A coalition of major Hollywood studios and cable companies have launched a $30 million campaign promoting the Movies on Demand service. The "Video store just moved in" effort, which launched March 17, features a sweepstakes, interactive media, a dedicated Web site at CableVideoStore.com, TV spots and print ads.

PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division is running a digital customer-engagement campaign to promote its potato chips. The "Happiness Exhibit" effort, which began March 15, encourages consumers to share photos of happy moments. The images will become part of a growing online photo montage.

Total advertising expenditures for 2009 were $125.3 billion, a 12.3% drop from the previous year, according to measurement firm Kantar Media (formerly TNS Media). Internet advertising and free-standing inserts were the only sectors that reported growth, 7.3% and 3%, respectively, according to the company.

Starwood Hotels is conducting an under-the-radar pilot loyalty initiative targeting members of competing loyalty programs. The company is keeping the effort separate from its existing loyalty program, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG).

The Postal Regulatory Commission said it will hire an actuarial consultant to review the pension-payment system used by the financially strapped US Postal Service. The USPS' Office of Inspector General released a report in January stating that the agency's current pension-funding system resulted in an overpayment of $75 billion from 1972 to 2009.

EZ Street Company, a producer of temperature-resistant asphalt, launched a direct mail campaign on March 17 targeting media and government officials. The company is using the effort, called "the spoken wheel," to drive attention to the state of US roads and urge state and federal authorities to increase funding for America's highway infrastructure.

Huntington Bancshares has named Arnold Worldwide lead marketing agency for its flagship brand and its Huntington National chain of retail banks. Terms of the deal, which closed the first week of March, were not disclosed.

AppNexus, a Web advertising start-up founded last year by veterans of DoubleClick and Yahoo's Right Media Exchange, launched an advertising platform March 15. EBay, the company's beta client since last year, is using it to streamline its approach to ad buying.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations released new definitions of what comprises a magazine's digital edition on March 16. The move came after Wired sought review of its iPad version, which will qualify as a "digital replica" under the updated guidelines.

Digital firm Responsys launched a platform to integrate e-mail marketing and social media on March 16. Client Diapers.com is using the tool to add more social media to its digital marketing mix.