Marketing Tactics

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — Extreme value retailer 99 Cents Only Stores is getting ready to help one of its customers celebrate her 99th birthday as only it can. 

At 7 a.m. Friday, July 19, Mildred "Millie" Fox of Murrieta, Calif., is going to receive a 99-second shopping spree experience and free birthday cake at her local store. It will be 99 Cents Only Stores’ very first 99th birthday celebration.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Hasbro has acquired a majority stake in Backflip Studios, a company that develops mobile games such as DragonVale, NinJump and Paper Toss.

BALTIMORE — Under Armour is going back to its roots — grassroots football, that is — in its latest global marketing campaign. Things kick off with a 60-second spot called, "Ready for August," which will serve as the centerpiece of phase two of the I Will campaign.

The commercial will be broadcast July 15 on Fox during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Home Run Derby, and is viewable on YouTube now.

FAIRFAX, Va. — ThinkGeek.com is taking the merchandise it offers on its e-commerce site to Booth #5541 at the San Diego Comic-Con, from July 17-21.

David Jimenez was named SVP of visual and store experience at Williams-Sonoma to drive further growth and innovation at the operator of 587 upscale home goods stores.

In addition to the appointment of Jimenez, the company named three other executives to new leadership roles in the supply chain area.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Shopko Foundation has announced the recipients of its Teammate and Family Scholarships for the 2013-2014 school year. The foundation awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 30 students in 10 states.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot has unveiled the next phase of its anti-bullying collaboration with pop group One Direction. The retailer will offer a limited-edition collection of back-to-school products and donate a percentage of sales to anti-bullying education.

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Happy Family, a leading organic baby and toddler food brand founded and operated by moms, wants picky eaters to clean their plates for a chance to win $20,000 toward a college education.

As part of the campaign, which launched on Facebook and is called Stories from the Bright Side, Happy Family is calling parents to submit their funny mealtime moments.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack Corp. has announced the appointment of Merianne Roth to the new post of VP – communications. She will manage the company’s corporate communications, community relations, internal communications and event marketing.

Roth comes to RadioShack from the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, where she served as VP, marketing and communications. Her experience includes marketing and communications posts with J.C. Penney and Pier 1 Imports.

Chicago -- Online grocer Peapod is taking its “virtual grocery store” concept on the road in a new promotional campaign. The company unveiled the concept at commuter rail stations in Chicago and the Northeast less than a year ago,

Peapod, a division of Ahold USA, will field trucks installed with digital billboards of grocery aisles at community recreation centers, coffee sleeves at local cafes, concert venues and other places.