Now on air and online: the channel five shop Fifth Gear has opened a brand-new merchandise shop. For fans of the show, the site, and of, well, cars. It’s a huge resource for car and motoring info - from test drives to deals to news. They’ve even got their own blog. Check out their own shop is here.

For the full press release go here.
For the Fifth Gear site, go here.

It’s been in the works, and you may have heard about it from somewhere, but the ongoing design competition “DERBY” has finally been launched. What it is: a site where you can enter your own design, rate other people’s designs and buy the top designs.

CEO Lukasz writes about how this is similar and different from other competition sites. The submissions so far have been awesome, and the site is chique. Take a look here: http://derby.spreadshirt.co.uk

Winners of the dorky “Pardon me do you have any Spread Coupon” reference in today’s partner newsletter are:
retrokiwi
Steve
Clive

I knew the quote from the advertising campaign that ran in the States on TV. But apparently it was also in Wayne’s World (and Ace Ventura?). The first I don’t remember, the second I never saw. According to my records, the newsletter went out at 13:00 exactly, and the first response was at 13:07 (and it was at the end of the newsletter). Well done winners, and thanks runners-up.

And a shout out and shirt to Morgan for bringing this website to our attention:
http://greypoupon.ytmnd.com/

Hi y’all. The new, first-twice-a-month newsletter. Hot off the e-presses.

From the guardian.co.uk, a special report on fast food. With an article by Eric Schlosser who wrote the brilliant Fast Food Nation. One article lists some of the 59 ingredients found in a McDonald milkshake (see t-shirt). Schlosser’s second book “Chew on This”, which talks about how fast food companies are targetting the very young. In another new book by Michael Pollan (he wrote The Botany of Desire), he talks about how it is economically-nonviable not to put high-fructose corn syrup into as many products as possible. It’s a sure, cheap way to increase it’s likeability and purchasing power. There’s an audio interview with him here.

For anyone having anything to do with marketing, and, oh, eating, these are interesting debates. In my humble opinion, there seems to be two main marketing tracks going on here. Do you want something sold as easy, fun and culturally relevant (see Coke, Kraft Foods), or something that sounds healthly and/or like it was grown on your neighbour’s farm (see your organic foods aisle or even read the Pret a Manger packaging)? The really clever giants are trying to do both (see McDonalds). Or do people care? What do you think?

I (also) want to hear what freakonomics has to say about it…

Team Spreadshirt UK/Ireland is made up of two Irishmen (they’re named Larry and Eamonn, you should’ve guessed), Marcello the Italian, and one American (yours truly). Nonetheless, when it comes to rallying the forces for World Cup, L & E (full of neighbourly love), M (apparently too dispirited by an injury to Totti to think straight) and Sarah (full of well, honestly, she doesn’t even know if the US is playing), are putting their money on….England*.

Not just because Spreadshirt’s mothership (location: Germany) is ecstatic (read: overconfident) about their nation’s success. Not just because we all speak English (more or less). But because we’ve got this nice little deal going on at chez Spread: if England wins you get a free official shirt. Yes sir/ma’am. If you enter the coupon code: ENGLANDCHAMPIONS with your purchase you’ll get 50p off your order. Not much, but you’ll be in for getting that shirt if when England wins.

Whew. All very exciting. The new website for the WC is HERE.

* Confession II (or III?): Sarah wrote a huge (over 80 pages?) thesis on postmodernism and critical literary theory (it saved the world). Still doesn’t stop her/probably why she continues loving writing run-on sentences.

From Cybersoc:

10 things i wish i’d known when i started blogging
(it’s actually 11. scroll down a bit)

An edited list from TXP Magazine

1. Sort out your domain name
2. Sign up to a third party RSS service, such as feedburner
3. Join technorati and claim your blog
4. Host your images using another service, for example flickr
5. Consider signing up to sites like blogburst which syndicate your content to news and media websites
6. Make sure you add your URL to Google
7. Add some sites with similar content to yours to your typepad list
8. Sign up for, and start using, del.icio.us and publish the links you collect there
9. Post comments on other blogs and leave your URL there
10. When you first set up your blog, really put some thought into the categories you’re going to use
11. use Pingomatic

The list was getting long, so it’s now moved here.
To add your shop, send an email to bloger@spreadshirt.net
Want to add a description of your blog, a few personal words? Send a sentence to the same address.

Spreading the cause: add a blogstar shirt to your shop, and get a free blogstar shirt. Send me the link to your shop to: blogger@spreadshirt.net

Get your coupon needs met at the lovely new page.