Brands

Ending a partnership that soured long ago, Microsoft and NBC announced yesterday that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel MSNBC, with NBC taking control. NBC has completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel immediately, with an 82 percent stake, and it will become the sole owner within two years, NBC executives said yesterday. The two companies did not disclose financial …

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A couple of snippets from a larger story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Coke will debut a host of commercials on New Year's Eve. Instead of a traditional tagline, each spot ends with a red-and-white graphic image of a Coke bottle, along with the sound of a soft drink being opened and poured. The spots all have a humorous element but nothing too edgy. The company, as it tries to revive sales of its core soft …

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If ever there was a product that would benefit from some advertising or publicity, it's the Clear registered traveler program. The Clear registered traveler program is the smarter way forward for airport security. It's the smarter solution for you, getting you through security faster, with more predictability and less hassle. It's basic risk management: someone who is screened in advance is less likely to be a threat …

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Good PR people today recommend that clients jump fearlessly in to the bloatosphere and join the conversation, as opposed to pretending it isn't happening. Nathan Lyst of General Motors has taken that advise to heart. Here's what he has to say in defense of his "Born from Jets" advertising campaign. Thought I'd open myself up for direct assult and at the same time defend our choice in development of the "Born Form …

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From Ad Age: Although Pfizer has not yet selected an agency for its $110 million Lipitor account, the pharmaceutical maker today introduced an unbranded campaign for high-cholesterol awareness. The push, from Omnicom Group’s Unit 7, New York, will feature spots that run on broadcast and cable TV using the tagline “My Heart Now.” The commercials will drive consumers to a Web site, myheartkit.com. While pharmaceutical …

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From The AP: Blockbuster Inc. stores in several states are quietly resuming late fees for customers who keep movies too long, rejecting the video-rental chain's national advertising of "No Late Fees!" because they can no longer keep popular movies on their shelves. Randy Hargrove, a spokesman for Dallas-based Blockbuster Inc., said the decision to cancel the "no late fees" policy is made by independent franchises. …

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From The Wall Street Journal: If you were a teenage girl worried about underarm odor, what kind of ad would make you go out and pick up some Ban deodorant? It isn't a rhetorical question -- it's the query Kao Corp., maker of Ban, is posing directly to girls and young women in a contest that asks them to create advertisements that other girls will respond to. The contest, publicized in fall issues of such magazines as …

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