As readers of our September issue may recall, over the summer I spent some time on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., where I received a quick immersion in the university's work in the field of media. While media studies pervade almost every aspect of the school, its hub is the Center for Media Design, a three-year-old project that got kick-started with a $20 million endowment from Eli Lilly and Co., the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant. The school just received a second $20 million grant from Lilly to continue its research and development on new uses of media …

Grocery stores in California, New York, and Florida received a sneak peek at a portable new ad medium. Grabb-it, set to roll out nationally the first quarter of 2006, is made out of cardboard and forms a handle to hold each plastic grocery bag securely. The visible side displays an advertiser, while the unseen side contains a coupon from the sponsored brand. Clients so far include ConAgra, Air Wick, Altoids, and Mountain Dew. Grabb-it declined to name the grocery stores involved in the experimental rollout.

As marketers bemoan diminishing returns from TV and print efforts targeting 18- to 24-year-olds, many see out-of-home media as a savior. The University Network has emerged as a new option, promising the exposure on major college campuses that many advertisers crave.

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