Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Digest

Talk of the day

By TIMES WIRES
Published January 17, 2007

PETA gets prehistoric in fur protest

Animal rights activists dressed as cave people gathered outside a Burberry boutique Tuesday in downtown Hong Kong, protesting the company's use of fur. Holding a banner that said, "Burberry: Out of the Stone Ages," the protesters - wearing fake brown furry vests and leggings - urged the British brand to stop using fur. They also wielded thick plastic clubs as they made wild animal sounds. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also stormed the runway at a fashion show in Hong Kong on Monday night, chanting antifur messages before they were taken away by security guards. Fashion labels such as J. Crew Group Inc., Stella McCartney and Ralph Lauren have stopped selling fur after PETA launched a boycott campaign.

Shatner extends stay with Priceline

Priceline.com Inc., the online travel agency that has featured William Shatner as its pitchman for the past nine years, will introduce new television and online ads starring the former Star Trek actor. The campaign, which starts this week, is his first since Priceline hired a new ad agency in November and the seventh one to feature Shatner, chief marketing officer Brett Keller said Tuesday.

PS3 hits 1-million mark in Japan

Shipments in Japan of the new PlayStation 3 video game machines reached 1-million Tuesday, Sony said, hitting the company's target about two weeks behind schedule. Sony had planned to ship 2-million PS3 machines around the world by the end of last year. Last week, Tokyo-based Sony Corp. said it met its shipping target of 1-million PS3 consoles in the United States in 2006. PlayStation 3 sales were expected to be strong in coming months because of the expected release of new game software in the works, according to Sony's game unit. The relative lack of games to play on PS3 so far has added to the concerns about sales at a time when the Wii console from Japanese rival Nintendo Co., which makes Pokemon and Super Mario games, has been a surprise hit.

Pepsi gets active with packaging

PepsiCo Inc., the world's second-largest soft drink maker, will introduce new graphics on Pepsi cans and bottles, swapping sports, music and fashion themes every few weeks. PepsiCo will add 35 designs worldwide this year alone, the company said. About 8-billion cans and bottles will get the designs, which will be supported by Web sites with similar themes. The graphics are an effort to reverse declining soda sales in countries including the United States by targeting groups of consumers who identify with activities such as snowboarding, fashionable clothing and car racing.

[Last modified January 17, 2007, 00:20:20]