It's no yolk. CBS plans to announce today that it will put laser-printed eye insignia and logos on 35 million eggshells in September to promote its new fall lineup. "It's a great way to reach people in an unexpected form," said George Schweitzer, president of the CBS marketing group, who is known for trying newly hatched promotion methods. Some of the planned slogans: "Crack the Case on CBS" for "CSI" and "Hard-Boiled Drama" for "Shark." The messages use a technology developed for marking eggs with expiration dates. The eggs will appear in A&P, Waldbaum's, Food Emporium, and Super Fresh stores …

Although the weather indicates it is still the thick of summer, retailer JC Penney is already thinking about the new school year. This weekend the company will launch a new, integrated back-to-school marketing campaign that includes a heavy online component designed to appeal to students. Themed "You've Got It Inside," the campaign includes ads that send kids to the jcpenneybts.com microsite where kids can travel down a click-path that has them watching videos, clicking on featured products and eventually making a purchase. "With each season, we keep building and building a stronger, deeper and more rich experience for the consumer …

PepsiCo is moving further into the non-carbonated beverage category with the announcement of a new long-term alliance with juice marketer Ocean Spray. The deal calls for Pepsi to market, bottle and distribute single-serve cranberry juice products in U.S. and Canada under the Ocean Spray brand name beginning next year. The two partners will also look to create new product innovations in the future. "Over the past several years, we've built successful, mutually beneficial partnerships with strong brands like Lipton and Starbucks, and now we plan on working side-by-side with Ocean Spray to create a major healthy refreshment business focused on …

Chrysler's Dodge brand is going to the movies to promote its new 2007 Caliber model. The automaker will run new 60-second cinema ads in theaters and distribute promotional brochures to ticket buyers as part of the initiative. The effort also includes vehicles parked in theater lobbies, in-theater banners, standees, static clings and signage support. Promotions company Screenvision is handling the project for Dodge. "Screenvision offers us the ability to create a tailor-made message for the young, desirable audiences that not only frequents the movies, but also are target buyers for our new Dodge Caliber," said Dodge spokesperson Mark Spencer. "With …

Seeking new ways to expand its business and capture new markets, Ford Motor Co. will begin offering a small selection of parts for a few of its cars in the automotive aftermarket. The new initiative, dubbed the Ford Licensed Accessories program, will be conducted through the automaker's dealerships and will focus on outfitting models including the Fusion, Mercury Milan and the upcoming Lincoln MKZ sedan with quality aftermarket parts. Two companies have been named by Ford to supply kits containing parts such as air dams, side skirts, spoilers, and DVD screens that are built into the backs of head rests. …

You've heard of the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Gen Y, the Tweens, and all the other demographic groups targeted by marketers. Now meet a new one: the Grups. They are in their 30s and 40s, but they're young at heart and act more like people in their 20s. The big difference is that they earn a lot more disposable cash and they're willing to spend it to maintain a youthful lifestyle. The term "grup" was coined in a New York magazine article, and comes from a "Star Trek" episode featuring a planet run by wild children trapped in perpetual youth. …

Disappointing sales have led fast food marketer McDonald's to drop its spicy chicken sandwich from the restaurant chain's menu less than six months after it was introduced. The item, called the Hot 'n' Spicy McChicken sandwich, was touted as the spiciest item ever offered by McDonald's when it was launched in January nationwide. However, company spokesman Bill Whitman said that the results from a half-year in the restaurants do not "meet those hurdles that we have for products to stay on our core menu." He said the sandwich, which is still available in some markets, would be brought back periodically …

A group of marketers in the entertainment, software and computer industries have formed a new trade organization dedicated to spreading the gospel about high-definition digital-video discs (HD DVD). Dubbed North American HD DVD Promotional Group, it includes Universal Studios, Warner Brothers Entertainment, Inc., Paramount Pictures, Hewlett-Packard Development Co., L.P., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Toshiba America among its members. Its goal is to educate consumers on the quality and value of HD DVDs, which can hold high-definition videos such as movie or other data. The technology debuted in the U.S. in April and has been pushed by consumer electronic companies …

Marketers who want to capture the hearts and minds of college students are advised to start thinking green. A new study reveals that many collegians, rather than being concerned with binge drinking and playing video games, are in fact socially conscious and put a premium on products from companies that demonstrate a healthy respect for Mother Nature. "We are seeing that today's young people expect corporations to be socially responsible and that students prefer to associate with brands that they perceive to be positive contributors to the community," said Samantha Skey of Alloy Media + Marketing, which commissioned the study …

Fast food marketer McDonald's really gets a kick out of soccer. Quick on the heels of the sport's quadrennial World Cup tournament, McDonald's announced it has renewed its longtime sponsorship of the Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup through 2014. The deal gives McDonald's global rights to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 event--scheduled for a country yet to be determined in South America, as well as access to the FIFA Confederations Cups in 2009 and 2013. As part of the sponsorship, McDonald's retains its status as the exclusive retail foodservice operations sponsor. McDonald's …