I took in Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday night. Outside of American Idol it’s one of the few reality shows I can handle watching regularly. On this episode the showcase marketer was Kodak. I will admit that the Apprentice franchise can be a solid product placement play, especially for a brand/sub-brand launches. And, Kodak’s stated goal was for the contestants to create a storefront to help relaunch the “Kodak Moments” campaign. Laudable.
Kodak has extended its relationship by giving a chance for fans to vote for the best “Kodak Moment” of each episode. Rod Blagojevich (the disgraced former Governor of our state, Illinois) being mistaken for Donny Osmond easily wins the distinction – dubious as it may be – in my view.
March Madness is upon us. For the true sports fan, there is no better 2 ½ weeks than the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. I know we’re just coming off an exciting few weeks of winter Olympic excitement, but for the more traditional sports follower, this is as good as it gets. And, let’s face it; the Olympics aren’t conducive to office pools. 
It was hyped as the greatest hockey tournament to ever be played. Hyperbole aside, it seemed to live up to the billing. With rosters made up primarily of NHL players, 12 nations took part in the Vancouver competition and delivered a memorable few weeks of intensity on the ice. All is good in hockey land, right?
The topic of ambush marketing is always front and center during an Olympic Games. Every two years the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) huff and puff a bit in an effort to frighten would-be “ambushers” from trying to create a link to the Games without having any type of official sponsorship status. Subway with its Michael Phelps ad and Verizon with its active support of US Speed Skating got the brunt of the recent criticism. AT&T is an official USOC sponsor while Verizon chose to back US Speed Skating.