Is this really a crime? I wonder if they can find a jury of twelve people who haven’t had the secret desire to do the same thing?

In what will surely win next year’s Ozzie Award for quickest redesign of an unlaunched magazine, Medialifemagazine.com reports that Jordan Magazine did not appear as promised last weekend because Nike is morphing it into a magazine-catalog to be called Brand Jordan.

Quote:

Jordan, a magazine expressing “the style, spirit and strength of Michael Jordan” and addressing “the diverse interests of trend-setting young males,” has been scrapped. In its place the world will see Brand Jordan, a shoppa-logue hawking Nike products.

Will it work? Before they blast the idea that a “shoppa-logue” can successfully build a brand and hawk products while still being perceived as a quality product by readers, I suggest marketing and media pundits head by their local mall and check out the Nikesque-looking consumers lining up to buy A&F Quarterly.

New Scientist.com reports that “people who sleep for eight hours or more every night have a higher death rate than those who average six to seven hours, according to a new US study. ”

Amazing. I thought the death rate was 100% among sleepers of all durations.

Remember the magazine that was to launch during the NBA All Star weekend? The one called Jordan and sponsored by Nike and custom published by Hearst? The New York Post reports today that the project is a bit delayed. Perhaps with the unexpected Wizard winning streak, a divorce and reconciliation, and business-deals from coast-to-coast, Michael didn’t get all his articles turned in on time.

The New York Times reports today that a night club in Hollywood, The Sunset Room, will be renamed for almost a month as the GQ Lounge, redecorated to reflect the tone of the magazine and, not incidentally, promote products sold by 22 GQ advertisers like Altoids mints, Bacardi Limón rum, Paul Mitchell hair products and Reebok sneakers. A similar lounge is planned in Manhattan for September.

Is this a trend? Seventeen Magazine is doing the same thing in the same town.