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NBA Stars Appear in Nike Campaign LOS ANGELES--NBA All-Stars Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton and Tim Hardaway appear as the "Fun Police" in a new Nike TV campaign, which broke last weekend. The three spots, from Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, Ore., show the players trying to protect the world from boring games. There is no tagline. The spots end with a closeup of a license plate that reads, "ICNHVFN" (I can have fun). Hilfiger Has New List; Deutsch Passes NEW YORK--Tommy Hilfiger here has a new list of shops vying for the creative portion of its $30 million account, sources said. Creative presentations, scheduled for the last week of February, will include New York shops Margeotes/Fertitta + Partners, M&C Saatchi and Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG. Deutsch here, which had recently done a TV spot for Hilfiger that aired during the Super Bowl, has dropped out of the review. The agencies referred calls to the client, which could not be reached. Havas Purchases SFM Media NEW YORK--Havas Advertising, Paris, last week acquired SFM Media Corp., the largest independent media buying company in the United States. Terms of deal were not disclosed. Havas chairman and chief executive Alain de Pouzilhac said the move "strengthens our position in terms of media consulting and buying." SFM will be attached to Havas' U.S. arm and will be overseen by Didier Colmet Da‰ge, chairman and chief executive of media operations for the U.S. group. Mexico Tourism Heads Into Review DALLAS--The Mexico Ministry of Tourism is preparing to solicit a request for bids for its estimated $7-10 million ad account, currently at Noble/D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles in Mexico City. Noble's contract with the ministry expires April 6. Ministry officials could not be reached. The account includes TV and print advertising that runs in the U.S. and Canada. Noble plans to defend. Carmichael Lynch Added to IPG Fold CHICAGO--Interpublic Group of Cos. completed its expected acquisition of Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis. Sources valued the stock-swap deal for the employee-owned agency at $30 million. Carmichael Lynch, with billings of about $200 million, will report through Campbell-Ewald Advertising, Warren, Mich., while continuing for now as an autonomous brand within the IPG network. Epson America Taps DDB Needham LOS ANGELES--Epson America has awarded its estimated $20 million creative and media account to DDB Needham's Los Angeles office after a three-month review. The agency prevailed over The Richards Group, Dallas; Rubin Postaer and Associates, Santa Monica, Calif.; and Seiniger Advertising, Beverly Hills, Calif. Ammirati Puris Lintas, New York, resigned the account last November. JMC&T Joins Valvoline Contenders List NEW YORK--Jordan, McGrath, Case & Taylor here is among the contenders for the $20-25 million Valvoline oil account, said sources. The agency declined comment. Other contenders identified earlier are Cramer-Krasselt and Lois/EJL, both Chicago, Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, and Doe-Anderson Advertising, Louisville, Ky. [Adweek, Jan. 26]. Bozell Worldwide resigned the account in November. A|X Armani Seeks an Agency NEW YORK--A|X Armani Exchange is talking with several New York shops about a possible image campaign for its clothing line, according to a company representative. The most recent work has been print ads developed in-house. The client has also worked with Weiss, Whitten, Stagliano here. Competitive Media Reporting estimated A|X spent approximately $1 million in 1996, advertising its clothing line and stores. Media is handled in-house. Newswire Roundup Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, New York, has won a $5-10 million account from online music retailer N2K, New York. Kirshenbaum won the business in a review that included DDB Needham and Gotham Advertising, both New York . . . As expected, Joe Boxer has awarded Fallon McElligott's New York office several strategic branding assignments involving all product lines [Adweek, Feb. 2] . . . Lifetime Television has met with several undisclosed small to midsize shops to discuss potential project work, including a possible image campaign, said a client representative. Advertising is currently done in-house, although Lifetime has used outside agencies, including Mullen in Wenham, Mass., which crafted a 1997 campaign for The Place, a former show. Competitive Media Reporting estimated Lifetime spent $9 million on advertising from January to October 1997 . . . Phoenix-based Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon and Spa has narrowed its search for an agency to five contenders, sources said. Sources have identified three of the five agencies as GFS/Levinson Group, Holland Advertising and Grybauskas Beatrice, all New York. Billings for the account are undisclosed. For the Record Due to an editing error, Steve Davis, the new CEO at Wells BDDP, was quoted incorrectly [Adweek, Feb. 2]. His quote should have read: "There are no provisions with my contract with Wells for Omnicom to accommodate me with a job if Wells is eventually closed."

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