Ad agencies have always said they want to be considered a "partner" to their clients, and now one marketer is taking that idea to a new level. Dallas-based Haggar Clothing says it has formed a "strategic and creative" partnership with its ad agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, that includes giving the Miami-based hotshop an undisclosed, minority stake in the haberdasher. "We plan on returning the Haggar brand to a leadership position ... by developing it as a vibrant lifestyle brand which offers a complete collection for head-to-toe dressing," said Haggar's chief marketing officer, Stephen Croncota. "Given our ambitions, it made …

Ski equipment marketer Head is apparently taking a page from the new book of rules governing celebrity endorsers that says bad boys (and girls) should star in ad campaigns. Head announced that it has signed an endorsement deal with former Olympian skier Bode Miller, who made a name for himself in the recent winter Olympics with tales about his drinking exploits that garnered him a reputation as a rabble-rouser. But that apparently didn't stop Head from inking the deal. "I am extremely happy that Bode chose to join Head," said Johan Eliasch, CEO of Austria-based Head. "Bode is the most …

JetBlue Airways wants their customers to tell them a story. That's one of the key elements in a new, three-pronged marketing plan that includes several new promotions from youth marketing firm Mr. Youth that the low-cost carrier hired to help it build brand awareness and reach new customers. The experiential promotions include a "Story Booth" in eight markets where customers can tell their stories about the airline inside a mobile studio. The best stories will be considered for Jet Blue's national ad campaign. "We found that JetBlue customers feel very connected to the brand," said Tracy Sandford, JetBlue's director of …

For the first time ever, giant gum marketer Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. has named a top marketing chief. He is Martin Schlatter, and he came up through the ranks of the company, where he most recently served as general manager for Wrigley's U.S. business. In his new role, Schlatter will be responsible for marketing the company's products worldwide, developing a global marketing strategy and identifying new ways to reach consumers. Before his appointment, Wrigley's marketing structure consisted of general managers in various countries, but the company said it had decided now was the time to create an overall marketing position. …

Philips Electronics and magazine publishing giant Time Inc. have forged a new deal that illustrates two major trends in marketing.  One is that advertisers are being more creative than ever in their ongoing search for new ways to attract the attention of distracted consumers.  The other is that media companies like Time Inc., are more open than ever before to new advertising ideas that previously might have been considered a breach of the church-and-state divider that traditionally separates advertising from editorial content.  In this deal, Philips has arranged for the table of contents to be placed on the very …

The heat is on Kraft Foods to improve its financial performance, and observers are watching closely because the results could reveal something even more important than dollars and cents--it could show whether consumers are willing to accept a food marketer that concentrates its marketing efforts on health. At the center of the scrutiny is company CEO Roger Deromedi, who previously decided that Kraft Foods Inc. would no longer advertise its sugary snacks to kids in a nation that has shown it prefers cookies and snacks to more healthy alternatives. But the company has yet to introduce new brands that are …

The marketers of Nicorette, the smoking cessation chewing gum, are trying to make sure that breaking the habit doesn't leave such a bad taste in smoker's mouths. The company, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, plans to break a new ad campaign next month to support the introduction of a new flavor of Nicorette called Fruit Chill. The launch comes after research revealed consumers don't like the taste of regular Nicorette. . "The taste of Nicorette gum in general has been a barrier to compliance; we're launching the Fruit Chill to combat that," said GSK communications supervisor Jennifer May. Kimberly Eberl of Chicago …

Bud Light and the popular humor Web site JibJab are teaming up for a new marketing effort. The Anheuser-Busch brand will sponsor a new viral humor site by JibJab that lets users store and share funny e-mails, pictures and jokes with the cyber world. Called Jokebox, the site will also include downloads of some Bud Light ads, including spots from the "Real Men of Genius" campaign and from the series of short webisodes "Ted Ferguson: Bud Light Daredevil." The site is free to users who want to post jokes or other humorous items. The submissions can then be commented on …

A leading automaker has cut a deal with a major TV network to sponsor and appear in new mini-episodes of a popular TV show that will be broadcast on cell phones. The deal is between Toyota Motor Corp., and the Fox TV network for the program "Prison Break," and is part of a growing trend among major marketers to deliver an advertiser's commercial message to consumers via mobile communications devices. The plan is to produce two-minute episodes that will start with a 10-second marketing message created showcasing the Yaris, Toyota's new subcompact sedan. It's the first time ads have been …

A Dutch online reservations company is bringing new meaning to the concept of outdoor advertising. In a move that has raised more than a few eyebrows in the Netherlands, the company, Hotels.nl, has draped a flock of sheep with royal blue, waterproof blankets that bear the company's logo. Hotels.nl spends 1 euro, or about $1.23 a day, per sheep and sponsors about 144 sheep in flocks throughout the Netherlands. And it's working. Since the advertising strategy started, sales have increased 15 percent, and so have visits to the company's Web site, said Miechel Nagel, chief executive of Hotels.nl. He said …