Business software giant SAP has consolidated its online and offline global media account at WPP Group's MindShare after a review, the client has confirmed. The agency has been the incumbent since 1999; now it grabs additional duties. Other incumbents included Neo@Ogilvy and Acronym. SAP spent about $40 million in U.S. measured media in 2006, per TNS Media Intelligence. Global spending could not immediately be determined. Founded in 1972, SAP is a leading provider of business software for all types of industries.

Americans are sick of celebrity scandals. According to a study released by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 87% said celebrity scandals get too much news play. Only 2% were hungry for more. The public blames the media for the excessive coverage, with 54% responding that news organizations are at fault; nearly one-third (32 percent) blamed the public for paying too much attention to such stories; and 12 percent said the blame should be equally shared between the public and the media.

The National Football League's New York Giants and Fox Television's two New York stations are forming a new partnership that will give future sponsors and advertisers one-stop shopping with a major sports franchise. The deal calls for the Giants' new entertainment division to air programs and news segments exclusively on Fox-owned stations, which already carry the rights to most of the team's regular season games. The team's CMO Mike Stevens says because it already controls its radio production and sales, the partnership with Fox's stations makes it a key streamlined ad buy.

FCC member Michael J. Copps is sounding a note of caution on News Corp.'s deal to buy Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. The deal raised questions about media industry consolidation and could face some questions from the FCC about its impact on the New York media market. Copps thinks News Corp.'s ownership of the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal and New York TV station WNYW-TV warrants FCC scrutiny. He says the deal could face regulatory hurtles. Said Copps in a statement: "This deal means more media consolidation and fewer independent voices, and it …

A new commercial for Volkswagen's 2008 Touareg, in which Matt Damon's character from "The Bourne Ultimatum" races around New York and runs a NYPD car off the road is deliberately made to look like a movie trailer. Most of the footage is taken from the film, although at the end, two characters look over the wreckage before it cuts to a "Safe happens" tagline. "It's always fun to trick the audience because it's not always possible to do that anymore," says Rob Strasberg, vice president and creative director at Crispin. The cross-promotion is part of a three-year deal …

Whoopi Goldberg, tapped as Rosie O'Donnell's replacement for "The View," says her new gig is a "big ol' thrill." The award-winning actress jogged down the aisle of the New York studio, pressing the flesh as the announcement was made live on the air by Barbara Walters. "I love coming on [the show]," she says. "I love hanging out with you guys." O'Donnell ditched on the program earlier this year, following spats with everyone from co-star Elisabeth Hasselbeck to huckster Donald Trump. Of course, Goldberg is no stranger to political controversy, having been dumped from a Slim-Fast ad …

Dell Computer's $760 million account is the subject of a holding-company war as Omnicom, Interpublic, WPP, Publicis and Havas mix it up over the business, all creating special teams to try and consolidate it. Mother, New York, currently handles creative on a project basis for Dell's Inspirion laptop, while Carat does media buying and planning in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Both could gain from an account shuffle if the company decides not to go with one multinational. Omnicom's DDB takes care of enterprise marketing and business-to-business duties, while sibling Prometheus has media responsibilities in North America. …

The Gap's latest campaign reunites the apparel retailer with photographer Annie Leibovitz, just as the struggling chain taps a new CEO. The work, via Laird + Partners, features black-and-white photos of celebrities, world-famous wearing the company's fall fashions. "They've never done a range of classic items that have been updated," says Trey Laird, president of the independent shop. "You could take something as simple as a sweater vest, but when you see it on John Mayer, it's fresh and new." The campaign is set for September issues of mags like Vogue, Vanity Fair and Lucky. It is backed …

Energy BBDO/Chicago has signed on to handle U.S. News & World Report's brand strategy and creative account, partnering with the mag on a strategic repositioning and an ensuing consumer ad campaign. Long the second runner-up among the major newsweeklies, U.S. News has been fighting to survive in the Internet age by overhauling its format, although the publication remains well-known for its annual rankings of institutions like hospitals and colleges. Lee Wilcox, chief marketing officer for the mag, says it picked Energy BBDO because of its track record of energizing trusted and familiar brands. Tonise Paul, president and CEO …

Cable net FX is looking to News Corp. sibling MyNetworkTV to help boost its new drama "Damages." The first two episodes of the show will air Wednesday night on MyNetworkTV--the first time it has run programming from another News Corp. channel. "What we're looking to do with "Damages" is have it seen by as many people as possible," says FX head John Landgraf. "The awareness of the show among people who watch FX is very high. But FX is only watched by 40% of adults 18-49. We're looking for places to get it sampled by viewers other than …