Entertainment Tie-ins / Licensing

Under Armour has opened its first retail theater specialty store at the Jing An Kerry Centre in Shanghai, China. The store features a multi-dimensional short film that depicts athletes who use the brand.

Founder and CEO Kevin Plank and Under Armour athlete Michael Phelps were on hand to host the grand opening event.

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS/pharmacy is launching myWeekly Ad, a digital circular powered by the CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare program. The new circular serves up a personalized version of the sales ad for each customer.

Upon signing up, each user will immediately see which of their favorite items are on sale that week, including frequently-bought items or deals in categories that might be of interest to that specific shopper. Personalized ExtraCare savings and rewards can also be found all in one place.

Somerville, Mass. – Merlin Entertainments has reportedly broken ground on a new Legoland Discovery Center location at the 50-acre, mixed-use Assembly Row development in Somerville, Mass. According to the Boston Globe, the 44,000-sq.-ft. store will open in May 2014.

The store will be the only Legoland location in New England and employ about 100 people. Other retailers planning to open stores at Assembly Row include Nike, Brooks Brothers, Chico’s, and J.P. Licks.

NEW YORK — Néstle plans to launch a cup version of its popular Butterfinger candy bar next year, and will introduce the Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups in a Super Bowl commercial.

The company calls it one of its biggest candy launches and said it will be the first time it showcases one of its brands during the big game.

99 Cents Only Stores is driving some Halloween traffic to its stores by taking its marketing campaign to the zoo. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Oct. 19-Oct. 20 and again on Oct. 26-Oct. 27, the retailer will be on hand at the Los Angeles Zoo's 24th Annual Boo at the Zoo event.

Store employees will be handing out goodies to children at trick-or-treating stations throughout the zoo. 99 enthusiast Papa Joe Aviance will be at the 99 Cents Only Stores booth reading spooky stories to the kids.

Stride Rite Children's Group, a leading marketer of children's footwear brands, is partnering with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help families stay safe while trick-or-treating this Halloween season.  

Stride Rite offers a wide variety of comfortable shoes, featuring everything from Star Wars to Captain American, which complement Halloween costumes. Stride Rite also offers a variety of styles, from Spider-Man to Disney Princesses, which incorporate unique light-up technology to help trick-or-treaters stand out on Halloween night.

Mars Chocolate North America has introduced a new set of planning tools to help retailers develop their marketing strategies and build chocolate sales.

The new resources include the 2014 Moments Calendar Video, year-long display programs, a convenience channel 2014 Planning Toolkit, a revamped Mars24seven.com and the Performance Plus Rewards Program.

Ace Brand from 3M Company has enlisted actor and rapper LL Cool J to help it kick off “A” Game Challenge, a nationwide contest inviting sports fans and aspiring young athletes nationwide ages 13-24 to submit “A” Game video entries, for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship.

New York -- Sears and its Shop Your Way loyalty program are prepared to make a splash in New York next week by playing a major role in the city’s Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine.

New York’s premier culinary event will be held Oct. 18 to Oct. 20 and Sears and Shop Your Way are expanding their presence this year and plan to showcase stylish and affordable lines of patio furniture, Kenmore grills and indoor and outdoor entertainment with Sears designer and TV personality Ty Pennington.

ChapStick has selected Alex Morgan, Olympic gold medalist and member of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, as its latest brand ambassador. Morgan will serve as the first brand spokesperson in more than a decade and will appear in national television and print advertising, set to debut Nov. 4.

The product focus for the start of Morgan’s two-year partnership is ChapStick Hydration Lock.