NO NASCAR JACKET REQUIRED: In Raleigh, Elizabeth Wellington reported that "we are at the end of yet another fad in teen fashion: NASCAR racing jackets," which "crept into the world of fashion-conscious, black male teenagers with a vengeance two years ago." NASCAR Managing Dir of Licensing Dee Scott said that the "jacket was a flash in the pan for NASCAR, too. When the coats were hot, [NASCAR] enjoyed tremendous exposure among black teens." Scott: "We got a lot of press, a lot of TV coverage. It was great for the sport. But the youth market is fickle, they go after the hot new trend and that's over" (NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/19). Reebok Int'l signed a licensing deal with Clearly Canadian Beverage to produce a branded drink for the U.S., Canadian and Caribbean markets (GUARDIAN, 2/19)....In Chicago, Lewis Lazare reported Fox' John Madden will "assume a markedly lower profile" in the Ace Hardware "advertising mix." Madden "won't completely disappear," as he will "continue to serve as a motivator for Ace's sales staff and have a presence" on Ace's Web site (SUN-TIMES, 2/19).
