plus 4, BMW pulls back into Hollywood - Variety |
- BMW pulls back into Hollywood - Variety
- Ronan Tynan Comes To Feinstein's For Three Performances 11/27, 11/28 - Broadway World
- OPEN CALL: My story of my love for C.K. Dexter Haven - Salon
- Editor's note: I'm not an Editor. - SuperCross.com
- About the NHRA - NHRA.com
| BMW pulls back into Hollywood - Variety Posted: 23 Nov 2009 09:07 PM PST Automaker looks to polish its image in showbiz allianceBMW stunned Hollywood six years ago when it left the entertainment biz in its rearview mirror.But BMW now wants to make a comeback, hiring Propaganda GEM as its global entertainment marketing agency of record. The move comes as BMW have become the favored wheels of villains, while rivals like Audi and Mercedes-Benz have used entertainment to boost their reputations in the luxury car market since BMW's absence. Propaganda, which also reps Bang & Olufsen, Bulgari, Casio, Lamborghini, Nokia and Panasonic, aims to help BMW recapture control over the carmaker's image on screen through various projects -- including tie-ins with films and TV shows, musicvideos, videogames and new media. Deal also covers the BMW Group's other brands, Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW motorcycles. The irony is that in landing the BMW account, Propaganda now has to sever its 13-year-relationship with Audi at the end of the year. Propaganda secured lucrative tie-ins for Audi with films like "I, Robot" and the "Iron Man" franchise over the years, helping the once-struggling brand considerably up its cool factor with consumers in the U.S. Audis prominently appear in the upcoming "Date Night," "It's Complicated" and "The Joneses," as well. Audi confirmed the end of the relationship but declined to comment. "For us, it was a matter of new challenges and looking to do things differently," said Ruben Igielko-Herrlich, Propaganda GEM's founding partner and co-president of the decision to end its deal with Audi. BMW "has a great understanding of the space. They have experience, but being a leader means you need to continue to innovate and explore new ground or you lose your leadership position." BMW and Propaganda declined to talk about specific projects they plan to move forward with, other than to say they'll promote specific vehicles as well as brand themes like "the joys of driving" or "fuel efficiency." "We are open to everything," said Ralf Hussmann, head of sport marketing and corporate sponsorships for BMW. "We are definitely looking forward to lift product placement to the next level. We are a car manufacturer but we have different topics to talk about." Hussmann cites videogames as one area in which BMW would like to increase its presence but the company isn't opposed to traditional tie-ins with films, that would involve product placement and additional ad dollars spent around the film to tout the appearance. "If it makes sense, we're interested, but it depends on the movie and on the role a car or whatever else a BMW might play," he said. Either way, BMW provides marketers with an important case study of what can happen to a brand that spends considerable coin to create an image for itself through entertainment: Once they're gone, another company can take its place and steal the spotlight. BMW generated the most buzz in 1995 when it used the Bond pic "GoldenEye" to launch the Z3 roadster. 007 would drive a BMW, instead of the usual Aston Martin, in the next two installments, "Tomorrow Never Dies" and "The World Is Not Enough." In 2001, it bowed the action-laden BMW Film series "The Hire," starring Clive Owen, with installments helmed by John Woo, Ang Lee, John Frankenheimer, David Fincher, Tony Scott, Joe Carnahan and Wong Kar-Wai, among others, which became a hit online. More recently, deals have been struck on a one-off basis, with flackery Rogers and Cowan planting BMWs in a few episodes of "Alias" in 2005, while marketing firm Meteor Worldwide landed several in the Michael Douglas pic "Solitary Man" this year. Yet on screen, BMWs are mostly no longer the hero car but black sedans driven by villains that ultimately wind up getting destroyed in fiery crashes. BMW attributes its departure from Hollywood to an executive shake up and decision to rethink its marketing strategy. Those have been the same reasons that companies like Volkswagen and Home Depot have also given in the past when they've pulled the plug on entertainment. More recently, financial resources took a hit during the recession and a downturn in overall vehicle sales. BMW still doesn't boast a major marketing budget, but it recently freed up millions by pulling out as an official sponsor of Formula One racing. It will funnel some of that back into entertainment after sponsoring the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. "We thought we should move into another direction for a couple of years," Hussmann said. "But when we evaluated the last ten years, we came to the conclusion that we had very convincing results in the past and thought it's smart to become active again in this field." The availability of more marketing dollars is always good news for studios looking for promotional partners for their films -- especially when it's become more expensive to roll out films around the world at once. And BMW isn't making any risky bets by tapping Propaganda. Turning to the same marketing firm that helped revamp Audi's image is no coincidence, those close to both companies said. In addition to its previous work, what also helped Propaganda land the BMW account is the fact that it operates 12 offices around the world, with Los Angeles, Geneva and Hong Kong serving as its primary headquarters, which will be key in rolling out BMW's new entertainment strategy, which it sees as a global effort. Propaganda also has offices in Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, London, Rome, Madrid, Copenhagen and is opening one in Mumbai next year. "The recession has forced companies to rethink how they communicate," Igielko-Herrlich said. "You have to ultimately be where the spectator is. How do you do that? You have to be part of the content, part of the storytelling."
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| Ronan Tynan Comes To Feinstein's For Three Performances 11/27, 11/28 - Broadway World Posted: 23 Nov 2009 09:50 PM PST  FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed "Best of New York" by New York Magazine and "an invaluable New York institution" by The New York Post, will continue its star-studded Fall 2009 season with Irish tenor, RONAN TYNAN on November 27 and 28. For his show at Feinstein's Tynan will sing Broadway favorites, American standards and Irish classics from his new CD, Sing Me An Irish Song. All shows are at the Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue at 61st Street). Introduced to international audiences as a member of the Irish Tenors, RONAN TYNAN quickly became known for his unique voice and irresistible appeal. Though Ronan enjoyed singing as a boy, he did not seriously consider formal voice study until he was 33, when he was well into his residency as a physician. Ronan won both the John McCormack Cup for Tenor Voice and the BBC talent show Go For It less than one year after beginning the study of voice. The following year, he won the International Operatic Singing Competition in Maumarde, France. He made his operatic debut as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madame Butterfly, and cut his teeth on the concert repertoire in performances of Verdi's Requiem, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Handel's Messiah, Rossini's Stabat Mater, and Puccini's Messa di Gloria. In the spring of 2005, Ronan released his self-titled debut album, which began a new era in his career. Ronan debuted #2 on Billboard's Classical Crossover Chart, just behind Josh Groban, and was the 8th best-selling classical crossover album of 2005. It also reached #2 on the World Album Chart and peaked at #9 on the Contemporary Christian Chart. His autobiography Halfway Home was published in February of 2002. Born with lower limb disability that threatened to sideline him throughout his childhood, Tynan was still "as wild as a March hare" when he was a growing boy, riding horses and racing motorcycles. When he was twenty, his legs had to be amputated below the knee after an auto accident caused serious complications. Just weeks after the operation, he was climbing up the steps of his college dorm, and within a year, he was winning gold medals in the Paralympics as a multitalented athlete. Between 1981 and 1984, Tynan amassed eighteen gold medals and fourteen world records of which he still holds nine. Tynan became the first disabled person ever admitted to the National College of Physical Education. He later became a full-fledged medical doctor, specializing in orthopedic sports injuries, with a degree from Trinity College. FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY will present RONAN TYNAN with the following schedule: Friday, November 27 at 8:00 PM and Saturday, November 28 at 8:00 PM and 10:30 PM. All shows have a $60.00 cover, with $75.00 premium seats available, and a $40.00 food and beverage minimum. Jackets are suggested but not required. FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street in New York City. For ticket reservations and club information, please call (212) 339-4095 or visit us online at feinsteinsatloewsregency.com and TicketWeb.com This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| OPEN CALL: My story of my love for C.K. Dexter Haven - Salon Posted: 23 Nov 2009 09:14 PM PST We met in late Spring on the Island Of Martha's Vineyard. I remember the first time I saw her - long flowing blonde hair, beautiful eyes and a warm smile. She seemed tall - taller than in real life. This is because I was gazing up at her from the dirt, where I had been lying down. We met in an ampitheater, where we would spend the next three joyous months together, discovering all of the things we had in common. Hatred for college aged acting interns,hatred for French directors and their batshit insane playwright/ wives, bizarre skills for putting on plays with practically no budget for costumes, sets or props...ahh, the halcyon days we shared that divine summer. I'm sure she remembers exactly what I was wearing that day because I wore it every day for the rest of the summer. Motorcycle boots, a shapeless black dress, and dirt. I was the production manager, she was the costume designer when love intervened and made our lives topsy turvy. After a time, as all lovers do, we gave each other "pet names". I was her Ditch Pig, she was my Costume Slut. Sleep had no meaning, as is always true in the first throes of romance. And when putting on plays for small theater companies in an outdoor setting. Much Ado About C.K.! Yes, we tackled Shakepeare together, me screaming at the top of my lungs at the hideous, awful, terrible college aged acting interns, her surreptitiously sticking them with pins to avenge us both. What did she see in me? Was it the vision of me, at the first company meeting, telling the actors: "I know you're all theater people and you like that touchy feely stuff. I do not want to be hugged, massaged or in any way touched by any of you. I don't like it, and I will deliberately hide your props if you ever attempt any of that actor shit." Was it the fact that I lived in my car and would occasionally pull a snack out of the trunk? I like to think she loved me for my informed grasp on important situations. "This fucking sucks." may have been the words that melted her heart. And what did I see in her? Well, food and running water eventually. But at first what I noticed was the fact that she was as bitter and "whelmed" (we never said overwhelmed) as I was. But her sly approach, the essence of "Who, me?" right after saying something so subtle and biting that I was guffawing and rolling around in the dirt was what first had my heart beating quickly. She was (still is) funnier than I am! (*note grammar*) I am often afraid of people with children, for many good reasons, including having to talk to/like/play with such said children. Not with C.K.! Mother of four, she shared my complete disdain for the importance of children in the world! Of course, her children were smaller droll versions of herself, so I loved them immediately. Did the fact that she was happily married dissuade either of us from pursuing our love? Not at all! I was conveniently having "shower sex" - that's when you're homeless and you have sex with someone you like who has a shower - and she was, well, I'll let her speak for herself. Plus, the best things about these kinds of romances - I was the perfect extra person in the relationship! At the time, C.K. was vegan and didn't drink. Introduce a meat loving boozehound to your meat loving boozehound husband and Voila! a fast friendship is born. Our love blossomed, as love often does, under circumstances that tried our very souls. Sometimes we would sit together, after everyone had left, in the darkening glade of the ampitheater, exhausted and punchy, just laughing (fairly maniacally) about the whole situation. My dearest, remember when the now famous Zachary Quinto ran his car into the costume shed? (We all know who payed the price for that, Zach, if you're listening. You owe me.) Racing to strike the set as a storm moved in? Hanging costumes in trees? Things were falling down all around us, like tree limbs and the occasional cast member for instance. We made it through - C.K. sewing all night, quite literally, while I kept her company. I loved that summer - we were in the trenches, and we made it out. The shows went on. And on. Towards the end of the summer the C.K. Dexter Haven family cleared out the awesome (vintage, of course) trailer in their back yard - previously the "costume shop" - and gave me a place to live. In return, I introduced C.K. and her husband to karaoke. That is a very even trade! Now it is 12 years later? I think. I love you, my friend, and I am so glad you joined me here at O.S. Yours Truly, Ditch Pig
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| Editor's note: I'm not an Editor. - SuperCross.com Posted: 23 Nov 2009 07:19 PM PST
Why is this called Editor's Blog? I couldn't come up with a better name. What is this blog going to be about? I have no clue. Well, that's not entirely true. I have a clue. I'll write about whatever thoughts come in my head at the time I'm writing, .... probably total random stuff ..... OK, a lot of random stuff .... maybe a little motocross & supercross news that I can't figure out where to put anywhere else on the site .... maybe some history of the sport .... and most definitely - any strange things that 'cross my desk'. (And, I think you'll be entertained over the next few weeks and months as I share with you some of the 'strange' stuff that comes into Supercross.com.) Editor's note #2. People here want me to do it basically on the 'history of the sport'. Maybe. I'm not an Editor. Dumb name. I do a lot of 'editing', but I certainly wouldn't consider myself an 'Editor'. My job is more like 'traffic cop'. I try to keep everything flowing, or at least moving in the right direction. I don't really do any one thing specifically - I just do a lot of little things all the time. Again, I'm not an 'Editor', but I do edit a lot. Words. Photos. Video. But mostly words. You'd be surprised how many 'smart' people have such awful writing skills (me included). And poor grammar. And bad punctuation. So, let's start with our "staff". We actually are a very small company. And we all get paid 'weekly'. Very weakly! (Oh, that was so very funny Editor!) We don't really have a 'staff'. We are a group of friends, that are trying to do something we like & enjoy. We have a few full time employees, but basically, we invest a lot of time into the site because of something we all have in common - a passion for what we do. But let's pretend we have a really big staff! I'm going to comment on all of them! (OK, at least the people whose names I can remember!) Me: I don't really do much. I've found that if you walk around the office, holding a piece of paper in your hand & maybe a pen in the other hand, or act like you are super-busy talking on your cell phone on a super-important call, ... either one of those can make it look like you are actually working! And it's a great way to make the day go by quicker - without doing much work! Those are both incredibly good time wasters! And I am very good at it! I also volunteer any time to go to Starbucks or get donuts. Anytime. Good luck if you are expecting me back soon! (Chances are I'll be napping in my car while listening to the radio for a few hours.) My writing skills, grammar, and punctuation are actually stellar.
She's smart. On the ball. Works her (fill in the blank) off, and .... truly does it all! She writes articles, does computer programming, takes photos, shoots video, stars in videos, and runs the business side of things. I can't think of anything she can't do. In her spare time, Amanda works at a flight instruction school, as she is an instrument rated Commercial Pilot. (Bet none of you knew that!) Amanda does have one 'issue' though. And we've talked about it at length. I'm not sure what to do about it. But .... (Amanda, I hope you don't mind me writing this, and I hope the Animal Control folks do not come visit the spacious Supercross.com World Headquarters) ... Amanda has a giant, real life Panda she keeps in the office. It's weird. And it makes weird sounds sometimes. I don't even think she's given it a name - we just call it 'The Panda'. When we have people come into our office, they usually comment "Oh, you have a Panda in your office. How .... nice." Amanda's writing, grammar, and punctuation skills are great. Except when she tries to spell the name 'Jeremy McGrath'. It always comes out 'Jermy Mcgraf'. Weird. And that frickin' live Panda needs to go!
One fact you might not know about Gerald. He invented a very exciting, well known, extreme sport! I know you've heard of it! It's called 'Crossing the Street!' Gerald taught me all my writing skills, grammar, and punctuation - so he is like an English Guru to me.
Ange is dedicated. Hard working. Knowledgeable. You can't even put a price tag on any of that. But we still fight a lot! But only because I want the best for her. She just doesn't listen to me! Ange~ listen to me! My IQ is ... at least room temperature! I know what I'm talking about! So when I say "Go ask that hot chick if she wants to go out with a balding, graying, roundish 51 year old guy!" Go ask her for me! You never know - she might say 'Yes'! It could happen! OK, seriously, Ange is dedicated, hard working, and knowledgeable. She knows motocross and supercross. Interesting fact about Angela. She's been involved in the sport since the early 90's. She knows it all. And she has never worked at Hot Dog on a Stick. At least not yet. Her writing, grammar, and punctuation ....... let's just say I'm getting her a book for Christmas on that!
Michele makes me laugh. She's fun, and funny. And, we are going to meet this week to work on stuff. Or maybe not. Maybe next week? Michele - where r u???? I thought we were going to meet last week, this week, next week ..... some week .... any week! Michele is one thing for sure. Passionate. She IS MXGirls. And MXGirls is a big, growing part of our site. Go MJ go! You can do it! (And please write or call me sometime - I miss you.) I have to give Michele an 'incomplete' on her writing and grammar and punctuation, only because we usually just text. And I just messages like this: Luv u! LOL! OMG! L8r Lozr!
Here is a story of how good Yamamama is: one time, the site was hacked by a band of tatooed, pierced, greasy-haired prison inmates from Greenland. We called Technical Support .... but the wait time was 4 hours. What were we to do? The frickin' site was down! Yamamama sprang into action as only she could. She baked a batch of oatmeal cookies, put on her slippers, got in her car in the dead of winter, drove to the prison in Greenland, and showered the band of tatooed, pierced, greasy-haired prison inmates from Greenland with love and cookies ... and they restored the site to it's normal functionality. Yamamama is writing her discertation (you might want to Google that word so you can figure out what it means) for her Masters Degree in English, so her writing skillz r gud.
Russ gets to do stuff that we never get to do. He lives in New Zealand. (Insert sheep joke here.) He got a lesson on riding from Amanda. And I think he has the 'delete' key for the Message Boards. So, if you got a riding lesson from Amanda, do you really care anything about writing skills, grammar, and punctuation? No. Because you'll be bringing home that 2010 Supercross Championship, and we'll have that big trophy right here in our office! Yeah! (What? You want the 2010 trophy in your office in New Zealand?????) To see Amanda's Motocross School for Russ, you can watch this video here on YouTube.
Can I tell people about the time we went fishing at SeaWorld? That was awesome! It was so easy! And, I can tell people John is generous and gracious and wise and smart. Who took care of me last time I visited the hospital? John. Who took me into his house when I was hurt? John. And who gave me all the beers to dull the pain of those injuries? John! Great guy, great friend! And John makes $%^& happen. But I don't know too much about John's writing and grammar and punctuation. He's a big tech guy, and everything is automated and voice controlled. I don't think I've ever seen him write anything! It's all speech recognition!
Rick is a lot of things .... and I can share some of them here with you. First, dude is a hard worker. A lot of people think if you have some success in one endeavor (supercross / motocross racing) you might kick back and relax. Not Rick. He is one of the hardest working people I know. He goes 7 days a week. Second, Rick is a great husband, great father, great friend. Doesn't have a mean bone in his body. (Except if you cut him off at exit 33 in Mooresville NC in a truck. Then you are going to get your truck and your face smashed in.) You might find this strangely odd - but Rick's writing skills are very, very, very, very similar to mine : )
I'm going to take some classes on blogging, and eventually I will have a blog that is at least mediocre, maybe even average.
p.s. Please do me three big favors ...
Do not follow Supercross.com on Twitter http://twitter.com/supercross.com Feel free NOT to comment about this blog in the Message Boards
Thanks,
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| Posted: 23 Nov 2009 07:34 PM PST NHRA: World's largest auto racing organization
With 80,000 members and more than 35,000 licensed competitors, NHRA is a thriving leader in the world of motorsports. Parks initially started NHRA as a means of getting hot rodders off the streets and on to legal dragstrips. Since those early days, NHRA has evolved into the largest promoter of professional drag racing in the world. Today, with more than 300 dedicated employees, NHRA offers drag racing opportunities for hot rod enthusiasts of all levels, from kids ages 8-17 in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League all the way up to the top of the Professional ranks with the organization's NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. While the grassroots racing organization has come a long way in more than 50 years of operation, there are some things that will never change. It's easy to see why fans are so committed to NHRA Drag Racing, because they continue to have the best access to the behind-the-scenes action of racing. NHRA's open-pits policy allows fans to get an up-close-and-personal view of the way teams rebuild engines in less than 75 minutes. Drivers are often found in their pit area, signing autographs and chatting with fans. That is just one reason why NHRA fans continue to be some of the most loyal in any sport. One hundred forty member tracks across North America host NHRA competitions in NHRA's seven geographic regions. In addition to the marquee Full Throttle Series, which crisscrosses the United States, making 24 stops in 22 cities over the course of nine months, NHRA offers popular weekly grassroots programs at many of its member tracks. One of the most popular is the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA program, which offers the opportunity to compete in grudge-match-style drag racing. Serious weekend warriors can compete at their local track in the Summit Racing Series, which crowns national champions each season. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the premier Sportsman series in drag racing and sometimes referred to as a stepping-stone to the NHRA Full Throttle Series, offers competion in eight categories. NHRA's key business partners include the Coca-Cola Co., whose Full Throttle brand sponsors the top touring series, and Lucas Oil Co. and Summit Racing Equipment, which both sponsor key developmental touring series. All of NHRA's major series receive television coverage from NHRA's exclusive multimedia partner, ESPN Inc. A sample of the active official sponsors involved in the sport include Budweiser, Caterpillar, and Fram. In an independent survey conducted by SportsBusiness Journal in 2003, NHRA was ranked high in a variety of categories reflecting sponsor satisfaction, including Best Value for the Money, where NHRA was ranked first among 16 major sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NASCAR. NHRA is moving just as fast in popularity with auto racing fans. Second to only NASCAR in terms of attendance, fan appeal, and sponsorship commitment, NHRA is moving quickly into mainstream America. NHRA is all about diversity. With more than 20 categories of competition, including Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle at the Professional level, to a multicultural array of high-octane personalities it calls world champions, NHRA thrives on unique competitors accomplishing unique achievements. For example, in 2008, Hispanic racer Cruz Pedregon won the NHRA Funny Car world championship, and Ashley Force Hood and Melanie Troxel became the first female winners in the Funny Car class. Information about NHRA is available in various forms, including the weekly newspaper National DRAGSTER and highly acclaimed NHRA.com. The award-winning National DRAGSTER covers every race from the first Sportsman run to the final Full Throttle blast to the winner's circle. NHRA.com has won several awards for its innovative, interactive coverage of all forms of NHRA Drag Racing and provides daily results, feature stories, and breaking news at the click of a mouse. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD again will provide exclusive television coverage of the NHRA Full Throttle Series, and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will be covered as well. Thousands of media outlets across the country, including the Associated Press and USA Today, provide regular coverage of NHRA racing. Keeping with Parks' original philosophy, President Tom Compton guides the sport and assures that safety and technological improvements will remain a top priority. Progressive changes will help NHRA continue to fulfill its leadership role in the motorsports world well into the future. NHRA will protect and further the best interests of the sport, constantly lobbying for beneficial safety and insurance legislation for auto enthusiasts. Participation on and off the track has made the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series one of the most popular forms of racing, reaching thousands of fans, members, and sponsors a quarter-mile at a time.
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