Adidas is repositioning Reebok to appeal to a broader market than urban youth and will re-emphasize its roots as an athletics performance brand. The new strategy will maintain the "I am what I am" theme that Reebok adopted four years ago by embracing hip-hop culture and youth-oriented entertainment in many of Reebok's ads. But it also will position Reebok as an American-inspired global brand that celebrates individuality in sport and life. The strategy will be launched with two campaigns this year. The first is a "Run Easy" campaign this spring that emphasizes the fun and joy of …

Despite widespread censure, the arrests of two guerilla marketing specialists and threats of further legal action by the city of Boston, the promotional stunt for the Turner Broadcasting's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" may have achieved its purpose: Stir up big buzz for little money. "They achieved far more than they probably ever set out to with this group of, say, 21- to 35-year-olds that they were trying to reach," says Tracy Ryan, an advertising professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ryan, like other experts, criticized the decision to place small, animated billboards around cities, given the post 9/11 political …

In a move that signals that Gap intends to overhaul its brand, long-time company insider Marka Hansen was named president, replacing Cynthia Harriss, who resigned. Harriss had a close connection to Paul S. Pressler, who was ousted as Gap CEO last week. Both Pressler and Harriss came to Gap from Walt Disney Co. Hansen, 53, had been the president of Banana Republic, the only unit that experienced a turnaround under Pressler. Under Hansen, Banana Republic gained a reputation for spotting trends and developing a strong fashion statement season after season--two attributes that have eluded the Gap brand recently. …

Designers Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Nanette Lepore, Tommy Hilfiger and Phillip Lim will feature a return to defined shapes and tailored cuts when New York's week of fashion shows opens tomorrow. Among the big looks for the fall is the egg-like "cocoon," a silhouette fitted at the top and ballooning out before tapering back in at the knee or below it. Other styles to look for include high-waisted skirts; full, structured sleeves; and pants and coats with wide collars in the style of Jacqueline Kennedy's wardrobe. Colors promise to be rich and deep, such as navy blue, …

Sometime this year, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG should begin showing pictures and prototypes of the 1-Series it intends to introduce to the U.S. market in 2008. The 1-Series--a smaller version of the 3-Series that shares many of the same parts--came out in Europe in 2004 as a five-door hatchback. U.S. versions probably will include a coupe, a convertible and perhaps a sedan, but no hatchback. Unlike the European 1-Series, which comes standard with a four-cylinder engine, the American version will be powered by a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder motor. BMW's smash introduction of the new Mini in 2001 complicates the …

A guerilla-marketing campaign for the Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" series touched off a terrorism scare and a massive response from police in Boston yesterday. After it was discovered that the electronic boards were only ads for a cartoon, serious condemnation flowed from Washington and Boston. The episode exposed a wide generational gulf between government officials who reacted as if the ads on small battery-powered light screens might be bombs and 20-somethings raised on hip ads for Snapple, Apple and Google, who instantly recognized the images for what they were: a viral-marketing campaign. Among many in …

Eduardo Castro-Wright told a meeting of about 7,000 Wal-Mart store managers Wednesday that "there are no management changes planned beyond the ones we clearly outlined last week," according to Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sarah Clark. Citing unidentified sources and an internal memo, Ad Age reported Tuesday that among other management shakeups, Castro-Wright would move to a position in the retailer's international business and be replaced as president and CEO of its U.S. operations by Doug McMillon, the executive in charge of Wal-Mart's Sam's Club division. Castro-Wright was speaking in Kansas City to an annual meeting of Wal-Mart managers and suppliers, …

In his closing argument to the jury about the Coke secrets trial, assistant U.S. attorney BJay Pak said defendant Joya Williams hatched a plan to steal and sell confidential marketing documents and sample test products from Coke because she was deeply in debt. "This case is about desperate times calling for criminal measures," Pak said. Defense attorney Janice Singer countered by comparing Williams to Richard Jewell, the security guard who was reported to be a focus of a federal investigation into the 1996 bombing at Centennial Olympic Park. He later was cleared of suspicion. "They destroyed his life," …