Entertainment Tie-ins / Licensing

More than 360 select Loblaw banner stores across Canada nabbed the world record for the most wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese cracked simultaneously, as declared by a Guinness World Records adjudicator. Officially, 1,008 wheels were cracked in more than 360 Loblaw banner stores simultaneously across Canada.

Actress Sofia Vergara is launching her first scent, called Sofia by Sofia Vergara. The fragrance makes its debut exclusively with Home Shopping Network (HSN) at 12:01 a.m. April 24 and in key markets internationally, and rolls out to retailers nationwide in September.  

"Sofia by Sofia Vergara is designed for the woman who wants to feel irresistible and truly enjoys being a woman," said Vergara. "I wanted to bring a little bit of who I am, my ethnicity and create a fragrance that is a true reflection of me."
 

Baltimore — The Cordish Cos. and the St. Louis Cardinals have announced that AT&T has joined Ballpark Village in St. Louis as the naming rights sponsor for the two-story seating deck atop Cardinals Nation. As part of a multi-year agreement, the Cardinals Nation ticketed deck will be known as the AT&T Rooftop.

The “AHH Effect” advertising campaign Coca-Cola launched last year with a social and digital first philosophy is getting a dose of old fashioned television this spring.
 

In recognition of shoppers’ desire for clean foods with minimal ingredients, Bumble Bee has introduced a new “Heritage Pack” with labeling reminiscent of the 1950s. Retailers may be inclined to say, “so what,” but there are several interesting aspects to the initiative.

Packaging changes among CPG companies are common in an industry where genuine innovation is hard to come by. So a new label, color scheme or pack size tends to elicit a big yawn from retailers.

Sizable new standalone sections of Disney brand consumer products have been created at 15 stores worldwide operated by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).

The merchandising initiative, dubbed “Disney at the Exchange” features a wide range of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars products and will be available in 15 AAFES installations by this summer. The assortment will include dolls, action figures, role play items and clothing, as well as toys and other merchandise tied to current Walt Disney Company theatrical releases and television content.

Seattle – Starbucks reportedly plans to expand a pilot of an evening alcohol and “light bites” menu that includes wine to thousands of stores nationwide. According to Bloomberg, Starbucks executives said the evening food and drink offerings, currently provided in about 40 test stores, will be rolled out during the next several years.

Pop star Robin Thicke will help Express commemorate the grand opening of what promises to be a stunning 28,000-sq.-ft. flagship location in New York’s Times Square on March 25.

The fashion forward operator of more than 600 predominantly mall-based stores is looking to make a splash with the Times Square location company chairman and CEO Michael Weiss billed as “Express on steroids.”