Starbucks Music introduces Sonya Kitchell
Written by Joyce L Chow & William Hoehne April 1 2006
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Procter and Gamble Company SEC FILINGS ALERT
ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
Starbucks Music introduces Sonya Kitchell
2006 Miss USA Delegates Attend a Private Advance Screening of the Feature Film Comedy STICK IT
Tiffany & Co and Frank Gehry,
Cingular Announces Exclusive Concert With Rihanna and Nick Cannon In Indianapolis
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc announces digital division
SLUG IT OUT!' WINNER ANNOUNCED
Filmmaker David Moore's Latest Work To Be Released Via Internet Today
Comedian D. L. Hughley is confirmed to host the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards
SPORTS
Kraft Nabisco Championship
Cooper Tire Races Into China
New Era Launches National Interactive Tour at Dodgers Stadium
'Authentic Fit' Tour Shows Company's Hand at Making Baseball Caps
Will Barry Bonds Be Suspended for Steroid Use? Bodog.com Lets You Bet on It
DOD
DOD Identifies Casualties
The Defense Department's Military Health System
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY
NEWS
Delaware Court Finds in Favor of Mattel and Fisher-Price
LeapFrog Enterprises Lawsuit Dismissed, Patent Claim Found to be Invalid
Interviews Set With NASA's Stephanie Wilson of Next Shuttle Crew
European Women to Pass Men on Internet Use
TARGET'S NEW BUYING PRACTICES FRUSTRATE MARKETERS
BMW CRITICIZED FOR ADS TARGETING GAYS
Online Searches Precipitate Offline Buying
COKE UNVEILS NEW AD THEME: 'HAPPINESS IN A BOTTLE'
NINTENDO AIMS FOR MINDS OF BOOMERS
AUDIENCE FOR ONLINE VIDEO GROWING RAPIDLY
___________________________________
ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
Starbucks Hear Music introduces Sonya Kitchell
Reminiscent of Jewell, Sonya Kitchell arrives at your neighborhood Starbucks April 4th .
We first discovered Sonya Kitchell at Sennheiser’s Main Event at NAMM in January. She had just
signed a record deal and was one of the new talents in a showcase for their dealers and guests. According to Sennheiser, Sonya is a hot new singer/songwriter who, with her band, are burning down the house wherever they play. Joining Sonya Kitchell were Soulive, redefining their jazz genre and headlining on their own and appearing with The Dave Matthews Band and Matthew Sweet, alternative pop/rock singer/songwriter/guitar-based pop.
If you happen to catch her band on tour, listen carefully to the preppy’s voice range.
2006 Miss USA Delegates Attend a Private Advance Screening of the Feature Film Comedy STICK IT
WHO: 2006 Miss USA Contestants
WHAT: Attend a special advance screening of Touchstone Pictures'
gymnastics comedy STICK IT. Participants will be wearing movie
t-shirts and their official MISS USA State sashes.
The writer of the hit comedy "Bring It On" takes on the world of competitive gymnastics in STICK IT. Haley Graham (MISSY PEREGRYM) is a rebellious 17-year-old who is forced to return to the regimented world of gymnastics after a run-in with the law. A judge sentences Haley to her ultimate nightmare -- attending an elite gymnastics academy run by legendary hardnosed coach Burt Vickerman (JEFF BRIDGES). Haley's rebellious spirit and quick-witted banter quickly shakes things up at the strict school -- making both close friends and bitter foes along the way. Haley surprises herself as she discovers an unexpected ally in the form of her new coach, and learns respect is a two-way street. Haley, Vickerman, and a group of his elite athletes band together to confront a major championship and prove that loyalty, friendships and individual athletes matter more than rules, judges or scores. http://www.stickitmovie.com/
STICK IT is rated PG-13 and opens in theatres APRIL 21, 2006.
The Miss Universe Organization, producers of the MISS UNIVERSE(R), MISS USA(R) and MISS TEEN USA(R) Pageants, is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal partnership. Utilizing its nationwide grass roots infrastructure, the Miss Universe Organization is committed to increasing awareness of breast and ovarian cancers. By forging relationships with organizations committed to research and education, such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and Gilda's Club, Miss USA is armed to impact women today.
Source: Touchstone Pictures
Web site: http://www.stickitmovie.com/
Tiffany & Co and Frank Gehry
TIFFANY & CO. DEBUTS THE NEXT WAVE IN JEWELRY DESIGN:
THE GEHRY™ COLLECTION
With the introduction of the first collection by its newest designer, celebrated architect FrankGehry, Tiffany puts the fashion world on notice: This partnership of equals – Frank Gehry’s vision matched with Tiffany’s unparalleled reputation for quality and raftsmanship – has created a dynamic and original style of jewelry.
The Gehry™ Collection is based on Gehry’s lifelong obsession with art. Just as he has built profoundly brilliant works of architecture set in myriad landscapes, so now does he turn to the most intimate of all the arts, jewelry design, creating provocative new forms scaled perfectly to the body.“Only an artist and master builder of Mr. Gehry’s caliber could express such affinity for metal, stone and wood,” said Jon King, Tiffany’s senior vice president of merchandising. “He is simply the best at what he does, and with Tiffany’s heritage of nurturing design genius and making extraordinary jewelry, it only makes sense that we come together.
Proof of that is clear in the way each finished design captures all of the kinetic rhythm and spontaneity that are present in his sketches and models.” Frank Gehry utilizes an unusual array of materials, such as black gold, pernambuco wood and cocholong stone, in his collection. Along with sterling silver, diamonds and gemstones, these materials define six intriguing motifs inspired by structural elements, childhood memories, renaissance masters and contemporary painters:
Torque
The architect’s familiar linear and curved planes take on a new twist, unleashing an
inner energy in sweeping turns, clean lines and crisp edges.
Fish
Gehry’s fish passionately express life with a powerful beauty and magnetism.
Always in motion, these forms nestle gracefully with one another and the body.
Orchid
This purely feminine shape seduces as it unfurls, reaching up to embrace the light and
arresting the eye with its undulating, sensual surfaces.
Equus
Inspired by the majesty of a horse’s head, Gehry captures an untamed vitality,
sinuous and absolutely exhilarating.
Fold
Divergent lines and folds that are in remarkable harmony create a uniquely
sophisticated and enchanting elegance.
Axis
A rectilinear structure of two interlocking elements is the basis for jewelry of sleek
versatility.“For me, architecture and design are about the process,” said Frank Gehry. “Sketching andshaping three-dimensional models and conceptualizing different possibilities -- this is the essence of creating, whether in architecture, jewelry, or any other art form. The impulse is always the same: to discover new forms that have a natural flow and a relevance to contemporary life. With Tiffany’s expertise in jewelry making and superb selection of materials, I believe we’ve accomplished that.”
The Gehry™ Collection will launch at select TIFFANY & CO. stores in the U.S. and Japan in April 2006, additional U.S. stores in July, with other U.S., Asia and Europe locations launching in fall 2006.
TIFFANY & CO. and TIFFANY are trademarks of Tiffany and Company.
Gehry™, Frank Gehry™ and Frank O. Gehry™ are trademarks of Frank O. Gehry and are protected under the laws of the United States.April 2006
FRANK O. GEHRY
Frank Owen Gehry is indisputably one of the world’s most inventive and pioneering architects. His use of unusual materials, flowing forms and interlocking structures is legendary. Achievements such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Gehry’s abstract masterpiece, bear eloquent testimony to his extraordinary talent.
Born in 1929, in Toronto, he relocated with his family to Los Angeles in 1947. He received his undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 1954. After studying at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, he returned to California and opened his first architecture firm in 1963. Mr. Gehry’s commercial, residential, museum and performance projects reflect both an urban vocabulary and his long association with contemporary artists. The deconstructive aesthetic for which he is most noted evolved from a fascination with the artists’ hands-on involvement in their work and their creative impulse that defied trend and tradition.
Through his own wildly imaginative sketches and models, Mr. Gehry gave feeling and spirit to form without regard for symmetry or staying true to the Modernist grid. In so doing he redefined architecture, producing buildings of startling new dimension, dynamic and sensuous, with sleek, curving details. In the words of architecture critic Paul Goldberger,
“Mr. Gehry is an architect of immense gifts who dances on the line separating architecture from art but who manages never to let himself fall.” Mr. Gehry has earned the highest awards in the architecture field, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize, awarded in 1989; the National Medal of Arts in 1998; and the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects in 1999.
His most famous structures include the Vitra Design Museum (1990) in Germany, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (1997), the Experience Music Project (2000) in Seattle, and
Walt Disney Concert Hall (2003) in Los Angeles. He was also the subject of a 2005 documentary, Sketches of Frank Gehry, by movie director Sydney Pollack. By engaging the architect in conversation, Pollack reveals the seminal events that shaped his life and how his unique style evolved.
In 2003, Mr. Gehry established a partnership with Tiffany & Co. to create an exclusive jewelry collection to launch in 2006. Rooted in an exquisite understanding of materials and structure, the collection explores the expressive potential of precious metals, wood and stones. Like his buildings, Mr. Gehry’s jewelry exudes vitality, with Tiffany skillfully realizing the spontaneous twists and turns the artist discovers when rules are cast aside and a new style emerges.
FRANK O. GEHRY Q&A
A design genius is a rare individual. Over the past 169 years a select few of these gifted minds have helped Tiffany define what is best in the world of jewelry. Today there is a new name at Tiffany & Co.: Frank Gehry, the world’s greatest living architect whose revolutionary aesthetic has redefined architecture as we know it. At his core, Gehry is an artist of monumental importance. He deconstructs the world, finds its essence and then creates something absolutely original. Now he focuses his genius on the most intimate and personal of all the arts – jewelry design – and partners with Tiffany in realizing his bold new vision with new materials, textures and colors. His arresting shapes and forms have a kinetic rhythm and energy. They are at one with the body. And they bring excitement and fresh meaning to the very idea of beauty.
When did you become interested in jewelry?
The idea of designing jewelry had intrigued me for a long time, particularly the notion of
creating shapes on a whole new scale. Jewelry is an art form and it’s an interesting one in that it is a very personal expression of the wearer’s style and personality.
What motivated you to design jewelry?
I simply became more and more curious about what it would be like to work in a new art form and make a contribution to it. Testing your skills in a new format is one of the best ways I know to stay fresh and keep moving forward.
Why did you decide to partner with Tiffany & Co.?
While I could envision what I wanted the jewelry to look like, I needed an expert to actually produce it. Tiffany showed me how my ideas could become jewelry with a startling new look and feeling. That is where I found the collaboration to be so exciting. Tiffany knows how to
make jewelry and together we tested the limits of conventional jewelry design.
What was your design inspiration?
I always felt at home with artists, who inspired me with their ability to make things with their
hands. So paintings and sculptures have been very important to me. In conceptualizing jewelry designs for Tiffany, I worked in the artist’s – and my own – time-honored way, sketching and creating models to discover new ways to give feeling and spirit to form.
What new forms did you discover?
My jewelry collections for Tiffany include signatures from my structural designs such as Fish, Torque and Axis, motifs with a sense of movement and grace that naturally conform to the body.
There are new forms too, discovered in the creative collaboration with Tiffany.
Did you find designing jewelry especially challenging?
Yes, but that’s all part of the creative process. Designing is never easy. The more you work with the materials, however, the more ideas come to you about new ways to shape them. That is where I found the collaboration with Tiffany to be so exciting. I found it fascinating to see how they would take my forms and drawings and make jewelry.
Are there parallels between architecture and jewelry design?
They are both highly creative pursuits and require the ability to visualize within a prescribed environment. A building or a piece of jewelry can’t be just anything. It must adhere to certain conditions. The challenge is to satisfy all the conditions, yet design something that is truly different and innovative.
TIFFANY DESIGNERS: THE CREATORS AND KEEPERS OF A GREAT LEGACY
Throughout its history, Tiffany has partnered with designers who possessed both the vision and the skill to take the world’s finest diamonds and gemstones and create the jewels of the moment. From the remarkable artisans and craftspeople whose inspired work established Tiffany & Co. as a world premier jeweler to the current keepers of an unparalleled reputation, Tiffany’s exclusive designers have moved the jeweler’s legacy forward with ever new and innovative designs of ultimate style and elegance.
Jean Schlumberger (1907-1987), one of the twentieth century’s most notable designers, embarked on his most prolific design period when he arrived at Tiffany & Co. in 1956. Schlumberger transformed nature’s wonders -- flowers, exotic birds and ocean life -- into fantastic jewels unrivaled in the world of jewelry design. His colorful, gem-encrusted jewels brought him countless awards and the allegiance of Hollywood royalty and socialites who reigned over the fashion world.
In 1974 Tiffany introduced Elsa Peretti and a new design aesthetic characterized by the stylization of natural forms – hearts, bones, apples, beans, teardrops, starfish – that evoke subtle abstractions, sensuous and beautifully contoured. From sheer, fluid gold mesh to the revolutionary Diamonds by the Yard®, Elsa Peretti’s contemporary creations bring modern ease and accessible chic to dressing day and night.
The 1980s marked the return of color and opulence to fashion. Enter Paloma Picasso and her generously scaled jewels teeming with vitality and imagination. First introduced by Tiffany in 1981, Paloma Picasso’s color-saturated jewels were embraced by a new generation of fashion devotees.
Her talent for combining colorful gemstones in powerful jewelry statements has brought her international acclaim and she remains both a trend-setter and an icon of glamour.
A new century brought a new designer, world-renowned architect Frank Gehry to Tiffany & Co. Launched in 2006, The Gehry Collection reflects one man’s imagination and lifelong obsession with art. In the hands of this master builder, precious metals, stones and wood are rendered in sinuous, freeform designs styled by Tiffany in striking, original jewelry that bursts with spontaneity Each of these inspired Tiffany partners has shaped the jeweler’s heritage in unique and dramatic ways, and all are written into history as major contributors to the art of design.
TIFFANY & CO. and TIFFANY are trademarks of Tiffany and Company.
Cingular Announces Exclusive Concert With Rihanna and Nick Cannon In Indianapolis
Cingular Sounds Live will give customers exclusive access to see and hear concert performances by some of today's most popular artists -- all from their wireless phone
Adding yet another musical element to its repertoire, Cingular today announced that Cingular Sounds Live, a unique concert series designed to generate exclusive content specifically for the mobile environment, will come to Indianapolis. On March 31st, the company will host an invitation-only Cingular Sounds Live concert at the Vogue featuring performances by Def Jam Records recording artist Rihanna, whose singles "SOS" and "Pon De Replay" have become major pop hits, and Nick Cannon, whose current hit is "Can I Live?".
Cingular creates, produces and hosts a series of regular music events throughout the country from which taped footage will be used as part of the company's exclusive video offering. Utilizing the company's on-demand streaming video service, Cingular Video(TM), customers will be able to use their 3G-compatible wireless phones to watch concert highlights shortly after the live event.
"Showing video content on wireless devices is not necessarily new anymore, but what makes Cingular Sounds Live so unique is that we aren't chasing music concerts to get this footage. Instead, we are actually creating these mobile music events for the sole purpose of making the content available for our customers to access and enjoy on their wireless phones," said David Garver, executive director of segment marketing and sponsorships, Cingular Wireless.
Cingular Sounds Live is the latest development in the company's successful Cingular Sounds program. The creation of Cingular Sounds Live demonstrates Cingular's leadership in wireless music innovation, as well as the natural synergies between wireless and music.
"With the advancement of wireless networks and handset technologies, the cell phone is becoming a true entertainment device. Innovative programs like Cingular Sounds Live allow us to address the needs of many consumers who want to stay connected to their lives -- and their music -- while mobile," added Garver.
Cingular has a long history in leading the convergence of wireless and music:
- July 2003 - Introduces First Music Phone, the Nokia 3300
- July 2003 - Introduces First Music Phone, the Nokia 3300- March 2004 - First to Offer Music Tone Ringtones From All Major Music
Labels
- April 2005 - Debuts Cingular Sounds with Never Heard Before Music as
Ringtones
- September 2005 - Launches World's First Phone with iTunes
- September 2005 - First to Offer Billboard Mobile Music Application
- November 2005 - Unveils MobiRadio with more than 40 Streaming Music
Stations
- December 2005 - Releases Sony Ericsson W600i Music Phone
- December 2005 - Announces Exclusive Ringtone "Don't Give Up (Africa)"
Performed by Alicia Keys and Bono, with Proceeds Supporting AIDS Relief
Organization, Keep A Child Alive
- January 2006 - Cingular launches the exclusive SLVR featuring iTunes
- February 2006 - Cingular launches Cingular Sounds Live
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 54.1 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc., formerly SBC Communications Inc., and BellSouth Corporation , has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(TM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/.
About Rihanna
Barbados born songstress Rihanna recorded one of the most popular singles of 2005, the hypnotic "Pon De Replay." In 2005, Rihanna toured with Gwen Stefani, making crowds sweat in Japan, posing for magazine covers in Los Angeles and shooting her first film role for Bring It On Yet Again. This was a long way from the quiet life she led in Barbados in the parish of St. Michael. Robyn Rihanna Fenty has come through her musical initiation process unscathed. And now she is poised for everything that 2006 may hold as she readies to do it again with her sophomore release A Girl Like Me. With A Girl Like Me, the beautiful singer proves that her breakthrough was no fluke. After selling 1 million copies worldwide of her debut Music Of The Sun, once again, the summer belongs to Rihanna.
About Nick Cannon
At the age of 25-years-old Nick Cannon is a successful rapper, writer, comedian, film star and executive producer of his very own hit show "The Nick Cannon Show." Now he is ready for the next stage of his career with the release of his debut album. Cannon has appeared in a number of movies including Drumline and Shall We Dance and even hosts "Nick Cannon presents: Wild 'N Out" on MTV. His new single featuring Anthony Hamilton titled "Can I Live?" is on his forthcoming debut album STAGES. To add to the list of accomplishments Nick is the CEO of his own record label "Can I Ball Records" in which he has partnered with Universal Motown.
Source: Cingular Wireless
http://cingular.mediaroom.com/
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) announced today the formation of MGM's New Media division and named Douglas A. Lee to oversee the new unit as Executive Vice President.
In this newly created role, Lee will oversee MGM's digital distribution strategy. He will also spearhead the studio's broadband and wireless efforts and shepherd new digital media growth.
Harry E. Sloan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MGM, said: "MGM will be making significant moves in terms of new platforms, ranging from TV and the Internet to wireless, mobile and more. Doug has a wealth of senior management experience culled from several major media companies including Fox, HBO and Universal. This and his proven track record in new media will be a great benefit and addition to MGM's already outstanding team. I'm thrilled to have him at the helm as we capitalize on the myriad opportunities in the digital space."
Rick Sands, Chief Operating Officer of MGM, commented: "Doug is an expert at navigating the new media space and identifying key opportunities. He will also be working closely with our strategic partner, Sony Corporation of America, which is at the forefront of Blu-ray and major electronic and digital initiatives."
Sony Corporation of America is a strategic partner of MGM.
"There are numerous opportunities to grow and extend the MGM brand in the new media age," said Lee. "We will look to mine the library for new opportunities and also create new productions and initiatives for the plethora of new media opportunities that currently exist, as well as plan for new and emerging possibilities."
With over 20 years experience as a senior executive in the global entertainment business, Lee's career highlights include the launch of HD Cinema 10 for VOOM; the creation of Noggin, the first educational children's network and a joint venture between Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon; a founder of CRIME, a broadband platform that was sold to USA Cable; and he was instrumental in spearheading News Corp.'s acquisition of Star-TV, the leading satellite platform in Asia.
Most recently, Lee was the founder of Lee Consulting Company in New York and served as a consultant to various major media companies including Comcast, Court TV and The Hinduja Group, the largest multiple system operator in India. Lee was also an executive at Universal Television, where he served as General Manager and Head of CRIME, the first 24-hour cable network dedicated to the crime genre. CRIME was a broadband extension of CRIME.COM, a company Lee founded with John Langley, the Executive Producer and Creator of the long- running Fox television series, "Cops." In 1998, Lee was a key member of the Sesame Workshop executive team which created Noggin.
Lee also worked for many years for 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, where he initially served as Vice President of Pay Television Worldwide and then held several senior executive positions at the Film Studio, on the Fox Corporate Staff and the parent company, News Corporation. In 1991, Lee took charge of Fox International and spearheaded News Corp.'s entry into the satellite television business in Asia and Latin America. In1992, Lee moved to Hong Kong where he organized the successful acquisition of STAR-TV, the leading satellite television provider in Asia. Mr. Lee was involved in the creation of other News Corp owned cable networks and satellite platforms including FX (U.S.), Canal Fox (Latin America) and Sky Movies (U.K.). He also headed his own television production company that developed content for Fox Television.
After graduating from law school, Lee spent several years at HBO in New York where he served as a Programming and New Business Development executive specializing in the creation and launching several cable television networks including Cinemax, Festival and The Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central.) He began his television career at WNYW-TV, Fox Television where he worked as an Associate Producer/Assignment Editor/Newswriter on "The 10 O'Clock News." Lee earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,000 titles. Operating units including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 110 countries. Under the supervision of new Chairman and CEO Harry Sloan, MGM is revitalizing all areas of the company. As a result, the studio is now being positioned as an independent, vertical integrated multi-media company. MGM ownership is currently as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), Texas Pacific Group (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Web site: http://www.mgm.com/
'SLUG IT OUT!' WINNER ANNOUNCED IN TELEVISION SPOT CONTEST FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND GOLD CIRCLE FILMS' GENRE-BENDING HORROR 'SLiTHER'
Universal Pictures today announced that 25-year-old Southern California production coordinator Christopher Ell won the grand prize in its "Slug it Out!": "Slither" TV Spot Contest. Coinciding with the promotional launch of the new genre-bending horror film "Slither," the aspiring filmmaker nabbed the contest prize of $25,000 and will be rewarded with an airing of his spot during NBC's top-rated "My Name is Earl" on Thursday, March 30, during the 9:00 - 9:30 p.m. EST/PST broadcast. "Slither" oozes into theaters nationwide on March 31, 2006.
Ell's creation was chosen from hundreds of entries as the top creative by "Slither's" director James Gunn and one of its producers, Paul Brooks. Online visitors to the film's official web site, www.slithermovie.net, were given hands-on exposure to the world of theatrical motion picture advertising as they assembled the ultimate TV commercial to promote the film. Visitors took Universal-supplied assets including clips, music cues, sound FX and graphics and built a customized version of a "Slither" TV spot.
Adam Fogelson, president of marketing, Universal Pictures commented, "User generated content is key to "Slither's" core marketing campaign. With more than 1,100 submissions in little more than a week, it looks like fans of the horror genre appreciate the direct outreach. We congratulate Chris and commend everyone who answered the call to design disgusting and hilarious creatives."
A surprised Ell said, "As a filmmaking up-and-comer, I'm looking forward to where the exposure may take me, even if it is just 30 seconds of fame. I knew when I entered the contest, I'd be up against many cool, unique and slimy shorts. I feel blessed the filmmakers thought my entry captured the spirit of the film."
The "Slug It Out!" online contest received entries from Feb 27 - March 9. Twenty-five finalists were chosen from that pool by Universal Pictures. In addition to grand prize winner Ell, four first prize winners were selected by director Gunn and producer Brooks. The first prize winners will each receive $1,000 and a "Slither" movie poster autographed by Gunn and the cast of "Slither." Twenty runners-up will receive "Slither" merchandise and a Universal Pictures horror DVD.
The filmmaker's winning spot may also be seen online at www.slithermovie.net.
ABOUT "SLiTHER"
"Slither" is an edgy blend of heart-stopping terror, wry humor and surprising humanity from genre-bending screenwriter James Gunn, whose "Dawn of the Dead" became one of 2004's most surprising hits.
The sleepy town of Wheelsy could be any small town in America -- somewhat quaint and gentle, peopled with friendly folks who mind their own business. But just beneath the surface charm, something unnamed and evil has arrived ... and is growing. No one seems to notice as telephone poles become clogged with missing pet flyers, or when one of the town's richest citizens, Grant Grant (Michael Rooker), begins to act strangely. But when farmers' livestock turn up horribly mutilated and a young woman goes missing, Chief of Police Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) and his team, aided by Grant's wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks), uncover the dark force laying siege to their town ... and come face-to-face with an older-than-time organism intent on absorbing and devouring all life on Earth.
"Slither" is the feature film directing debut of screenwriter James Gunn (the recent hit re-envisioning of "Dawn of the Dead") and stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry and Michael Rooker. It is also written by Gunn. "Slither" -- a Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films presentation of a Strike Entertainment Production -- is produced by Paul Brooks and Eric Newman.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi Universal.
Source: Universal Pictures
Filmmaker David Moore's Latest Work To Be Released Via Internet Today
Award-winning independent filmmaker David Moore announced today that his latest work, a one-hour documentary three years in the making, will be available for viewing via the internet at 12 noon Eastern.
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The film's distribution campaign is innovative. Viewers anywhere can watch History's Hidden Engine on their PCs for free. Then those who wish can purchase a copy in DVD format. This appears to be the first-ever major documentary to be released in such a manner."It's an experiment," says spokesperson Mark Almand. "We think that people will want to purchase it even after they've seen it for free."
History's Hidden Engine explores society's moods and how shifts in overall mood affect areas as disparate as fashion, movies, politics, the economy and the tendency to make war. Moore says he was inspired to create the movie by "Popular Culture and the Stock Market," a report by financial analyst Robert Prechter. Moore quickly realized that "the ideas behind this field are too new and complex to explore in every aspect in a single documentary." Nonetheless, he liked the challenge of creating a film that includes the views of an increasing number of experts who are looking into the emerging theory called socionomics.
Moore spent more than three years researching, filming and producing the documentary.
History's Hidden Engine will be available for streaming and downloading from www.socionomics.net/HHE/stream beginning Friday, March 31, at 12 noon Eastern.
Source: Socionomics Institute
Web site: http://www.socionomics.net/HHE/stream
Comedian D. L. Hughley is confirmed to host the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards
Comedian D. L. Hughley is confirmed to host the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards, executive producer, Gina M. Holland, CEO, Ruby Red, Inc. announced today. Scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California, the NAMIC Vision Awards is the only program of its kind, honoring the cable industry's achievements in creating quality, original programming targeted to multi-ethnic audiences. "D. L. is not only one of the best comics on the scene, he is the ultimate entertainer," said Holland, "We are mounting a high-energy show that will be marked by memorable moments, and we are excited that D.L. will be the driving force behind that effort."
One of "The Original Kings of Comedy," Hughley has made numerous television and film appearances including hosting the late night talk show, "Weekends at the DL." Next up, Hughley will play "Simon Stiles" in the Aaron Sorkin pilot, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Set behind-the-scenes of a fictional broadcasting network's sketch comedy show, the comedic drama is anticipated for NBC's Fall schedule. Additionally, Notes from the GED Section, Hughley's comedy CD, was recently released on Comedy Central Records. Hughley commented: "They have vision, I have vision, so this should make for a GREAT night!"
A record thirty networks are vying for NAMIC Vision Awards, which are presented in 11 programming categories. "The record number of nominated networks is indicative of the industry's resolute commitment to creating original content that positively reflects the diverse interests of its viewers," said Manish Jha, president, NAMIC, Inc., and senior vice president and general manager, Mobile ESPN. MTV Networks leads the distinguished group of networks with 8 nominations. BET, HBO and Zee TV each received 4, while Showtime and TNT garnered 3 a piece to round out the top 5 nominated networks. Presenters for the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards confirmed to date include: Obba Babatunde, Irene Bedard, Robert Gossett, Ernie Hudson, Kyle Massey, Zahn McClarnon, Carlos Mencia, Cesar Milan, Shelley Morrison, Arthel Neville, Gina Ravera, Corey Reynolds, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Kym Whitley. Emmy award winning casting director and producer, Robi Reed of Robi Reed Entertainment is this year's Honorary Chair.
In addition to highlighting the best in multicultural, original content in the programming categories, the evening's most coveted honors, the North Star, Quasar and Legacy awards will also be presented. Presented to an individual or organization that has demonstrating a long-standing commitment to promoting ethnic and cultural diversity, Tony Award winning actor-writer-producer, Ruben Santiago-Hudson is this year's North Star Award recipient. A native of Lackawanna, New York, Santiago-Hudson is the writer-producer of the critically acclaimed and award-winning HBO original movie "Lackawanna Blues." Derived from Santiago-Hudson's one man show of the same name where he portrays over 20 characters from his past, "Lackawanna Blues" is up for a NAMIC Vision Award for Best Drama.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. will receive the Quasar Award, which is presented to entities working in the cable and telecommunications arena for their achievements in advancing the cause of diversity in the past year. DiversityInc ranked Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. at #2 on the magazine's 2005 Top 50 Company's for Diversity list. With 250 companies participating in 2006, the Top 50 rankings set the national standard for corporate diversity management in the four areas measured: Human Capital, CEO Commitment, Corporate Communications and Supplier Diversity. Veteran television and film writer-producer, Kyle Bowser is the 2006 Legacy Award recipient. Bowser founded the NAMIC Vision Awards in 1994, during his tenure as Director of Creative Affairs for HBO Independent Productions. The Legacy Award pays homage to a trailblazing individual or body of work that has made an indelible impact on the diversity landscape.
Warner Bros. is the lead sponsor of the 2006 Vision Awards. NAMIC's Annual Corporate Sponsors include Comcast, MTV Networks, Disney & ESPN Media Networks, Lifetime Entertainment Services, Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting System, Cox Communications, HBO, Showtime Networks Inc., Advance Newhouse Communications & Brighthouse House Networks, A&E Television, AZN Television, BET, Discovery Communications, Fox Cable Group, Scripps Networks, Starz Entertainment Group and The Weather Channel.
For more information on the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards, log onto http://www.namic.com/. The 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards are presented in partnership by the NAMIC Foundation and NAMIC - Southern California.
About NAMIC
NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a nonprofit trade association, today NAMIC is comprised of nearly 2,000 professionals belonging to a network of chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion on the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve.
Source: NAMIC
Web site: http://www.namic.com/
SPORTS
Kraft Nabisco Championship
Michelle Wie was a 13-year-old in eighth grade, when she played in the final group at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and felt out of her league,at age 16, but she relishes the next chance.
Lorena Ochoa kept her four-shot lead over Wie, both grinding over every shot on a cool, blustery Friday afternoon in the desert and matching scores of 1-under 71 to get into the final group of the LPGA Tour's first major of the year.
"It's amazing how easy things were yesterday, and today I worked really hard for my 1 under," Ochoa said. "I was pleased with my round. I really like my position."
Coming off a 62 in the first round, which tied the lowest score ever in a major, Ochoa twice scrambled for par and pieced together enough birdies for finish at 11-under 133.
Wie had a three-putt bogey on her fourth hole (No. 13), then had 4-foot par putts on the next two holes that easily could have sent her into a tailspin. She made them both, pumping her fist both times as if she had made birdie, and steadied herself to a 71 and into the final group.
Karrie Webb, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame four months ago, holed out a 7-iron from 152 yards for eagle on her way to a 68 and was at 138. She will join Ochoa and Wie in the final group.
Wie also played in the final group Saturday at the U.S. Women's Open last summer at Cherry Hills. But she remembered her first time, in the '03 Kraft Nabisco when she closed with a 76 with no expectations.
She is a 16-year-old professional now, although hardly a grizzled veteran. she showed plenty of game on a Mission Hills course that was tricky with swirling winds.
Annika Sorenstam's start toward the Grand Slam isn't going anywhere. She sputtered again in the first LPGA Tour major of the year, twice three-putting for bogey on her way to an even-par 72 that left her 10 shots behind.
She won last year by eight shots at Mission Hills and got halfway to the Grand Slam, then set that as her primary goal for this season.
None of the early starters were able to do anything that made Ochoa worry. When the 24-year-old Mexican stepped to the first tee, she still had her four-shot lead over Wie and no one else was within six shots.
There was more wind in the afternoon, far more than there was Thursday in the opening round, and a testament to the conditions was the fact Ochoa took as much pride in two pars as any of her birdies.
The tournament is only halfway over, and the Dinah Shore course is punishing enough that a five-shot lead is not enough to make anyone relax.
Sorenstam felt as though she should have done much better, and the frustration showed. She was unable to get the ball close enough for a birdie chance, and missed the few opportunities she had.
Cooper Tire Races Into China
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company today announced its debut in the China market with the introduction of the Cooper brand soon to be available in China. The announcement was made at Cooper Tire's "Pit Stop China" press conference in conjunction with the A1 Grand Prix race which takes place on Sunday in Shanghai. Cooper Tire is the official tire for the A1 Grand Prix, which is also known as the World Cup of Motorsports.
Thomas A. Dattilo, Chairman, President and CEO of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company said, "We are excited to introduce our brand into the Chinese market. We have great respect and high expectations for China and this country will be very important to our future plans."
Cooper Tire is one of the global leaders in the replacement tire industry, being the fourth largest manufacturer in North America and the eighth largest worldwide. Its manufacturing and technical facilities are spread across three continents: North America, Europe and now Asia. Dattilo also said that while the company already had broad sales and distribution networks covering much of the world, Cooper is busy designing a complete line of Cooper brand tires designed especially for the Chinese market. The lines will be tested in a few markets during 2006 with a full launch in early 2007.
Cooper Tire recently acquired majority ownership of Shandong Chengshan Tire Company, China's third largest domestic producer. With technology support from Cooper's technical centers around the world, this facility will produce premium Cooper-branded tires for the Chinese market. Cooper also has a plant under construction as part of a joint venture with Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd. That plant is located in Jiangsu Province. Production is expected to begin in the third quarter 2006 with annual capacity of 10-12 million radial passenger and light truck tires for export to Cooper customers in North America and Europe.
Cooper covers a huge spread of the tire market, from ultra-high performance sports cars to family sedans, SUV and 4x4, vans and trucks to superbikes, as well as special tires such as winter tires and tires used on the race track. Cooper also has a strong motorsports heritage and a special racing arm, Cooper Tire Motorsports. The Cooper A1 slick tire is specially designed for A1 GP and can cope with up to 550 bhp and full-throttle acceleration. In addition to A1, Cooper also provides tires for drag racing, road racing, off-road racing and motorcycle racing as well as trackside support for racers at more than 200 venues each year.
"We believe the A1 Grand Prix event is a great opportunity to launch our brand in China as we showcase our product and technology on the track," Dattilo continued, "Cooper is the perfect global brand for the A1 Grand Prix, as we are dynamic, innovative and international as is this unique series. We look forward to growing in the Chinese consumer market and with this new sport together over the coming years. We wish this weekend's A1 Shanghai Grand Prix the best success!"
The press conference was attended by journalists representing business, auto enthusiasts and lifestyle media as well as government officials, suppliers and customers.
About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car, light truck, medium truck tires and subsidiaries that specialize in motorcycle and racing tires, as well as tread rubber and related equipment for the retread industry. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has 60 manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located around the world. For more information, visit Cooper Tire's web site at: www.coopertire.com
Cooper's Asia Pacific Headquarters are located in the Shanghai Hongqiao Development Zone.
The company has more than 14,000 employees worldwide.
Cooper currently has 9 proprietary brands: Cooper, Mastercraft, Dean, Starfire, Avon, Dominator, Mickey Thompson, Dick Cepek, Chengshan and Austone.
Source: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
Web site: http://www.coopertire.com/
New Era Launches National Interactive Tour at Dodgers Stadium
'Authentic Fit' Tour Shows Company's Hand at Making Baseball Caps
DERBY, N.Y., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- New Era Cap Co., Inc., the exclusive maker and marketer of Major League Baseball's official uniform cap, announced that it will launch the "Authentic Fit" tour, an interactive mobile tour, during the Los Angles Dodgers 2006 home opener at Dodgers Stadium on Monday, April 3, 2006. The tour will visit ballparks across the country during the next eight months; cities include Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.
The "Authentic Fit" tour will bring the essence of New Era's baseball cap to baseball fans far and wide. Exhibited on a customized 53-foot trailer, visitors will see, step by step, how New Era makes its baseball caps through its famed 22-step cap making process. Through this tour, visitors will gain a greater appreciation for New Era's eight-decade long history in baseball.
"New Era's baseball caps have been an integral part of baseball since the 1930s," said New Era Cap's Vice President of Global Marketing John DeWaal. "From Major League ballparks to sandlots worldwide, New Era's baseball caps have fit on and off the field. That is a history we are proud to share with sports fans everywhere."
Elements of the "Authentic Fit" mobile showroom allow visitors to track their fantasy baseball teams on custom-built, online kiosks powered by Dell Notebooks; check out DirectTV's "MLB Extra Innings" on Dell LCD televisions and JBL's Home Audio System; and create their own personalized baseball cards produced with green-screen technology.
The "Authentic Fit" tour will run simultaneously with New Era's "Fit for the Streets" tour, which launched in February during the 2006 NBA All Star Weekend in Houston, Texas. The "Authentic Fit" and the "Fit for the Streets" tours were created and will be managed by Buzztone Inc., an integrated marketing firm based in New York and Los Angeles, and will be supported with GPS technology and tracked through web portals on neweracap.com.
New Era Cap is a Derby, NY-based sports headwear designer, developer and manufacturer, with sales offices in Canada, Europe and Japan. Making more than 25 million licensed and non-licensed, performance and fashion units per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of Major League Baseball's official uniform caps, worn on the field of play by every Major and Minor League player; its other licenses include National Basketball Association, National Hockey League. Founded in 1920, New Era is a privately owned company employing more than 1,500 people in New York and Alabama and overseas. New Era is a Category A affiliate of the Fair Labor Association.
Source: New Era Cap Co., Inc.
Web site: http://neweracap.com
Will Barry Bonds Be Suspended for Steroid Use? Bodog.com Lets You Bet on It
As a swirl of attention and speculation surrounds Barry Bonds, online gaming giant Bodog.com has released a number of proposition wagers on the slugger as he sets out to break Hank Aaron's record for career home runs.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced the launch of a probe into alleged steroid use by Bonds and other MLB players. Selig appointed former Senate majority leader and current Boston Red Sox director George Mitchell to lead the investigation. Although Mitchell's final report will be made public, no timetable for the release has been set. The investigation comes on the heels of the release of the book "Game of Shadows," which alleges steroid use by major leaguers.
"The steroid controversy has been raging for years," says Calvin Ayre, Founder and CEO of Bodog.com. "With Barry Bonds under the microscope, the integrity of the national pastime is at stake. Whenever a current affair of such magnitude finds the spotlight, there will be intense debate. Bodog.com allows people to place a value on their forecasted outcomes of the issues of our time. What we do with our proposition wagers is add to the debate."
Bonds, the San Francisco Giants' star, enters the season with 708 homers, trailing only Babe Ruth (714) and Aaron (755) on the career list. Bettors looking to put their predictions to the test can bet on the following:
Will Barry Bonds be suspended at any time during the 2006 MLB regular season for past or present steroid use?
Yes +170
No -250
How many home runs will Barry Bonds hit in the 2006 MLB regular season?
Over 30 1/2 Home Runs -130
Under 30 1/2 Home Runs -110
Will Barry Bonds break Hank Aaron's all-time Home Run record in 2006?
Yes +315
No -530
Bettors also have plenty of other wagering options at Bodog.com, including lines on regular-season games, more player propositions and futures. For all of Bodog.com's offerings, see http://www.bodog.com/sports-betting/mlb-baseball-player-props.jsp
About Bodog.com
Bodog.com, located in San Jose, Costa Rica, is federally licensed by the Costa Rican and UK governments. Bodog.com Founder and CEO Calvin Ayre, who is recognized as the true pioneer of online gambling and a world authority on branding in the digital entertainment industry, was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine's best-selling "Billionaires" issue in March 2006. Bodog.com is the top-ranked US facing online gambling brand, with highest site traffic amongst multi-product US gaming web sites, according to Hitwise. Bodog.com, valued at over US $1 billion and ranked in the Power 10 online companies by eGaming Review, processed $7 billion in wagers in 2005. The Bodog.com Marketing Conference, www.bodogconference.com, will take place at the Wynn Las Vegas, July 23-26, 2006, attracting the leaders of the online gambling industry. Bodog Entertainment Group also includes a music label, Bodog Music, an online magazine, BodogNation, a television production unit and further properties coming soon. For more information, contact Media Relations at 1-866-892-3371, or pr@bodog.com. BODOG is a registered trademark of Bodog Entertainment Group S.A.
Source: Bodog.com
Web site: http://www.bodog.com/
DOD
DoD Identifies Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. 1st Class John T. Stone, 52, of Norwich, Vt., died March 28 in Lashkagar, Afghanistan as a result of enemy mortar and small arms attacks during combat operations. Stone was assigned to the Army National Guard's 15th Civil Support Team, South Burlington, Vt.
DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tech. Sgt. Walter M. Moss Jr., 37, of Houston, Texas, was killed in the explosion of an improvised explosive device while conducting safing operations in the vicinity of Baghdad, Iraq on March 29. Moss was assigned to the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Sean D. Tharp, 21, of Orlando, Fla., died in Baghdad, Iraq on March 28, when his element came under enemy small arms fire while conducting dismounted patrol operations. Tharp was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The Defense Department's Military Health System
The Defense Department's Military Health System must transform to continue its commitment to protecting the health of its servicemembers and other beneficiaries, a top DoD official told Congressmen yesterday. The armed forces have more than 275,000 servicemembers in Afghanistan, Iraq and other areas around the world, David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, said yesterday in prepared remarks before the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel.
"The department is firmly committed to protecting the health of these and all servicemembers before, during and after their deployment and (of) our other healthcare beneficiaries, who now number 9 million," he said. Several changes in the military health system will make achieving this goal possible, he said. One of the biggest will address the rising costs of health care.
The military health system has essentially doubled in size in the past five years from about $19 billion in 2001 to $38 billion this year, he said. Officials estimate expenditures could reach $64 billion by 2015, he added. "This rapid growth in cost clearly puts the sustainability of our health benefit at risk," Chu said. "The facts show that the expansion of Tricare, high health inflation, the reduction in beneficiary cost shares, and sharp increase of usage by our retirees under 65 is responsible for this growth." Beneficiaries paid 27 percent of total health costs in 1995.
Today they pay only 12 percent. The DoD proposes to bring this into better balance by increasing cost sharing for retirees under 65. After a two-year transition, beginning in fiscal 2009, these premium and co-pay increases would match the average percentage increase of the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, he said. Additionally, the department is proposing changes to pharmacy co-payments for all beneficiaries except active-duty members.
These changes would encourage use of mail order and military treatment facility pharmacy refills and generic products. "We also ask that Congress clarify to those who oppose the department our legal authority to obtain federal pricing discounts for prescriptions obtained at retail pharmacies," he said. The department expects to save about $735 million in fiscal 2007, if both premium and deductible changes as well as pharmacy program adjustments are implemented, he said. Between fiscal 2007 and 2011, expected savings total $11.2 billion. DoD also has addressed internal efficiencies. "We have implemented a number of actions in the last several years designed to slow health care cost," he said.
A partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and obtaining federal pricing for mail order and pharmacy services have contributed to this, Chu said. Consolidation of Tricare contracts, regions and contractors also has led to significant administrative savings. New healthcare contracts use best-practice principles to enhance quality of care, emphasize patient safety, improve beneficiary satisfaction, and control private-sector costs, he said. However, Congress-imposed restrictions on funding adversely affect military treatment facilities as well as private-sector care, he said. "We need the flexibility to move funds between direct-care and private-sector care," Chu said.
This would allow DoD to set military treatment facilities' budgets based on workload output, not staff numbers, supply costs and other materials, he added. DoD's medical health system also is revamping its infrastructure. Medical centers in the national capital area and San Antonio will be consolidated, he said. By contrast, some areas, such as Fort Belvoir, Va., will see significant enhancements. "Another substantial change to the (military health system) infrastructure is the development of joint facilities as a result of increased collaboration with the VA," Chu said. "The most visible example today is at Naval Hospital Great Lakes." There, an aging, oversized hospital is being replaced with a new outpatient facility at North Chicago VA Medical Center, he said. Looking to the future, Chu said, DoD will adapt to new challenges by building on today's achievements. "The transformation process is designed to provide the armed forces with world-class operational-medicine capabilities while delivering the outstanding Tricare benefit to our beneficiaries," he said.
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY,
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, March 31, 2006 - Joint Task Force Guantanamo operations have continued to improve over the last two years, and the task force still plays a vital role in the war on terrorism, the unit's outgoing commander said in an American Forces Press Service interview here yesterday. "What's important about what we're doing is, we're helping protect America," said Army Maj. Gen. Jay Hood, who today relinquishes command of Joint Task Force Guantanamo to Navy Rear Adm. Harry Harris.
"We provide for safe custody of some men who would be very dangerous if they were free." Hood took command of JTF Guantanamo in March 2004, and since then he and his leadership team have made many improvements, with the goal of accomplishing the mission to the highest standards, he said. The mission of JTF Guantanamo is to provide safe and humane custody of detainees and to gather intelligence that could be valuable to the global war on terrorism, Hood said. The past few years have been a very challenging time in custody operations worldwide, he acknowledged, but the focus of Guantanamo leadership has always been on the everyday mission. "Members of the Joint Task Force have worked very hard to improve both the detention and the intelligence-gathering operations from the outset," Hood said. The task force's infrastructure and ability to provide safe, humane custody of detainees is now much better than it was two years ago and is continually improving, Hood said.
The training program for military guards has been expanded to help troops understand the Middle Eastern culture and the Islamic faith. And the International Committee of the Red Cross visits Guantanamo three or four times a year to deliver messages to the detainees, ask them about their living conditions, and review U.S. detention procedures. While detainee treatment always has been consistent with the Geneva Conventions, improvements have been made recently to encourage detainees to cooperate with guards, Hood said. For example, recreation areas have been expanded and dietary plans have been changed with detainees' preferences in mind.
The task force's intelligence-gathering efforts also are much more focused, Hood said, as leaders have a better idea which detainees have valuable information and which do not, he said. The military continues to learn from the detainees, Hood said, and the information is relevant to the war on terror. "Very clearly, there's significant information which we have yet to learn from some of the men we're holding that will help us better understand terrorist organizations -- how they recruit, train, finance, communicate and issue orders," he said. The biggest misconception Hood and his leadership team have faced about Guantanamo Bay is that detainees in U.S. custody are being tortured. Such claims are outrageous, he said, and are not substantiated by the hundreds of media and government officials who have visited the detention facilities. "It's just simply not accurate to imagine, in any way, that the U.S. would not treat the men they're holding in a humane manner," he said.
Troops serving at Guantanamo are aware of the abuse allegations, but they don't let it affect their job performance, Hood said. "Frankly, they are a very proud and professional and dedicated group who, when hearing things like that in the media, almost use it as a motivation to prove that we are doing things right, that nothing could be any further from the truth," he said. Key to success for the future of JTF Guantanamo is to keep the two primary elements of the mission foremost, Hood said. Hood, who is going on to be a special assistant to the commander of U.S. Forces Command at Fort Meade, Md., said he is confident JTF Guantanamo will be in good hands both because of the new leadership team and the quality troops that he leaves behind. "I am extraordinarily proud of the performance of the young men and women from all services who have been here serving with me at Guantanamo Bay," he said. "They are a very dedicated, professional group, who represent the values that have made our country great."
NEWS
Delaware Court Finds in Favor of Mattel and Fisher-Price
LeapFrog Enterprises Lawsuit Dismissed, Patent Claim Found to be Invalid
Mattel, Inc. today announced that it had prevailed in a lawsuit brought against it by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. The U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware, found that Mattel, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary Fisher-Price did not infringe a patent held by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. Furthermore, the asserted patent claim was found to be invalid.
"We are pleased that after a full hearing the Court found in our favor," said Neil Friedman, President of Mattel Brands. "As a company that invests significantly in the development of innovative products and intellectual property, we respect the intellectual property rights of others and conduct our business with the utmost integrity."
About Mattel, Inc.
Mattel, Inc., (www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 25,000 people in 42 countries and sells products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The Mattel vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.
Source: Mattel, Inc.
Web site: http://www.mattel.com/
Interviews Set With NASA's Stephanie Wilson of Next Shuttle Crew
Massachusetts native and Harvard graduate Stephanie Wilson, the astronaut who will
Born in Boston, Wilson graduated from high school in Pittsfield, Mass. She earned a bachelor's degree in engineering science from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Wilson received a master's in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in Austin. She began her NASA career at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., working with the team operating the Galileo spacecraft, which explored Jupiter. She was selected as an astronaut in 1996.
Space Shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station, designated STS-121, will be Wilson's first space flight. During the mission, she will operate the shuttle's and station's robotic arms to support assembly tasks and spacewalks. Discovery is targeted for launch no earlier than July 1. The mission will continue the evaluation of flight safety procedures, including shuttle inspection and repair techniques.
Wilson will fly with Commander Steve Lindsey, pilot Mark Kelly and mission specialists Piers Sellers, Mike Fossum and Lisa Nowak. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter is also part of the crew and will remain on the station for several months.
For information about the STS-121 mission on the Web, visit:
For more information about Wilson, visit the NASA astronaut biography Web site:
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
European Women to Pass Men on Internet Use
The EIAA Digital Women Report, a pan-European insight into women's attitudes and interaction with the internet, reveals that within the next year they will be online more than men. in 3 years the hours spent online by female internet users has grown by 63% and for men it has grown 54%.
The report shows how women's use of different media is evolving as they are interacting with the internet through blogging, ecommerce and instant messaging. As today's consumers are more sophisticated and demanding, the internet offers advertisers the opportunity to engage and interact with their customers better, building deeper relationships, says the study.
Growth is being driven by 16-24 year olds, young professionals and women with children. Young professionals using the internet has more than doubled (+116%) since '03 and women with children use the internet 14% more than the average European woman
Today's busy lifestyles, means that female internet users are making the most of the convenience that the internet offers:
80% felt they could "get what they want quickly and save time" on the internet, compared to 22% for newspapers, 18% for television and 17% for radio
67% agreed they could "have what they want, when they want it", compared to: 28% for television, 27% for newspapers and 25% for magazines
61% believed the internet helped them "stay ahead of the game", compared to: 44% for television, 41% for newspapers and 30% for radio
Women's understanding and use of the internet is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Today, 60% use broadband to go online compared to only 17% three years ago. Only 5% of European women don't know if they have broadband.
TARGET'S NEW BUYING PRACTICES FRUSTRATE MARKETERS
Online Reverse Auctions Put Brands at Disadvantage
The vendor trek most dreaded by the marketing community isn’t to Bentonville, but Minneapolis.
As Wal-Mart gets the marketing and design bug and usurps the long-standing power of its famously ruthless buying division to take a more collaborative approach with suppliers, Target is going the other way. “Wal-Mart is softening,” one supplier to both retailers put it. “Target is hardening.”
The shift comes as Target expands its private-label brands to improve margins and undertakes the daunting challenge of expanding the food section at most of its 1,418 stores.
Suppliers of both large and small brands said Target has demanded unprecedented price concessions during the past year, in addition to beefing up what some call an uncompromising strong-arm tactic not even seen in Bentonville: an online reverse auction buying system considered by some suppliers as a margin-busting, no-win option for them.
The auctions, they said, tip the scale in favor of private-label manufacturers ahead of branded manufacturers by forcing suppliers to blindly bid on price alone. Additionally, the retailer’s so-dubbed category captains within its buying division today not only want data on product and shipments, but also are making endless data requests suppliers fear will be used against their own brand when the chain launches its next premium-priced house brand.
About a dozen suppliers or brokers contacted by Advertising Age spoke about their frustrations, but not on the record, fearful of harming business relationships with Target.
“Target was once easier to work with than Wal-Mart. They were more into developing a business plan. You did it with them. Wal-Mart was more into dictating what they wanted,” said a VP-sales for a major consumer products company. “That’s changing now and Wal-Mart is more approachable than Target.”
Target’s cheap-chic strategy, despite delivering a regular drubbing in the same-store sales race to a rival six times its size, isn’t an unbeatable one, analysts said. Especially considering what a fast study Wal-Mart is.
Indeed, more and more voices are positing the idea that it’s only a matter of time before the once-dowdy retailer beats Target at its own game. And if that happens, Target will be left to battle in an area the retailer remains ill-equipped to fight -- price. That’s where the supplier frustration comes in.
“Wal-Mart runs under the attitude ‘Let’s take costs out of the system.’ Target’s attitude is ‘Make the supplier bear the brunt of inefficiencies,’” said the head of sales for a major food company. “That makes it much harder to do business at Target today.”
And although Wal-Mart talks tough and remains a demanding customer, it also helps you get there, suppliers said, because of its famed logistics system. The VP-sales explained the difference this way: When he plans and orders shipment to Wal-Mart, he can combine four different brands on one truckload, even if the order has been made by four separate Wal-Mart buyers. Not so at Target.
“Their systems don’t allow it,” said the supplier, who has participated in many of Target’s online auctions. “At Target, the volume isn’t there but their pricing expectations are. I think Target has decided to match Wal-Mart’s pricing, and an online bid system is a great way to do that because it drives down costs.”
Target declined to participate for this story, but did respond to questions regarding online auctions and sourcing. In a statement, it said there was an adjustment period for some vendors, but Target emphasized “it has received positive feedback from many of our suppliers.”
Additionally, Target said the system allows it to award business based upon performance rather than “relationship or history,” noting “it places vendors on equal footing so that the vendors who deserve the business get the business.”
Some brands are simply saying no to the auctions. One national sales manager for a premium food brand that also manufactures private-label products did just that. The sales manager said Target lacks the concentration in food sales to ask hefty price concessions gained via online auctions. “Why go through the pain and aggravation when they are still essentially a start-up in food when they are going to bid it out to the low-cost supplier in the next two years?”
Clearly, Target has a long way to go to catch up with Wal-Mart’s famed distribution system in food. Among suppliers, Target’s shifting attitude is being most acutely felt by smaller brands. Indeed, despite Target’s brand image as a hotbed of innovation, the welcome mat is friendlier at the nondescript offices down in Bentonville than at the retailer’s posh Minneapolis headquarters.
“The problem is the barriers,” said one frustrated supplier. “If you had found the cure for cancer and wanted to sell it over-the-counter, it would take you five years to get it on the shelf at Target.”
A broker who serves dozens of manufacturers as a middleman between suppliers and buyers at Target criticized the chain for not pioneering more new products. “They are only taking the leading brands and selling those. If something does make it big, they’ll bring it in.”
Even so, that doesn’t mean all brands view Target’s evolving ways as necessarily unworkable—especially if you’ve done the work to build a must-have brand.
“Reverse auction is just a tool,” argued a chief marketing officer for a well-known consumer brand, even though Target has launched a copycat house brand in his category. “Those kind of auctions aren’t taking place on the must-have, traffic-building brands. My experience is it’s in categories where the retailer could carry whomever they want, and if they can do that, then how important was your brand? The only place that is safe is if you have a brand that is powerful enough that consumers will be disappointed enough if a retailer doesn’t have it.”
The challenge at Target, though, is a unique one because the retailer is “a better marketer than most retailers and has a proven ability to make good house brands … they speak to a higher, more attractive demographic. If they come out with great-looking stuff, customers are loyal to shopping in their stores, not to shopping for certain brands. If you are a premium brand, why would you not be scared by that?”
And that’s the dilemma. “Maybe it’s the question of being the lobster in the boiling pot,” the marketer added.
BMW CRITICIZED FOR ADS TARGETING GAYS
Gaywheels.com Calls Automaker's Campaign Hypocritical
Here’s a paradox: BMW of North America is under fire from a gay-advocacy auto Web site for advertising in gay and lesbian magazines.
Gaywheels.com called BMW hypocritical, pointing out that the automaker targets “the deep pockets” of gays and lesbians by advertising in publications like The Advocate but doesn’t offer domestic-partner benefits to employees.
“Gay and lesbian consumers want to spend their money with gay-friendly companies,” Joe LaMuraglia, publisher of Gaywheels.com, told Advertising Age. “A lot of people will see companies advertising in gay media and assume they are gay friendly.”
Using domestic-partner benefit programs as a criterion, Gaywheels.com lists some 30 “gay-friendly” and nine “non-gay friendly” auto brands. Seven other auto brands are listed as “still investigating” as the publisher waits to hear about the status of their benefits programs.
A BMW spokeswoman said the automaker, in an effort to stay in line with New Jersey laws, does not offer domestic-partner benefits to any staffers.
The issue is gaining momentum among shoppers in the community. Gay and lesbian buying power is projected to reach $641 billion this year, according to Witeck-Combs Communications, a Washington-based ad agency specialist in the field.
In December the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights organization, issued its first-ever “Buyers Guide for Equality,” a handbook that gives brands scores based on the group’s annual Corporate Equality Index. The index rates major corporations on criteria including staff policies, advertising and event sponsorships. Some 200,000 guides were downloaded during the first two weeks it was on the group’s Web site, a spokesman said.
Sixty-nine percent of gays and lesbians said that a Buyers Guide recommendation would very likely or likely influence their shopping decisions, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs.
DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Sales USA all received perfect 100 ratings in the rights group's most recent index. General Motors Corp., Volkswagen of America and Subaru of America each scored 86. But Nissan North America scored the worst among top automakers with a 29. Not surprisingly, Nissan receives a “non-gay friendly” classification on Gaywheels.com.
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Gay-friendly brands, according to Gaywheels.com
DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz and Maybach
Ford MotorCo.’s Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Aston Martin and majority-controlled Mazda
Toyota Motor Sales USA’s Toyota, Lexus and Scion
General Motors Corp.'s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn
Volkswagen of America's Audi, VW and Bentley
Subaru of America
Isuzu Motors America
Mitsubishi Motors North America
Non-gay-friendly brands, according to Gaywheels.com:
American Honda Motor Co.'s Acura and Honda
BMW's Mini and BMW
Hyundai Motor America and affiliate Kia Motor America
Nissan North America’s Nissan and Infiniti
American Suzuki Motor Corp.
Brands the group is still waiting to hear from:
BMW's Rolls-Royce
Porsche
Lotus
Panoz
Fiat’s Ferrari and Maserati
Lamborghini
Online Searches Precipitate Offline Buying
A recently released comScore research study confirms the importance of search influence of offline buying. 63 percent of searchers completed a purchase in offline retail stores following their search activity, while 25 percent of searchers purchased an item directly related to their query, with more than 1/3 of them buying online. The study reflects the searching behavior of 83 million Americans who conducted more than 552 million searches in 2005 in the categories analyzed using one or more of the 24 leading search engines.
James Lamberti, vice president of comScore Search Marketing Solutions, said "... the important role of search in influencing consumers' purchase behavior both online and offline... can often be responsible for the major portion of the overall financial return from investments in search marketing."
John McAteer, head of retail, Google, the research sponsor, said "This research helps quantify exactly how influential search really is for the overall buying process."
More than 80 percent of buyer conversions occurred offline in categories such as Consumer Electronics, Toys & Hobbies, Video Games and Consoles, and Music/Movies/Videos.
This study found that more than half of consumers' online holiday buying actually happened in subsequent Internet sessions, clearly demonstrating the strong latent impact of search.
Among the 83 million consumers who searched in one or more of the eleven product categories analyzed during the holiday season, the 8.6 million who subsequently bought online were much more intense users of search across all product categories, performing nearly ten times the number of searches compared to non-buyers.
Additionally, the study indicates that 60 percent of all searchers started their search process before November 15, 2005. For search advertisers, these statistics imply that holiday-season advertising budgets should be sufficiently large and applied early enough to cover for the aggressive search behavior of buyers.
COKE UNVEILS NEW AD THEME: 'HAPPINESS IN A BOTTLE'
Launches During NCAA 'Final Four' Games With TV, Billboards, Concerts
After trying a dose of reality, Coca-Cola Co. is turning to the effervescent message that drinking a Coke is “happiness in a bottle” for its new advertising campaign. While TV is a major aspect of the global effort, themed “The Coke side of life,” digital, viral and consumer-created content will dominate the continuous feed of creative during the year.
Artfully designed wild postings, wallscapes and billboards are intended to manifest the optimism of the campaign in high-impact locations and events, including in Indianapolis this weekend where the NCAA Final Four basketball championship takes place. Coke purchased the top 10 billboards in the top 28 markets via Clear Channel to create an out-of-home network for the effort. And on the Web, Coke and its agencies have teamed up with small production companies to create 15-second viral videos called “Bottle Films” to express love for the liquid, the experience and the brand.
The marketer has also teamed with Island Def Jam for an online music platform in which the R&B artist Ne-Yo performs songs and gives a 12-minute interview about what makes him happy. Tagged as a “Coke Side of Life” production, the 95-second audio clips are being made available as free downloads for consumers to share freely on peer-to-peer networks and mobile media devices.
Another program, called “Cokies,” provides rich-media interactive Coke-bottle avatars that pop up on computer screens to direct users to special offers and entertainment.
The marketer is aiming to “make Coke more important to people,” said Esther Lee, chief creative officer, marketing, strategy and innovation of Coca-Cola. Executives conducted a massive research project Coke called “The Big Dig,” which revealed that consumers had a “deep-down love for the brand, but it wasn’t as top of mind.” They also learned that what loyal Coke drinkers love most about the brand was the physical and emotional uplift they got when drinking the product.
Built off the universal theme of happiness, the marketer considered several strategies before focusing on the notion that Coke was “happiness in a bottle.” Accordingly, much of the new creative has revived the iconic shape of the Georgia glass bottle.
The result is a global multimedia platform from independent Wieden & Kennedy, Amsterdam and Portland, Ore., that breaks this weekend in the U.S.
One of the new spots breaking during the Final Four shows a fill-in-the-blank space to congratulate the eventual winner. Another follows a woman's experience of dating several men, where the conversation is expressed in obnoxious sounds. When the woman meets her perfect match, the sounds they make are of a bottle opening and the drink filling the glass with a fizz.
A third, “Ringtone,” shown in an analyst meeting in December, portrays a young man making the sounds of a cellphone ring tone. He then pulls out a bottle of Coke and hands it to a girl sitting next to him. Opening it, he says, “It’s for you.”
“Offering someone a Coke is almost the same as saying hello,” said Katie Bayne, senior VP-Coca-Cola brands for Coca-Cola North America, explaining why only Coke could pull off a campaign like this. The effort is also a contrast to earlier campaigns in which Coke was present but wasn’t the star of the spot. “We've made mistakes in marketing to youth with work that was gritty but not aspirational,” she added.
Other spots show an elderly man in a nursing home who tries a Coke for the first time and ponders what else he's missed in life. A 90-second version of the spot can be tailored to different concepts for local use around the world. The commercial was hotly debated by Coke executives who were concerned about whether the experiences of an old man would be relevant to young drinkers, but they credited Wieden's casting with making it work.
Coke’s most ambitious spot, “Parade,” aims to convey why “we love the brand” and how the drink brings people together, along the lines of its iconic “Hilltop” commercial. It shows a young boy riding his bike into a long hometown parade as he drinks his Coke.
“Happiness is big in the small things,” said Ms. Lee.
Other elements include digital promotions, print and out-of-home and an extensive online effort with viral videos. Additional elements, created by other roster agencies, will roll out over the summer around the globe.
“Because Coca-Cola is a global brand with local connections and meanings, ‘The Coke Side of Life’ offers each country an opportunity to interpret its own moments of happiness and the brand’s role in those," Ms. Lee said. Coke is inviting business units in other countries to add to the effort to their marketing programs through joint global initiatives.
During the National Collegiate Athletic Aassociation's Final Four basketball tournament in Indianapolis April 2, the marketer will launch the MyCokeFest event, with performances by Chris Brown, Collective Soul, The Wreckers featuring Michelle Branch, and Carrie Underwood. Rocker John Mellencamp will perform a homecoming concert sponsored by Coca-Cola and the NCAA.
Coke added $400 million to its annual marketing and product development to better support the trademark. Ms. Bayne credited Wieden & Kennedy, particularly agency principal Dan Wieden, with bringing together the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of the brand.
NINTENDO AIMS FOR MINDS OF BOOMERS
New Video Games for Older Adults Play on Fear of Losing Mental Sharpness
Nintendo’s newest video game is a workout for your brain. And baby boomers will snap it up.
At least that’s what Nintendo hopes will happen this spring with the U.S. video-game release of “Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day” in April and “Big Brain Academy” in May. Judging by booming sales in Japan and enthusiastic previews by European and U.S. reviewers, Nintendo likely won’t be disappointed -- though it does face a challenge marketing to a demographic that defines games as Monopoly and Scrabble.
Both the Japanese and U.S. Brain Age games are based on the work of popular Japanese neuroscientist and author Ryuta Kawashima, whose studies show that certain reading and math exercises help stimulate the brain. He and some other researchers touted by Nintendo contend mental sharpness can be strengthened with brain exercises.
In Brain Age, players try to quickly complete exercises including simple math equations, reading aloud, drawing pictures and memorizing numbers. The game then scores the results on an age scale of 20-70 to reveal the user’s “brain age.” Big Brain Academy is similar but allows for up to eight competitors. Both are played on the Nintendo DS system, which is dual screen writeable device, and both will be priced around $20.
“Americans can do a great deal to maintain and even improve their mental abilities,” Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski, a University of Southern California gerontology professor, attests in Nintendo press materials. “Aging is about taking on new challenges for our minds. Nintendo’s Brain Age is a great way to do that.”
On the market less than a year in Japan, Big Brain Academy, Brain Age and Brain Age 2 have all sold more than 1 million copies each with Brain Age and Brain Age 2 approaching 2 million each, according to market researcher Media Create. More than two-thirds of those sales have been to people over the age of 25.
The trend is also spurring sales of Nintendo DS hardware. The coveted box is almost impossible to get in Japan, having sold some 6 million units already there, and more than 13 million worldwide, since its launch in late fall 2004. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told attendees at the Tokyo Game Show in September that six out of 10 people purchased Brain Training games at the same time they purchased DS hardware.
Baby boomers, who as a group begin turning 60 this year, currently make up the smallest group of video gamers. Nineteen percent of people over the age of 50 say they play video games, vs. 35% of those under age 18 and 43% of 18- to 49-year-olds, according to research from the Entertainment Software Association. The promise of video games to sharpen mental acumen could create great appeal for a group facing longer physically healthy lives with the worry of less-than-promising mental health.
Ben Sawyer, co-founder of the Games for Health Project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said, “If you could push the incidence of Alzheimer’s back an average of five years, it would cut the overall incidence of Alzheimer’s in half.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 4.5 million Americans have the disease, and the incidence has doubled since 1980.
Leo Burnett USA is working on a marketing campaign for the brain-game launches, but a Nintendo spokesman said the company is not ready to discuss details yet. The marketing challenge is in reaching a nongaming audience with a gaming product.
“Either they’ll have to get the gamers in the household to buy them for the non-gamers or they’ll have to get the word out in a marketing campaign in the nontraditional gaming [media],” said P.J. McNealy, analyst at American Technology Research.
The question for Nintendo is whether it can recreate the Brain Age phenomenon in the U.S. After all, the game is based on the research and a successful book on Mr. Kawashima that was already a cultural hit in Japan (it had already sold 2 million copies) before the game hit the market.
AUDIENCE FOR ONLINE VIDEO GROWING RAPIDLY
66% of Those Web Viewers Also Watch the Ads
Although the number of consumers watching video online routinely is low, that number is growing, and those consumers are engaged with video advertising, according to a new study by the Online Publishers Association and Frank N. Magid Associates.
According to the study, 5% are viewing video daily, 24% view it once a week and 46% are watching once a month. Video news clips are the biggest draw. Some 27% of viewers watch news clips at least once a week, followed closely by 26% who watch funny videos at least once a week.
“You will see the volume of use rise as more content is made available,” said Pam Horan, VP-marketing and membership at OPA.
Even though advertiser demand is high for a medium that reflects the emotional appeal of TV ads, many consumers are still not aware of video online.
Media buyers note that until consumers are viewing video as often as they do other content, planners cannot be certain how much of their marketing budgets to set aside for video. The video arena is so volatile that estimates of video ad spending ranges dramatically from study to study, with one projecting spending of $657 million in 2009, and another study projecting $2.5 billion in 2010.
It's a rich environment for advertisers, the study found, with online video advertising being viewed regularly and leading to specific actions. Of the U.S. online population, 66% percent have seen an online video ad, and 29% have acted on what they’ve seen. Visiting a Web site is the action that ranks highest at 31%, while 8% are actually driven to make a purchase. Video ad watchers generally prefer short ads, but 39% said they watch ads lasting longer than 30 seconds.
At home, 39% watch online video at least once a week, compared with 19% who watch at least once a week at work.
Because there is yet no reliable or well-known video search engine, half of consumers go to a specific Web site to find clips, with a majority (58%) relying on two to five sites. Another popular way to find video is the way everyone found anything online in the Internet’s early days -- surfing the Web -- according to almost 48% of video viewers.
The research was conducted in February. Researchers interviewed 1,241 Internet users representative of the U.S. population, aged 12 to 64.
