USA TODAY's Bruce Horovitz noted Nestle yesterday announced plans for a '14 rollout of the Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cup, and the brand has "even purchased its first-ever Super Bowl commercial to tout it." Butterfinger Brand Manager Jeremy Vandervoet said that because the new candy will launch early in the year, he "approached his bosses about broadcasting Nestle's first-ever Super Bowl commercial for the rollout." Vandervoet: "They approved the idea in five minutes." Horowitz noted the 30-second spot "will air in the second half" (USA TODAY, 10/16).
DEW POINT: ADWEEK's Christopher Heine noted Mountain Dew is "testing a couple Vine-based TV spots" and the first "appeared over the weekend on NBC Sports, while the second is scheduled to run on Sunday via ESPN." The commercial on ESPN will "highlight Mountain Dew's Dale Earnhardt Jr. sponsorship" during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (ADWEEK.com, 10/16).
BUDDING ROSE: The GUARDIAN's Jason Stone notes Bulls G Derrick Rose stars in a new adidas ad entitled "Basketball is Everything," directed by Stacy Wall. The creative is a "solemnly-made piece of work that's been beautifully put together and -- as long as you can avoid thinking about the irony of him presenting this claim in a commercial for which he's being paid a squillion dollars -- it's a pretty persuasive message" (GUARDIAN.co.uk, 10/17).
SWING OF THINGS: GOLF DIGEST STIX' Stephen Hennessey notes the Pill golf ball essentially is a ball "with two sides cut off," and it "forces you to hit the center of the clubface on putts or chip shots." If you "don't hit it squarely, the Pill wobbles and won't roll straight." Pill inventor Paul Nagi "hired a rep to take it out on the PGA Tour, starting last week at the Frys.com Open." He said that about 30 PGA Tour golfers "have tried the Pill, and he hopes to sign some as official endorsers" (GOLF DIGEST STIX, 10/16 issue).
