multi-year contract with La Mode/Fairway Blues Co. apparel.
Previously, Mickelson had worn only Fairway Blue, but now will
wear both lines on Tour (La Mode)....Chi Chi Rodriquez has signed
with Bolle America (GOLF SHOP OPERATIONS, 9/95 issue)....ESPN's
"SportsCenter" examined the commercial filmed for Visa with
members of the 49ers when they were in Tokyo during the
preseason. Among those in the ad are Coach George Seifert, WR
Jerry Rice, and QB Steve Young (ESPN, 9/26). ....The 79th NHL
regular season begins October 6 under the tagline "GAME ONe" with
the Avalanche vs. the Red Wings (NHL)....On Taco Bell's "War on
the Floor" matchup Saturday evening between Shaq and Hakeem,
NEWSDAY's Rob Parker writes, "What a fraud. ... Taco Bell, which
is sponsoring this bore-fest with $1 million in prize money, has
a clever slogan: Run for the border. You should run far away
from this one as possible. Can you say Bayonne?" (NEWSDAY,
9/27)....The NFL Players Super Shoot-Out is seeking sponsors for
its January 23 pre-Super Bowl golf and basketball events
featuring 40 NFL players. Already participating are Kraft Foods,
Nabisco Food, General Mills, Quaker Oats, PING and Planet
Hollywood. Contact The Lazin Group in Chicago (AD AGE,
9/25)....The 1910 Honus Wagner T-206 baseball trading card,
valued in excess of $451,000, will be one of many given away as
part of a trading card promotion by Treat Entertainment. To win,
consumers must complete entry forms in select card packages
distributed by Treat Entertainment at all Wal-Mart stores (Upper
Deck).... Nike's marketing power is featured in the current
NEWSWEEK. Despite the "recent controversy, Nike's image is still
scoring a slam dunk with consumers, more than one out of three
athletic shoes sold in the U.S. now bears Nike's swoosh"
(NEWSWEEK, 10/2 issue)....Charlie Gibson hosted ACOG's Scott
Anderson today on "Good Morning America" on the Olympic ticket
lottery. Three ticket hopefuls joined Anderson and opened their
responses from ACOG to see what tickets were granted. One couple
was granted tickets to five out of the 17 events they requested
(ABC, 9/27).
