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From the 'it was only a matter of time' desk...

With so many people TiVo-ing out commercials these days, some companies are just going to make the shows themselves. Tonight, ABC debuts a new reality series — sponsored by Gillette. Gillette helped conceive and create the show. It features NASCAR drivers teaching celebrities how to drive race cars. Gillette-sponsored cars of course.

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When pigs... flirt?

A new ad campaign launches tonight on ABC and NBC, but CBS and Fox won't be airing it. The commercial features pigs talking to beautiful women at a bar. One little piggy goes to the restroom, buys a condom and comes back as a good-looking man. Fox and CBS didn't say why they rejected the ad, but some are calling the networks hypocritical, questioning the decision not to use sex to sell condoms when they have no problem airing trampy reality shows. Who needs TV anyway? You can already watch the ad online

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Movie marketing d'oh

Over the weekend, 7-Eleven turned a dozen of its stores into Kwik-E-Marts. It's part of a campaign to promote the Simpsons movie, which comes out in a few weeks. You can buy Buzz Cola and Squishees, just like in the show. Even though the Simpsons makes fun of 7-Eleven, the company is paying for the promotion.

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Domino's does the U.K. rain dance

This summer's torrential rainfall in Great Britain been the perfect seasoning for Domino's — fewer garden barbecues helped to boost sales nearly 15 percent. Dominio's new online presence was a factor, too. The company focused on the Web because there's a ban on TV ads for junk food during children's shows. Up until recently, Domino's U.K. was spending 10 percent of its ad budget on spots during episodes of The Simpsons.

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Freedom of advertising

Environmental activists are asking Home Depot to stop advertising on Fox News because its on-air personalities often blow off global warming as liberal hysteria. Several groups, including Moveon.org are dropping off copies of a petition tomorrow to Home Depot stores around the country. So far, Home Depot says the ads are staying put because "we're advertisers, not censors."

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NFL: It's only a few bad seeds

The National Football League hasn't been getting the best press lately. The legal problems of players like Michael Vick and Pacman Jones have dominated the headlines, so today the NFL launches a new ad campaign to highlight its "good apples." Like new Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, who just graduated from Notre Dame, talking about how he wants to go to law school someday. Other spots feature Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young talking about why he has tattoos and Browns linebacker Willie McGinest telling his mom he loves her.

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No space is sacred

A billboard bigger than a couple football fields would be hard to miss.
That's exactly the point behind a new service from a U.K.-based advertising firm.
Ad-Air offers companies a chance to put their brand on gigantic advertisements near the runways of some of the world's busiest airports. The first mega ad will pop up in Dubai next week. Los Angeles, Atlanta, London Heathrow, and Paris are among the other runways that may soon be greeting passengers with huge adverts.

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'It's so good . . . it SUX'

If you fly into Sioux City, Iowa, you fly into an airport with the identity code "SUX." Not exactly the most flattering name. City leaders had planned to scrap the code, but airport trustees turned down alternatives proposed by the FAA. So city leaders have come up with a new plan: embrace it. They've come up with a new marketing campaign. T-shirts, caps will sport a new slogan: "Fly SUX."

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This is why you shouldn't mix beer with politics

When you hear the name Samuel Adams, you might think of the Boston-based beer. Residents of Portland, Oregon know another Sam Adams -- he's running for mayor. Now the brewing company is battling the mayor for his name. At issue are two websites registered to include the candidate's name. The brewing company wrote a letter claiming it has held a trademark to the name since 1984. Trouble is, the mayor candidate says he's laid claim to the name since 1963 -- the year he was born.

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No more ad space in the Super Bowl

The World Series is over. It'll be months before we know which teams face off for the Super Bowl. But if you were thinking you might get thirty-seconds of advertising during the game, think again. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that ad space for the highly lucrative event has already almost sold out. The buying craze is many yards ahead of previous years. Advertisers are hoping to get a piece of the big television events as many viewers turn to TiVo and away from commercials. Oh, and by the way: Just in case you were in the market for a 30-second spot, it'll run you $2.7 million.

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I love Mom . . . and Dunlop

A new set of tires usually cost a couple hundred bucks. But how about a free set? The only trade off is that you will have to become a permanent billboard. Dunlop Tire is giving away a free set of tires if you are willing to be tattooed with the company logo or tire tread. The promotion started on Halloween. No word as to how many people were willing to give their bicep to the cause.

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Retiring with a healthy endorsement

Retired athletes are becoming pitching favorites in the midst of today's scandals, like steroid abuse and betting on dog fights. Tennis star Martina Navratilova is the latest example of an old pro cashing in. The 51-year-old will be serving up Health and Fitness tips for AARP. The Wall Street Journal says the endorsement deal could be announced today.

Navratilova says some sponsors were shy to sign her earlier in her career since she's openly gay. The AARP says that's not an issue. The former pro player also had recent deals with Subaru and Prince rackets.

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Two winners on Super Bowl Sunday

The Giants won the Super Bowl, and it looks like Coke may be top dog in Super Bowl ads. A spot playing on the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade seems to have captured the most attention. Classical music plays as huge inflatable balloon characters of Stewie from the Family Guy, and Underdog battle above buildings for an inflatable bottle of Coke. In the end, another inflatable character floats up to grab the bottle -- a big, smiling, Charlie Brown balloon. Advertisers paid as much as $2.7 million for 30 seconds of air time.

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Breaking the donut mold to avoid dunkin' profits

Dunkin' Donuts is putting its latest hopes into oven-toasted goodness. The coffee and baked-goods chain is breaking its breakfast-only mold. Dunkin' will unveil new menu items today, including personal pizzas and flatbread sandwiches. The lunch and dinner options will be heated in convection ovens rather than microwaves. The company isn't saying how much it cost to replace the microwaves, but does say the new ovens will help with breakfast sandwiches, too -- no more soggy bread and limp eggs.

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Apparently Nutella doesn't make a healthy breakfast

Here's a pop quiz for your breakfast. The elements of a healthy breakfast include: A. a glass of orange juice B. a bowl of oatmeal or C. toast and Nutella?

A British ad for Nutella claimed that hazelnut and chocolate could be part of a balanced diet. Well not for long. The BBC reports the ad which aired in Britain is being pulled.

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Abe's getting a makeover

A new version of the five dollar bill goes into circulation today. The greenback will actually be splashed with swaths of purple and gray -- It'll be one of the most colorful bills in circulation. And it's outfitted with several counterfeit protections including two watermarks and high contrast ink. The first place this bill will be spent? At President Lincoln's Cottage in Northwest Washington.

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A new face for Wrigley

Wrigley is chewing on some ideas to give its gum a better look and taste. The iconic name in chewing gum is making changes to Doublemint, Juicy Fruit, Big Red, and Extra. U,S, sales have been a little sticky, so the company hopes the new packaging and flavors to snap things back into place.

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Chicago's not gonna take it

The newspaper wars of Chicago are not dead. Last week, we told you about how the Tribune Company's Sam Zell is shopping for a new corporate sponsor to take the name of Wrigley Field. Chicago is in an uproar. And the Chicago Sun-Times held a contest -- $1,000 for the best music video that skewers the plan to change the park's name. The bids went out, the YouTube videos came in and the went to this song based on the Twisted Sisters 1984 hit. This morning, there are reports that people behind the winning entry were actually a group of reporters from the Sun-Times's rival paper The Chicago Tribune -- which also happens to be owned by Sam Zell. The entry was submitted by an intern and it seems Sam Zell IS actually getting the last laugh -- in this battle, anyway.

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Depends on your definition of "craft" beer

Tastes great, less filling. The debate goes on, but Miller Lite is about to complicate things.
The nation's second-biggest brewer is taking its most popular beer and offering it up craft-style. Miller tested light versions of wheat, amber, and blonde ales in four markets earlier this year. Sales went so well in Baltimore, Charlotte, Minneapolis, and San Diego the craft collection is going national. The new tag line: "Craft Beer. Done Lite" (and beer snobs may be saying, "Yeah, right").

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Rebates to be offered on (rumored) new iPhone

Rumors about a new iPhone have been circling the blogosphere for a while. Supposedly it would arrive this summer. Now Forbes magazine is reporting that AT&T is going to try to attract new customers by slashing the price of the upcoming new iPhone. The cell phone provider would offer rebates of $200. That would bring the price of gadget down to -- $200.
That, of course, is if you sign a two-year contract. AT&T would expect the move to attract a whole new group of potential customers from other providers.

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Which came first? The chicken or the ...

Tyson Foods says their chickens are raised without antibiotics. They launched a massive, multi-million dollar ad campaign to tell consumers about their naturally healthy birds. Well, now they have two weeks to shut it all down. A federal appeals court found that Tyson injected the eggs with antibiotics a few days before they were due to hatch. Tyson says that's OK because the word "raised" refers to the life of the chicken after it's hatched. The court didn't agree. They said Tyson's claim was misleading.

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Ladies Love Cool . . . Sears

Remember the Softer Side of Sears? It looks like the retailer is now looking to dial up its street cred. Sears is adding a line of clothing designed by none other than LL Cool J.
The hip hop star will put his label on street wear and accessories. The line will be available -- just in time for back to school sales -- starting in September. Sears is also teaming up with MTV to produce a back to school movie, "The American Mall," airing on MTV Aug. 11. Hopefully teens won't be turned off by the prospect of also buying a tool set and a washer-dryer at the place they go looking for clothes.

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On a wing and a prayer

A Georgia-based chicken restaurant is using it's used cooking oil to power it's delivery vehicles. The Wing Zone specializes in Buffalo chicken wings. They have 25 varieties. Naturally, they use a lot of oil to cook up those wings. A few months back, company founder Matt Freidman came up with the idea to convert that old oil to fuel. The restaurant unveiled it's first "wing-powered" vehicle yesterday. The converted Jeep Liberty gets 20 to 25 miles per gallon and can go as fast as regular gas-powered cars.

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