Couple Weds in Shoe Aisle of TJ Maxx
A Michigan “Maxxinista” and her beau conducted their nuptials at a local TJ Maxx store after an e-mail describing the bride’s dream wedding fell into the hands of brand representative, Sonya Cosentini. The event was covered by numerous media outlets including the “Today Show” and The Associated Press.
Source: AOL’s Good News Now 8/3/10

Amazon Launches “Your Kindle Commercial Contest”
Amazon.com is hosting the “Your Kindle Commercial Contest” to promote the newly-designed Kindle. To enter, fans must submit an original, 30-second ad for the product. The winner will receive $15,000 in Amazon gift cards and 15-minutes of online fame – last year’s winning ad was viewed by more than 100 million viewers. Entry ends September 3.
Source: Mashable 8/3/10

Parasailing Donkey To Fly No More, Enjoy Good Life
The unfortunate donkey who was made famous by a Russian parasailing company earlier this month is finally getting the happy ending she deserves. Anapka was purchased by British newspaper, The Sun, after readers urged the paper to do something about the disturbing case of animal cruelty. The Sun pledged to find a good home for the animal and has already received numerous adoption offers.
Source: Associated Press (via Yahoo News) 8/4/10

Sharkify Yourself For Shark Week
As a part of Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week,” the network created a web app which allows users to make themselves into creatures of the deep. Finished portraits can be shared via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.
Source: Buzzfeed 8/3/10

Lay's Mobile Tour Explains Agriculture to Clueless Urbanites
To help city slickers understand the “rural farm experience,” Lay’s has launched a mobile greenhouse exhibit – featuring the brand’s U.S. potato farmers and the potato-chip making process – which is traveling the country on a six-city tour. At each stop, Lay’s is donating the exhibit’s botanical contents to local community farms and gardens.
Source: BrandFreak 8/2/10

San Diego Zoo Celebrating 'Panda Week' with Tons of Contests
It’s Panda Week! To celebrate, the San Diego Zoo launched a series of social media contests to generate buzz for the black-and-white bears. The patron who becomes foursquare mayor of Giant Panda Research by Saturday (8/7) morning will receive a special panda prize; panda lovers are encouraged to upload photos of people dressed as pandas to Flickr for a chance to be included in the official panda slideshow; entries can also be submitted via Twitter @SanDiegoZoo ; Facebook fans can participate in a Panda Week chat and poetry contest.
Source: BrandFreak 8/2/10

Ke$ha and More...
Casio celebrated its new timepiece launches on Monday, August 2 at the Manhattan Center with a party titled “Shock the World 2010.” The event featured a press conference announcing the new celebrity ambassadors for the company’s watch brands – Ke$ha for Baby-G, Bryan Greenberg for new brand EDIFICE and Lamar Odom for G-Shock – followed by a high-octane performance by Ke$ha witnessed by stars including Tyson Beckford, Khloe Kardashian, Danielle Staub, Kelly Bensimon, Gabourey Sidibe, Jake Pavelka and more! (Disclosure: Casio is a Coyne PR client)
Source: WWD Fashion 8/4/10

New Vonage App Means Free Calls For Facebook Friends
Vonage has released a new app which allows users to make free phone calls to their Facebook friends – all over the world – with their iPad, iPod, iPhone or Android device. To download the app, visit the Vonage Facebook page.
Source: All Facebook 8/4/10

Spin A Boring Clip Into Gold, Win Employment
Looking for a job? The Big Ad Gig is back, giving creatives the chance to win one of five 30-day paid freelance gigs at a top agency. To enter, interested parties must take one of four half-baked ideas and turn it into a compelling YouTube video. Submissions will then be judged by executives from contest sponsors including Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Ogilvy in New York, Proximity Atmosphere and Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness. Click here for more details on how to enter.
Source: AdFreak 8/5/10