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November 14, 2006
AIRTRAN AIRWAYS AND FRONTIER AIRLINES MARKETING PARTNERSHIP
A Tail of Two Partners.
PHOTO: Plane tails for AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines lined up at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport before the Low Cost Carriers announced a marketing partnership on Nov. 14, 2006. The relationship enables passengers to earn frequent flyer rewards between both airlines through AirTran Airways' A+ Rewards program and Frontier's Early Returns program. (Terri Hanson Photography)
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:06 PM | View the original post
Microsoft's New Zune Digital Media Player on Store Shelves Today
Wireless sharing poised to change the way people experience digital music.
SEATTLE, Nov. 14 -- Celebrating the U.S. launch of the new Zune(TM) digital media player and music service, Microsoft Corp. has worked with a number of cutting-edge artists to stage free concerts in public parks and plazas in urban centers across the country. At Westlake Park in downtown Seattle at the first of these Zune concerts, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates took the stage to share his excitement for this next step Microsoft is taking in music and entertainment.
PHOTO: MICROSOFT ZUNE LAUNCH CONCERT: At a downtown Seattle concert to celebrate the launch of Zune, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates invites Melanie Gray of Tacoma, Wash., on stage and gave her his Zune device. The event, which featured the band Secret Machines, was the first of six concerts across the U.S. marking the launch of Zune, the new digital music player from Microsoft. Zune will be on sale at retailers across the USA today, Nov. 14.
Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment platform that provides an end- to-end solution for connected entertainment. The Zune experience includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service, and a foundation for an online community that will enable music fans to discover new music. Inspired by the vast and varied community of music fans, Zune focuses on helping emerging artists shape the digital canvas.
Gates outlined the Zune vision to create new ways for people to connect, discover and share music and entertainment experiences. He was joined onstage by John Richards, morning show host of popular community radio station KEXP, to showcase the new Zune-to-Zune wireless sharing feature. Richards wirelessly sent the inaugural song to Gates, who then surprised the crowd by giving away his Zune device to a member of the audience. Building on the "Hello from Seattle" greeting printed on the back of every Zune device, Richards created a playlist to celebrate Seattle music in honor of the Zune launch. The complete KEXP "Hello from Seattle" playlist will be available on Zune Marketplace for consumers to download.
"We wanted to bring Zune to life with a celebration of live music, shared between artists and fans across the country, and really make today all about embracing the social aspect of music," said Bryan Lee, corporate vice president of the Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Zune is all about changing the game to make music more social, and at launch we are just scratching the surface of how wireless technology is going to enable social interaction in the future."
The Shows
The Seattle launch concert, which featured New York-based, three-piece rock band The Secret Machines, drew crowds to the heart of downtown Seattle and kicked off the first of six shows to take place across the country. Celebrating the style and energy of local music scenes in Atlanta, Chicago and Miami, T.I., Lupe Fiasco and Richie Spice with Morgan Heritage will also play free public concerts throughout the afternoon and evening. Today's celebration culminates with performances in New York and Los Angeles where hundreds of lucky fans will get to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Queens of the Stone Age at intimate venues. Post-show musings, images and video will be available at http://www.zune.net/ beginning this evening.
Industry Support
Working closely with industry partners, Zune is exploring new models for distributing and promoting music that benefit the artists as well as consumers. Through managed wireless sharing, Zune empowers consumers to promote and sample select tracks, in turn increasing exposure for artists. Zune logs the music that people have shared, making it easy to purchase their favorite songs the next time they connect their device to their computer.
"Music has always been experienced in a community, and through Zune, Microsoft is building a robust and unique digital music community platform that enables consumers to share, sample and download their favorite music," said Alex Zubillaga, executive vice president of Digital Strategy and Business Development at Warner Music Group. "Warner Music commends Microsoft on the launch of the Zune digital media player and Zune music store, and is proud to be a content partner of this important addition to the dynamic and growing digital music space."
Staffed by a team of music writers and editorial music programmers, Zune Marketplace helps customers discover and purchase new music and uncover old favorites. Zune Marketplace will feature music from major and independent labels and music publishers, including Artemis/V2 Records, BMG Music Publishing, Digital Music Group Inc., EMI Music, EMI Music Publishing, Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA), peermusic.com Inc., Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Sub Pop Records, SuperEgo Records, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Warner/Chappell Music and many more. In addition, Zune Marketplace is working with leading editorial providers XLR8R, The FADER, and NME.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:24 PM | View the original post
Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front
American Girl's third made-for-television movie.
MIDDLETON, Wis., Nov. 14 -- This fall, Molly McIntire(R), a lively, lovable, and patriotic heroine growing up on America's home front in 1944, takes center stage in American Girl's third made-for-television movie, Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front. The new film, based on the popular Molly book series, is set to air Sunday, November 26, at 8:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. CST on Disney Channel. To further engage girls in Molly's world, American Girl(R) also introduced several new Molly movie-related items this September, including an 18-inch Emily doll, Molly's English friend and the newest doll to join its popular historical line of books, dolls, and accessories.
PHOTO: Maya Ritter and Molly Ringwald star in Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front airing Sunday, November 26 on Disney Channel.
American Girl, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT) ( http://www.mattel.com/ ), world's leading toy company.
One of American Girl's original historical characters introduced in 1986, Molly has engaged millions of girls over the past twenty years with her stories of hope, heart, and sacrifice amidst the hardships of World War Two. Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front brings Molly's touching stories to life -- providing girls with a whole new way to explore the world of this popular character. In the film, Molly struggles to come to terms with the changes the war has brought to her family. But with the help of her new friend, Emily, an English girl who has come to live with the McIntires to escape the bombings in London, Molly learns the importance of getting along and pulling together -- just as her country has to do to win the war.
Produced by American Girl, Revolution Studios, and Red Om Films in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc., Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front stars up-and-coming actress Maya Ritter as Molly McIntire; Tory Green as Emily Bennett; and Molly Ringwald (The Big Time, Pretty in Pink) and David Aaron Baker (The Hoax, Melinda and Melinda) as Molly's parents, Helen and Dr. James McIntire. The Molly movie was directed by filmmaker Joyce Chopra (The Last Cowboy), and award-winning screenwriter Anna Sandor (Felicity: An American Girl Adventure) wrote the teleplay.
American Girl fans looking for more information about Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front can visit the Molly movie headquarters at http://americangirl.com/movie . The fun interactive site offers girls a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Molly movie, as well as cast and character bios, a photo gallery, and Molly-related games and activities, and much more.
The Emily doll and book and other Molly movie-related products are available through the American Girl catalogue, at American Girl Place(R) Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles, or at americangirl.com . To request a free catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.
Since American Girl's inception in 1986, American Girl, Inc. has devoted its entire business to celebrating the potential of girls ages 3 to 12. American Girl encourages girls to dream, to grow, to aspire, to create, and to imagine through a wide range of engaging and insightful books, age-appropriate and educational products, and unforgettable experiences. In meeting its mission with a vigilant eye toward quality and service, American Girl has earned the loyal following of millions of girls and the praise and trust of parents and educators.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:19 AM | View the original post
