13917: J.C. Penney Pulls Liles Simmons.

Advertising Age published a Bloomberg News report about J.C. Penney dumping Russell Simmons’ clothing line after allegations of sexual misconduct by the media mogul. According to a correction at the end of the story, the original piece ran with a photo of Kevin Liles versus Simmons. Oddly enough, it’s not the first time that Liles has been mistaken for Simmons. Hey, maybe the allegations against Simmons aren’t true and his accusers encountered someone else…

J.C. Penney Pulls Russell Simmons Apparel Line After Allegations

J.C. Penney pulled a Russell Simmons menswear line after the media mogul was accused by two women of sexual misconduct.

The department-store chain introduced the Simmons-created Argyleculture line in September 2016. The collection of sweaters, polos and blazers was part of the chain’s push to attract more young men to its stores. The products were being sold on J.C. Penney’s website and at about 80 of the chain’s 875 stores, according to a company spokeswoman.

“The company decided to discontinue selling Argyleculture in light of the recent allegations,” a spokeswoman says.

Simmons, co-founder of hip-hop record label Def Jam Recordings, said on Thursday that he would step down from his companies after a second woman—screenwriter Jenny Lumet—accused him of sexual misconduct, according to the Associated Press.

Simmons’ holdings include Rush Communications, yoga studio Tantris, energy drink Celsius and production company Def Pictures.

The brand’s products are still available on Amazon and eBay. Representatives for those companies didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

—Bloomberg News

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article included a Bloomberg photo that identified the subject as Russell Simmons. It was record executive Kevin Liles.

10084: PR Loves Hip Hop.

Advertising Age reported on a new venture that shows White PR shops love hip hop too.

PR Shop MWW Launches Entertainment Venture With Music Vet Kevin Liles

Deal Stems From Friendship Between Liles, MWW Chief Michael Kempner

By Alexandra Bruell

Kevin Liles, the former president of Def Jam, and Michael Kempner, CEO of public-relations firm MWW, are neighbors in Cresskill, N.J. Both are big Obama supporters and have worked in Manhattan for years.

The longtime friends are teaming up to create a joint venture, MWW Entertainment. It will connect MWW clients, including Sara Lee, McDonald’s and Subaru, and artists from KWL Management—Mr. Liles’ company—such as Trey Songz, Big Sean and Nelly.

The companies, which will remain independent, have established a shared office for the venture and are sharing PR resources and entertainment assets. Profit will be split. MWW Entertainment has 10 employees, and the staff will double in the coming months, the partners told Ad Age.

The deal was born from informal talks at a dinner party, according to Mr. Kempner. It marks one of MWW’s first big moves since the firm bought itself back from Interpublic Group of Cos. last year.

“This is deeper than finding celebrities,” Mr. Kempner said. “It’s about, “How do we align entertainment and celebrities with brands to move their key users and stakeholders? The mandate to bring together brands and pop culture has never been greater.”

The venture is already helping to spur MWW’s growth, Mr. Kempner said. Revenue was up 11% last year, and the firm projects a double-digit increase through the first half. Though MWW Entertainment, which has been in beta for some time, didn’t account for a “dramatic portion” of revenue in 2011, he said its contribution could more than triple this year.

For Mr. Liles, the venture is in part a response to the changing entertainment environment. “I had a young kid ask me, ‘Why would I sign to a label?’ My response was that there’s not one icon that doesn’t have a label. His response was, ‘That was then.’”

“I realized that as we continue to evolve as an industry, we needed a new value proposition,” Mr. Liles said. “I needed to create a business model where we can be full service, full functioning, and if you come to us we can record, publish, market and promote your music; we can come up with cause marketing, philanthropy, brand positioning and messaging. I thought, I can’t do that myself.”

Mr. Liles started KWL Management with Mr. Songz after leaving his exec VP role at Warner Music Group in 2009. He’s has built a large and diverse talent roster.

The plan is to draw on that lineup to help boost MWW Entertainment’s brands. For example, robotics company Tosy was looking to make a splash in the U.S. earlier this year. Through Mr. Liles, MWW got Justin Bieber to appear at the Tosy booth at CES.