America Online’s executive vice president of brand marketing has stepped down from advertising responsibilities to take on special projects for the company.
Len Short, who worked at AOL a little more than a year, has relinquished day-to-day advertising responsibilities. AOL’s Richard Taylor, now senior VP of brand advertising and promotions, will take over agency relationships, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Short had spearheaded AOL’s sponsorship of events including the ill-fated halftime show at this year’s Super Bowl in which Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed. However, sources within the company said the demotion had nothing to do with the much-talked-about incident.
Viewpoint Corporation, a developer of rich media and other visual applications, added Dennis Raney to its board of directors. Raney has held the CFO post at several large corporations, including Hewlett-Packard Europe, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Group and Novell. In addition to his directorship, he will serve as chairman of Viewpoint’s audit committee.
In separate news, Viewpoint’s senior VP of technology, Ales Holecek, will soon leave the company to accept a position on the West Coast. Holecek has been with Viewpoint since 1996.
Ant Farm Interactive launched an interactive campaign for the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism. The online marketing effort targets prospective Georgia visitors via a vacation package sweepstakes, an enhanced Web presence, and a permission-based e-mail program.
Advertising will appear on Google and the Web sites of Southern Living, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The History Channel, Hooked on the Outdoors and The Away Network.
ChampionsWorld tapped Tribesoft to launch its new Web presence. The new site includes soccer match recaps, player rosters, game stats, tour schedules and exclusive streaming video content. Tribesoft’s video team will provide visual services through the 2004 tour including post-game interviews and live match photography.
“The biggest challenge of the ChampionsWorld’s Web site lies in the time sensitivity of its content,” said Tribesoft Technologist Jeremy Margaritondo. “Because soccer coverage in the U.S. on other media is so scarce, the Web is the main source of information for soccer fans.”