News Briefs

THE KEDS CORP.: has extended its partnership with actress Mischa Barton as its brand spokesperson through summer 2008. The celebrity will be part of the company’s “Be Cool” advertising campaign, set to debut in December. The spring 2008 campaign will offer a fresh look at the brand and play off how Keds and Barton have evolved over the last three years, the company said.

YAHOO!: The search engine is pulling the plug on its two-year-old directory of podcasts due to an inadequate level of usage. The service ranked last among 32 Yahoo-owned properties monitored by Hitwise. Podcast traffic dropped 20% this past August compared to a year ago.