The Department of Defense is giving Mullen another shot at its joint-services-recruitment business, giving the shop a piece of business that could be worth $50 million a year. But how big the one-year contract will be (it can also be extended for up to four years) depends on how much Congress allows the Pentagon to spend. Measured media spending behind the account has been about $12 million to $15 million a year, with total spending less than $50 million. Mullen has had the account since 2002, and its most recent effort targets parents and other influencers of possible recruits, …

In another sign the U.S. advertising economy may be running out of steam, ad tracking firm TNS Media Intelligence issued a downward revision to its 2007 ad forecast, calling for a modest 1.7% rise to $152.3 billion in the media it measures. That finding is two-thirds of the 2.6% rate of growth TNS MI had originally forecast for 2007, when it issued its last prediction in January, President-CEO Steven Fredericks says demand from U.S. advertisers "has moved onto a slower track than we thought possible just six months ago."

People who watch television on IdeaCast in fitness centers and health clubs have strong ad recall, according to an Arbitron study. "Destination out-of-home television viewing is a growing platform for advertisers," says Diane Williams, senior analyst, custom research for Arbitron. Williams points out that watching TV is the most popular activity for people working out at their clubs. The study found that 55% of viewers recalled one or more ads on a brand aided basis, while 70% of gym members watch TV there for an average of 40 minutes per visit. Ninety-five percent of members visit once per …

The Federal Communications Commission wants to levy another $16,000 worth of fines against TV stations that allegedly violated some of its rules about children's programming. The commission limits advertising in kids shows to 10.5 minutes on weekends -- 12 minutes on weekdays -- and has been cracking down of late. The biggest single fine was for KRRT in Kerryville, Texas, which exceeded the limits five times, including with two program-length commercials. It has been asked to fork over $8,000 to Uncle Sam for its trangressions. Also in the FCC's sights: KSFX Springfield, Mo. and KJLT …

With various newspaper deals either done or in the offing, (Knight Ridder, Tribune and News Corp.'s move on Dow Jones) one Wall Street analyst runs down other potential targets. Alexia Quadrani of Bear Stearns figures that next on the block could be The New York Times Co. "All signs point to the New York Times," she says, as it has angered shareholders and returned poor profit margins, but it has little debt and a strong brand name. And, despite the controlling Sulzberger family's reluctance to sell, the company's shares are trading at a big premium relative to its …

Kraft Foods tapped Euro RSCG for its estimated $70 million cracker business after a review. Among the brands now at the Havas-owned shop are Ritz, Toasted Chips and Triscuits, and a new ad campaign is expected this fall. Failed contenders for the business include DraftFCB and Ogilvy & Mather, insiders say. "This is a terrific win for the agency," says Euro RSCG global CEO David Jones. "Ritz is one of America's great icon brands. The team at Kraft wanted a big integrated idea that will drive growth, and I'm delighted we were able to deliver that for …

"Realty" television is still red-hot, even as home sales and prices rapidly cool. Shows that focus on selling homes - particularly for home "flippers" are still popular. Indeed, cable channels, including HGTV, TLC, Bravo and A&E DIY, are actually cranking up their home-dealing programming with shows featuring developers, investors and home-improvement buffs. "These shows became popular when real estate became water-cooler and cocktail-party talk," says Chicago real estate agent Mark Nash, author of "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home." Plus, these programs are cheap to produce. With five shows already in the genre, …

Dockers is putting a huge chunk of its spring budget into a Father's Day promotion as the men's apparel marketer rolls out a "Thanks Dad!" campaign. The effort, with spots across various platforms. including print, TV, radio and online. is being run by Silverlign Group in San Francisco. The campaign is an attempt to capitalize on a Dockers.com/dad approach that started last month and solicits consumers to share "tribute stories" and photos of their fathers. "We have strategically set out to own Father's Day," says Sherri Phillips, vice president of Dockers brand marketing. Over two-and-a-half weeks, …

"We love the romantic pretense of a homogenous, melting-pot America," writes Warren Brown. "It makes us feel good, gives us a sense of nobility and brings closure to our well-documented history of discriminating against one another in every way that it is possible for humans to discriminate..." And one manifestation of this feeling is found in advertising, where many campaigns make sure to put "a woman here, man there, black person there, Asian here, Latino there," etc. But one new approach claims the seemingly inclusive ads are nonsense, and almost as offensive as the old days when all …

Quiznos has given its $76 million account to MDC Partners' Cliff Freeman & Partners, a shop that worked for the sandwich chain in the late 1990s when it was growing at its fastest clip. Citing the agency's work for Wendy's in the 1980s and for Little Caesar's in the 1990s, Steve Provost, executive vice president-chief marketing officer, says, "They blew us away with fresh, provocative creative execution in a category that has grown tired and generic. They stretched the rules of advertising without breaking them." And for Jeff McClelland, chief executive of Cliff Freeman, says they saw …