Execs & Accounts for February 4, 2004

Lexus has renewed its branded site on MSN, Lexus.MSN.com, for another year. The Web destination has been expanded to offer users a broader experience with streaming video segments and stories complementing its luxury lifestyle content. New editorial content includes a luxury travel and luxury shopping area. Since last February, Lexus.MSN.com has helped the automaker increase brand awareness and perception among its target consumers, the companies said.

Shockwave.com created a third installment of its “ZipZaps” online racing game series for RadioShack. Showcasing the electronics retailer’s popular micro RC racing toys, the advergame’s earlier incarnations have garnered a big response from the online gaming community. The new edition adds characters, music, art and cars from Japanese Manga comic Initial D. The cars in the game mimic the latest innovations in the remote-control cars.

PointRoll hired Brian Buchwald as VP of strategy and business development. Buchwald was a strategic advisor to AT&T Wireless and co-founded Dotomi USA. He held several posts during a three-year tenure at DoubleClick, including that of director of business development.

Interactive agency Tocquigny Advertising hired Pedro Laboy as chief financial officer. Laboy held similar financial positions at Landor Associates, ACA Ltd and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most recently he served as senior partner of finance at G2, a New York-based subsidiary of the Grey Global Group.

“Pedro’s proven ability to manage the financial strategy and operations for other growing agencies makes him the ideal person to assume our new CFO position,” said President Yvonne Tocquigny.

RightNow Technologies named Richard Beach deliverability management officer. Beach is project manager for RightNow’s hosting division, and he will now head the company’s newly formed Deliverability Management Team, a multi-disciplinary group dedicated to ensuring delivery of client campaigns.

Online video news network The FeedRoom tapped 24/7 Real Media’s Open AdStream Central as the exclusive ad serving solution for its network of 150 broadband sites.

Separately, 24/7 said it will launch a pro bono campaign for nonprofits United Way of New York City and Seedco and The CityKids Foundation.