Luxury automakers have discovered that they are not just selling cars, they're selling a lifestyle. After all, anyone who can afford to plunk down $1.1 million for a Ferrari FXX is not your average consumer. As such, automakers like Ferrari, Porsche and Audi are also marketing leather bags, cigar cases, pens, logo wear and other items. Ferrari sells hats, coin purses, key chains, bathrobes and espresso cups, all emblazoned with the brand's distinctive prancing-horse logo. Ferrari wants to take all this a few steps further, says Maurizio Parlato, head of Ferrari North America. One of Ferrari's prize assets is its …

Not to be totally outdone by its biggest rival, Coca-Cola has decided to have a marketing presence at this year's Super Bowl after all. But instead of paying $2.4 million per 30-second spot as Pepsi-Cola is doing, Coke will instead highlight its Full Throttle energy drink as the primary sponsor during the last 30 minutes of pre-game programming. The "Full Throttle Kickoff Show" will include three ads for the drink Coke hopes can take sales from top-selling Red Bull. The first national push for the brand is part of Coke's strategy to make a bigger marketing splash in 2006 and …

The Association of National Advertisers says a planned lawsuit by consumer groups against Viacom and Kellogg's for what the groups claim is deceptive and unfair advertising to children will fail because "the United States Supreme Court has emphatically stated that lowering discourse in our society to the level of the sandbox is unacceptable under the First Amendment." The ANA's Washington representative, Dan Jaffe, also argues that none of the foods targeted by the groups are dangerous to kids. "Cheeseburgers, French fries, milkshakes, let alone sugared cereals, all can be part of a healthy diet," Jaffe writes. "Therefore, no government in …

It's come to this.  Advertising on the Super Bowl has become such a big deal that now one marketer will actually be advertising its own ad during the ten days leading up to the big game.  In print ads that will run in the New York Times and USA Today, Emerald Nuts will promote the TV spot it will air during the Feb. 5 telecast of Super Bowl XL.  The ads feature a word game that plays off the snack's brand name. "We have to find ways to break through the clutter," says Tim Cannon, director of marketing for Emerald …

Coors Brewing has a new CMO. He is Andrew England, who takes over his new role at the Molson Coors Brewing unit on Feb. 13. Most recently, England served as vice president of international marketing for Hershey, where he led the candy giant's efforts to expand its sweets portfolio into the broader snacking arena. His cross-category skills in the cookie, cracker and candy segments led to launches of Hershey's Cookies, Snack Barz and other products. He also was director of the Reese's and Bites franchises. In his new role, England will lead all areas of Coors Brewing's marketing efforts and …

If a picture is worth a thousand words, Chevrolet apparently believes an actual demonstration is worth even more. To promote its new Silverado Hybrid pick-up truck, the automaker is launching an experiential marketing campaign in which it will tout the vehicle's benefits as a setting for a tailgate party. Field teams are hitting the streets with the vehicle for The Ultimate Tailgate experience near the site of the 2006 Washington Auto Show, to be held Jan. 24. The tailgating theme includes camping "necessities," such as a plasma TV, where people can play a video game that pits Chevy against Ford. …

Speedo plans to extend its brand beyond the men’s bikini swimsuits that made the marketer a household name and will launch a new ad campaign this spring to support a line of active wear, footwear and underwear for both men and women that was introduced over the past year. Ads will feature seven-time Olympic medalist Amanda Beard, whose appearance in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition has driven interest outside the sports arena. Choosing a female spokesmodel for its largest effort in many years is not an accident. Speedo hopes over the next few years to transform into a more …

A group of consumer advocates are after SpongeBob Square Pants, claiming the cartoon character is bad for kids because he endorses junk food. At a news conference in Washington yesterday, the groups said they planned to file a lawsuit against Viacom, which makes the Sponge Bob TV show, and cereal maker Kellogg, which features the character on cereal packaging. They said the suit will argue that using cartoon characters to sell to children is deceptive and unfair. "It's unfair because kids under five don't even know it's a commercial," said Stephen Gardner, director of litigation for the Center for Science …

Cadillac is using the upcoming Super Bowl as the lynchpin in its marketing plan to launch its 2007 Escalade. The game will be held in Detroit, headquarters of Cadillac parent General Motors, and the carmaker is going all out to blanket the town with its Escalade message. Plans calls for 100 new SUVs to cruise city streets in the days before the game, and ads will appear at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and on the People Mover, the city's elevated train system. And, naturally, a TV spot for the car is scheduled to appear in the second quarter of the …

Marketers are finding out that blogs and other online media can be a valuable tool in discovering what consumers like, and don't like, about their products. Blogs can also be used as marketing vehicles to help a company create buzz about its products or services. Some companies have created their own blogs and paid people to act as advocates on their behalf. For example, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office last summer recruited six people to travel around the state on weekend trips and picked up the tab, up to $1,000 per excursion. In return, the travelers were expected to blog about …