Diageo's Crown Royal Blended Canadian Whisky has launched a "Jimmy Bowl" contest in which the winner and four friends will win a trip to Dallas to be trained by world-champion football coach Jimmy Johnson and then play a game in the city's pro football stadium, against another team of five also trained by Johnson. To enter, football fans view and select one of 10 online videos (at CrownRoyal.com/football) in which Johnson provides pointers about topics such as positive thinking, end-zone dances and longevity, and submit their own videos or written submissions explaining what they've learned from Johnson. Second-prizes are …

Whole Foods Market is launching an iPad/iPhone/iPod touch app designed to help consumers live healthier lifestyles. The retailer's "Mission App," available for free download on iTunes, offers 70 challenges/missions that involve users engaging in a series of steps to earn "badges and bragging rights."

Adult novelties retailer Adam & Eve is running ads on the CBS "Super Screen" in Times Square. The animated ads appear on the strategically-located, 26' x 20' state-of-the-art, full-motion, full-color screen, located at 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, in the heart of Times Square Plaza. The ads are scheduled to run every hour until Oct. 15. "I feel it really shows how far America has come in accepting Adam & Eve and the products we sell as mainstream," says Adam & Eve marketing director Chad Davis. The ad offers customers 50% off any one item, plus …

Joel Ewanick has done it again. Faster than a speeding Corvette, GM's head of North American marketing has pulled another exec from Hyundai – the one who actually replaced him as VP marketing at the Fountain Valley automaker. Chris Perry, who replaced Ewanick at Hyundai Motor America as Veep marketing is now at the General, where he has filled the top marketing spot at Chevy. I mean Chevrolet. The company says Perry, effective immediately, replaces Jim Campbell, who is heading over to GM's performance division, where he will be VP Performance Vehicles, and Motorsports. Ewanick recently also tapped Liz Boone, …

Starting in September, Apple will focus its mobile advertising efforts entirely on the iAd, which runs ads in applications on the iPhone and iPod. As a result of that decision, the company is shutting down the Quattro Wireless mobile ad network it acquired in January for $275 million. In a statement posted on the former Quattro home  page, Apple said it will no longer accept new campaigns for the ad network and will wind down existing campaigns across different devices and platforms. "As of September 30, we will support ads exclusively for the iAd Network," read the notice. …

Virtual goods firm PlaySpan has raised $18 million in a third-round funding from investors led by Vodafone Ventures and Softbank Bodhi Fund, and including existing investors Menlo Ventures, Novel TMT Ventures and STIC. The latest financing brings its total raised to date to $42 million. PlaySpan, which enables micropayments for more than 1,000 online games, social networks and video games, said it will use the fresh capital to expand into Europe and Asia and to grow PlaySpan's global publisher and user-base. The sizeable funding highlights the …

Google's house ads -- including those promoting products like Google Maps -- undercut the integrity of auctions run by the search giant, Santa Clara University law professor Eric Goldman argues in a new piece. "Google differs from most publishers because it auctions ad space on its network," Goldman writes in a post that appeared on his own blog as well Search Engine Land. "Thus, when Google runs house ads, it simultaneously conducts the auction that it is bidding in -- an impermissible conflict of interest."

Intel said Thursday it will acquire McAfee through the purchase of the company's common stock at $48 per share in cash, for approximately $7.68 billion, which makes me wonder how long it will take before we see another old-time tech company support online advertising through click fraud and malware detection. Evidently, both board of directors have approved the deal, which should close after McAfee shareholder approve it too. Similar to IBM's acquisition of analytics firms to support online advertising, how far off is the advertising industry from seeing another major tech player enter the space?

Job growth looks healthy among search engine optimization (SEO) companies. Marketing agency aimClear on Thursday said it would expand offices and appoint Kathy Jalivay director to oversee operations. Jalivay brings with her from LaBreche, a Twin Cities-based public relations and marketing firm, more than 24 years of marketing experience and a track record in strategically defining and implementing opportunities.

Google earlier this year said it would launch computers, laptops and tablets running the Chrome operating system (OS). Now reports have surfaced the Mountain View, Calif., tech company could deliver on that promise the day after Thanksgiving, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. The tablet running Chrome OS is expected to have a 10.1 inch screen and cost about $300.