Jack in the Box, Dr Pepper Donate Handhelds to Children’s Hospital

Photo courtesy of Paul Kuntz

The Jack in the Box Foundation and Dr Pepper have donated $10,000 towards the purchase of video games for patients at Texas Children’s Hospital, the hospital has announced. Research has shown that the use of handheld video games by kids prior to surgery reduces their anxiety. By distracting a child from the worry of the operation, doctors have found patients experience reduced psychological trauma and the need for calming drugs.

Lingerie Makers Plaster Paris with Underwear Ads

Paris has become a battleground, with French lingerie makers and their partners plastering billboards with pictures of women in lacy underwear, in the hopes of counteracting a glut of discount bras from China, Bloomberg reports. The ads focus on France’s centuries of lingerie-making experience, with one firm, Cadolle, claiming to have invented the brassiere.

Naked News Takes Off in Japan

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Naked News, which features anchors and reporters who disrobe during newscasts, has launched in Japan, according to Hollywood Reporter (via Yahoo News).

Buy a Rolls-Royce, Get Sirius Free Forever

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Sirius Satellite Radio have announced an exclusive agreement for the inclusion of Sirius radios as standard equipment in all Rolls-Royce vehicles sold in the U.S. Unlike other automotive deals for Sirius as well as XM Satellite Radio, the Rolls-Royce vehicles include a lifetime subscription to the Sirius service.

Google Seeks Mobile Click-to-Call Ad Patent

A new Google patent application hints at the search giant’s plans for the mobile advertising market, with a type of ad that would result in a phone call instead of a visit to a website, reports ClickZ (via MarketingVOX). A senior research scientist at Google, Shumeet Baluja, filed U.S. patent application 20060004627 for the “call-on-select” process that takes into account screen size, connection speed and input capabilities of mobile devices to determine whether to serve an ad that would link to a website or place a phone call to the advertiser.

TV Stations’ Website Revs Doubled in 2005

Online advertising revenue for local TV websites was an estimated $283 million in 2005, twice as much as in 2004 - and is expected to again increase, by 39 percent, in 2006 - according to a new Television Bureau of Advertising survey conducted by Borrell Associates, writes MediaWeek (via MarketingVOX). Considering their strength in delivering online video content, local TV station websites are poised to make serious gains, according to the report titled “Benchmarking the Local Website Marketplace.”

The most popular ad categories for local TV websites are automotive and healthcare, followed by real estate and financial services.

Walter Karl Adds Ziff Davis Newsletter Files

Walter Karl has been named list manager for the new-to-market Ziff Davis Media Internet Newsletter postal and e-mail files, DMNews reports.

Fast Company, Inc. Face $10MM Loss, Ad Dept. Must Make It Up

In an internal memo to staff of Inc. and Fast Company, purchased last year by Mansueto Ventures from Gruner + Jahr USA Publishing, CEO John Koten describes a $10 million combined loss in 2005, BusinessWeek reports.

ESPN Most Perceived Brand Value

A Beta Research study finds that cable wins over the top four broadcast networks when it comes to perceived value, Brandweek reports. ESPN has the top brand image, earning favorable marks from 78 percent of the 350 ad sales executives surveyed. Discovery Channel was the second-most revered brand, at 76 percent, followed by Food Network, Comedy Central, HGTV, The History Channel, and MTV.

Martha’s New Mag Launches in May

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia will launch a two-issue test of its new lifestyle mag, Blueprint: Design Your Life. Targeting women ages 25-45, MSLO says the magazine was created for today’s modern, multi-tasking woman and gives inspirational ideas and practical steps for developing personal style.