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HBO holiday helpers hit New York City’s most touristy spots to create buzz for its store on 42nd Street – and spread some holiday cheer.

The company tapped Broadway singers and actors to execute the grassroots effort. The tune?  An HBO-centric take on a Christmas classic created by changing the lyrics to include some of the channel’s standards.

A sample of the lyrics: “On the Sixth day of Christmas my Big Love gave to me Six Feet Under playing five Sopranos tees (Bada Bing) four Entourage caps three Wire books two Rome CDs and Sex and the City DVDs.”

As part of a strategy to become more accessible and reach a broader audience Honest Tea in May will launch a yearlong 10-city guerrilla sampling tour. In addition a partnership with Jamis bikes will allow the brand to give away 1 000 bikes in random drawings as part of a retail and online sweepstakes that supports the effort.  Originally sold only in health food and specialty retailers the bottled organic beverage brand is opening distribution to mainstream supermarkets and Sam’s Clubs. Coca-Cola purchased a 40 percent interest in the company earlier this year.

As the countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games begins many brands are waiting with nervous anticipation to find out if the athletes they sponsored will make the cut. Will they get to be associated with legends in the making like Michael Phelps? Will their alternative sports star become the next Shaun White? Or will the ultimate gamble the underdogs become the next feel-good press sensation like the Jamaican bobsled team?

To theme or not to theme that is the question all event marketers must ask themselves before designing an attendee experience at a property known for its passionate fan base. Car games at NASCAR. Football tosses at the Super Bowl. Golf swing clinics at the PGA Tour. Sure the tie-ins have kind of a duh-factor but they also present a challenge. If everyone’s doing it how much bang for your buck are you really getting?

Levi’s is building excitement for the grand opening of its fourth New York City location this time in Times Square by commissioning 3-D sidewalk chalk artist Julian Beever to create an original piece of art for the event.

“The Levi’s brand is loved by many different communities out there—and Julian’s artwork is very participatory and about making people part of his art so we thought if there was a way to take some of Levi’s’ iconic elements and marry them to Julian’s art it could be a match made in heaven ” Doug Sweeny director-brand marketing Levi’s told Buzz.