Q: (Reader)

This is in regard to your reference in the Q&A last week to the old “land shark” skit from “Saturday Night Live.” Have you come across LandShark Lager (landsharklager.com)?

I don’t know the inside story on the inspiration for the name, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they took their cue from “S.N.L.” I know I can’t see a store display for the stuff and not think of “S.N.L.” — and I wasn’t even around for the original run of that sketch.

The beer is listed as being brewed by the Margaritaville Brewing Company in Jacksonville, Fla. It’s some sort of subsidiary of or contractor for Anheuser-Busch.

A: (Stuart Elliott)

Thanks, dear reader, for the citation. I recently ran across LandShark Lager when I wrote an advertising column for The New York Times about a company, House Party, that was hired by Jarden Consumer Solutions to help promote a line of drink-making machines called Margaritaville Frozen Concoction.

Margaritaville is the name for the business interests of the entertainer Jimmy Buffett, which also include Margaritaville Cafes, Margaritaville Tequila and Margaritaville Smuggler’s Hold shops.

Anheuser-Busch is making LandShark at its brewery in Jacksonville through a division, the Margaritaville Brewing Company, and is also distributing the tequila through an agreement with Mr. Buffett’s Margaritaville Spirits Company.

There are those who believe Mr. Buffett’s business acumen rivals that of his namesake, Warren Buffett. The two are not believed to be directly related, but may be distant cousins. The similarities between them were the basis for a book, “Invest Like Warren Buffett, Live Like Jimmy Buffett: A Money Manual for Those Who Haven’t Won the Lottery.”

Dear Readers: The Campaign Spotlight feature last week, about a $20 million campaign for a supplement named Estroven — centered on the idea of a make-believe place called Menopauseland, with its own Web site (menopauseland.com) — generated a considerable amount of e-mail messages, all of them so far from women. What follows are some of those reader comments.

(Reader)

It’s hard to believe this is a real ad campaign. How could they possibly think someone would want to go to a site called Menopauseland?

(Reader)

These dang women issues of ours are not something you boys can ever even fathom to understand. We don’t expect you to and we love you regardless.

What we don’t love is when bozos, like the ones who invented Menopauseland, think this subject is something cute or humorous or can be dumbed down.

I guarantee you this: For $20 million or $200 million, there is no place like Menopauseland other than the one that leads to the gateway to hell, which I believe is a lot cooler than the furnace inside those of us who get, will get or used to get those pesky hot flashes.

(Reader)

Just one person’s opinion of the Menopauseland campaign: I think it is offensive — and I speak from very personal (and unfortunately early) — knowledge of the subject. Would love to know what others in the industry are saying.

(Stuart Elliott)

Thanks, dear readers, for your comments.

Media Blogs

Webdenda

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Tim Andree, chief executive at Dentsu America, New York, part of Dentsu, is being nominated as an executive officer at Dentsu. The appointment would make Mr. Andree the first non-Japanese to be named an executive officer at Dentsu.

The Association of Independent Commercial Producers will present three Next awards at the 2008 A.I.C.P. Show on June 3 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The awards are presented for campaigns to the advertisers, agencies and production companies involved. One winner is the “Voyeur” campaign for HBO, part of Time Warner; the agency is the New York office of BBDO Worldwide, part of the Omnicom Group, and the production company is RSA/Big Spaceship. The second winner is “Where sport meets art,” part of the “Impossible is nothing” campaign for Adidas. The agencies are 180 Amsterdam (180 and TBWA Worldwide, part of Omnicom) and the production company is Passion Pictures, London. The third winner is the “Whopper freakout” campaign for Burger King. The agency is Crispin Porter & Bogusky, part of MDC Partners, and the production company is Smuggler.

More People and Accounts of Note

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Media This Week

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To expand its audience, the channel is stretching the definition of science fiction to include superheroes, Indiana Jones and even the baseball film “Field of Dreams.”

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Feeling a little burned by big media, Amanda Congdon, the former host of “Rocketboom,” has returned to online blogging, hosting and producing on “Sometimes Daily.”

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