More companies are advertising on iPhone apps as the mini programs gain popularity. For publishers like The New York Times and the Associated Press, offering ad units within their iPhone news readers is a natural extension of digital inventory.

Captain Morgan has launched a new digital effort with agency MRM Worldwide as part of the rum brand's multiagency "Calling all captains" campaign. MRM Worldwide created a customizable voicemail tool, which allows consumers to set up Captain Morgan-branded prank calls. From the Web site www.CallingAllCaptains.com, consumers can choose from three personas — the cute girl, the angry boyfriend or the unpaid bartender — to make the call.

Mobile Commons appointed Anthony Risicato as CEO. He was previously general manager at Covario, an interactive analytics company. Risicato, a 15-year interactive marketing veteran, is expected to guide the mobile marketing services firm through its next phase of development, namely to grow the business's clientele.

AT&T is using the Vans Warped Tour to promote its product and services to music fans. The mobile carrier has been the official sponsor of the touring concert for seven years, but this year AT&T is using the event to demonstrate its technology offerings.

Because mobile phones continue to evolve and consumer adoption is still growing, mobile compliance can be a tricky area. While mobile spam is not new, the definition of what is and is not mobile spam is still being studied by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), Forrester Research and the Wireless Association (CTIA).

A mobile couponing system for grocery store chains and CPG manufacturers two years in the making went live on August 7. The A&P, The Food Emporium, Super Fresh and Waldbaum's supermarket chains have adopted the program, which provided through digital promotions and information management company Zavers. The digital platform, which presents mobile coupons and tracks their redemption rate sharing data with retail outlets and brand managers in real time, is available in New York; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Maryland; Washington, DC; Connecticut and Delaware locations.

NearbyNow has launched an iPhone platform offering consumers the ability to find a featured product at a nearby store and put the item on hold. Runners World and Seventeen are the first two titles to launch iPhone applications using the platform.

Online movie destination Fandango is running a new mobile marketing effort to promote the Paramount Pictures summer blockbuster film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which opens August 7.

Boost Mobile is running a new integrated marketing campaign that reaches out to a Hispanic audience. The new campaign is an extension of the "Sin abusos" campaign, which launched back in February.

To promote the launch of its new Infiniti G37 Convertible and the summer sales event, Nissan is running a multichannel marketing campaign with various mobile elements.