ADIDAS: has officially announced its exclusive 10-year deal as the official athletic sponsor and licensed product supplier for Major League Soccer. (Xtra, Oct. 6)
EBAY HITS THE MAIL: (Catalog Age) eBay, Inc. is the latest online-only marketer to expand into print. The San Jose, CA-based Internet auction site mailed “several million” catalogs to a cross-section of its 125 million registered users. The catalogs should land in mailboxes late next week.
MARVEL ENTERPRISES, INC.: will consolidate certain sub-categories of its apparel licensing business with American Marketing Enterprises, Inc., a children’s sleepwear maker. American Marketing has exclusive rights to produce and market sleepwear and loungewear, blanket sleepers, robes and convenience item holders for several premiere Marvel character franchises under the multi-year agreement, including Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Namor, Captain America and Daredevil, as well as Marvel’s pre-school line, Spider-Man and Friends and Marvel’s infant brand, Marvel Babies. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
SMITH & WESSON: has signed Hollywood-based NMA Entertainment & Marketing as its exclusive agent for product placement and promotion in television and feature films.
DRAFT: Chicago, has hired industry veteran John Rausch as VP-creative director, with responsibility for the DeVry University and Fleetwood accounts. He will also develop new business opportunities. Rausch had been VP-creative director at DDB Chicago, where he worked with the Anheuser-Busch, Discover Card and FTD accounts.
DIC ENTERTAINMENT: a leading independent children’s entertainment company, has named Hasbro veteran Michael Verrecchia as senior VP-marketing. At Hasbro, he was the director of marketing for Disney’s girl brand toy product lines, including Princess, Finding Nemo, Toy Story and The Lion King, responsible for all marketing functions (p.r., TV advertising, retail promotions, pricing), as well as P&L management.
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