Company steering clear of controversial bus spots: Lamar Advertising is refusing to run ads promoting atheism on Canadian buses. According to the London (Ontario) Free Press, the Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign wanted to run the spots as part of a broader campaign to bring atheism into the mainstream. Similar spots are running on buses and subways in Washington, D.C., Toronto and England. Steve Copeland, who heads Lamar’s eastern Canadian operations, told the newspaper the company avoids ads that are controversial, since bus riders are a captive audience. “We’ve been here so long we know what works and what doesn’t,” Copeland said.
No zeal for Zale: Zale Corp. posted a $23.6 million second-quarter loss, which the jeweler blamed on tough economic conditions, which caused the company to discount merchandise at the expense of profit margins. Zale plans to cut costs by closing about 115 underperforming stores as leases expire. The company has three jewelry stores in the Capital Region, with locations in the Mall of Louisiana, the Mall at Cortana and Tanger Outlet Mall.
