Study: Promos rise Marketers spent almost twice as much on consumer promotions as they did on consumer advertising in 2003, according to a promotion industry survey released Thursday. Overall consumer promotion spending rose 9.7% to $288.3 billion last year.
Toying with movies Highly anticipated movies like "Spider-Man 2" and "Shrek 2" plus the latest "Harry Potter" installment are expected to boost toy sales in the typically weak spring and summer seasons, according to a list predicting popular toys.
L.A. partnerships Delta Air Lines and Enterprise Rent-A-Car have become official marketing partners of the nonprofit Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission.
Pooh case dismissed The lawsuit accusing Disney of failing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in merchandise royalties related to Winnie the Pooh was thrown out of court Monday after a judge found that the accusers stole Disney documents to gain an advantage at trial.
Gates on ad biz Advertising needs to prepare for a world in which people will watch TV how and when they want to, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told industry executives Friday.
Driven to tabs The publisher of The National Enquirer and Muscle & Fitness magazine has hired a General Motors Corp. marketing executive as a media consultant.
Highway to branding At the direction of its biggest client, Ford Motor Co., advertising giant J. Walter Thompson is expanding and restructuring its branded entertainment division to bolster Ford's efforts to secure starring roles for its vehicles in film and television productions.
Showmanship honors Saluting what was characterized as "grass-roots efforts" by people who love what they do, The Hollywood Reporter presented the 23rd annual Showmanship Awards, honoring the best in film promotion at local theaters nationwide. The event was held Wednesday at ShoWest.
Preshow ads examined A ShoWest panel of experts predicted Wednesday that the emerging industry of preshow cinema advertising will grow significantly over the next several years but warned that growth could be jeopardized.
Key Art nominations Mirroring their stellar positions at the boxoffice last year, the Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures lead the nominations for The Hollywood Reporter's 33rd annual Key Art Awards honoring movie advertising excellence. The two studios nabbed 23 nods apiece, with BLT & Associates leading the way for a second year among agency/vendors, with 16 nominations.
ROAD TRIP: Lil' Bow Wow greets the crowd at the Cineramadome Wednesday at the premiere of "Johnson Family Vacation." The film stars Cedric the Entertainer as the head of a family on a difficult vacation; Bow Wow plays the rapper-wannabe son. (WireImage.com photo)
Top Internet advertisers
1.
NetFlix
2.
AT&T Wireless Services
3.
LowerMyBills.com
4.
InterActiveCorp
5.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
6.
Dell Computer
7.
Fun Web Products
8.
Ameriquest Mortage Company
9.
SBC Communications
10.
Hewlett Packard Company
For week ending March 21. Source: Nielsen/NetRatings AdRelevance
In a unique marketing move, eager zombie-philes were able to see the opening sequence of Universal Pictures' "Dawn of the Dead" days before the film's release.
