Roundup

Marketplace Roundup

Published June 25, 2012

Jockey launched a "Hot City Cool Down" campaign with Jets QB Tim Tebow, and on Saturday transformed an outdoor pavilion at Orlando Premium Outlets into a fashion show with male and female underwear models walking the runway. Tebow co-emceed the event in front of 300 guests. He also posed for photos with guests at the Jockey Outlet store (Jockey). Meanwhile, in Orlando, Alexandria Baca notes Tebow and Braves 3B Chipper Jones on Saturday also opened a D1 Sports Training and Therapy center in the Orlando suburb of Lake Mary. An estimated 300 people "attended a special afternoon training session Sunday with Tebow” at the 20,000-square-foot facility (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/25).

STRUTTING HER STUFF: In London, Neil Harman notes tennis player Maria Sharapova’s Nike collection “will be worn by her and six other players” at Wimbledon. But what Sharapova wears at this year’s championships -- a “white dress with lime green straps, and shoes with lime green flashes -- will be subtly different from the outfits worn by the other players dressed in her range” (LONDON TIMES, 6/25). CBS’ Mark Phillips said, “The women’s tennis circuit likes to market its top players like movie stars. It’s just as well some of them look the part, none more so than Maria Sharapova, six-feet two-inches of statuesque glamor off the court, the same measure of screeching power and determination on it” (“CBS This Morning,” CBS, 6/25).

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE: In Boston, Donna Goodison notes Red Sox DH David Ortiz today will relaunch his Big Papi’s Kitchen Fresh Salsa, opting for “a more health-conscious, all-natural fresh salsa.” The new salsa is “available at Hannaford, Whole Foods and Roche Bros. supermarkets and online at salsafy.com, and will be sold at Shaw’s and Star Markets starting July 1.” Depending upon his salsa’s success, Ortiz “may expand into other food categories” (BOSTON HERALD, 6/25).

GAME ON: EA Sports and Univ. of Central Florida officials on Friday “announced the opening of the EA Sports Innovation Lab at the UCF Center for Emerging Media in downtown Orlando.” In Orlando, Walter Pacheco noted the 3,000-square-foot lab, "with 14 computer stations, a conference room with two massive flat-screen televisions and an Ikea sense of style, will serve as an extension of EA Sports' Maitland headquarters.” The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy’s lab “will house a mix of students from UCF's FIEA curriculum and EA Sports employees” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/23).

TEE TO GREEN: In Vancouver, Brad Ziemer noted Canadian golfer Eugene Wong, who is expected make his pro debut at the Canadian Tour Players' Cup in Winnipeg, "appears to be headed" to IMG-Canada, which is now run by Managing Dir & VP Danny Fritz. Wong also is "expected to sign" a club deal with Nike (VANCOUVER SUN, 6/22).

CALL ME: In N.Y., Tanzina Vega looks at the marketing campaign for Sony’s new Xperia Ion smartphone, which includes "extensive media sponsorships and product placement opportunities.” Sponsorships include the ESPN All-Access event in Chicago in September, “where athletes will use the Xperia Ion to send messages from a social media center." The digital ad buy includes homepage “takeovers” on websites including ESPN.com and MLB.com (N.Y. TIMES, 6/25).