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Microsoft's Bing has apologized for its #SupportJapan tweet promising to donate $1 for every retweet of its pledge to donate up to $100,000 to Japan earthquake relief efforts. Critics say the fundraiser was exploitive, while defenders derided critics for doing nothing to help relief efforts. Clickz 3/12/11
Nissan, Honda and Toyota say despite the impact of the earthquake they will be back online by next week. Toyota closed three factories and Honda Motor company suspended production which could affect exports of the Toyota's Yaris sedan and Scion cars and the Honda Fit car. MediaPost 3/12/11
After a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, Google launched its person finder application, which helps victims of natural disasters share and access information about loved ones. Inc. 3/11/11
In what was deemedTwittersteria, multiple Twitterers retweeted false reports that a CNN anchor giggled and made Godzilla jokes as the Japan earthquake and tusnami was being reported. Advertising Age 3/11/11
Walmart is testing a small-store rollout, testing three different formats -- rebranding its Neighborhood Market to Walmart Market, an even smaller format called Walmart Express, and Walmart on Campus, which is smaller still. The concepts are being tested in “urban and rural markets, with and without pharmacy, with and without fresh foods.” MediaPost.com 3/10/11
New Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby says one major finding of a recent Volvo brand audit is that the company "must redefine its legacy of leadership in safety by not only keeping up structural and design safety in its cars, but also blaze a new trail of safety when it comes to onboard electronics and communications” AdAge Global 3/4/11
The National Pork Board has replaced 25 year tagline "The Other White Meat," with a new tagline: "Pork, Be Inspired,” which the board says goes beyond providing basic information to positioning pork as a versatile ingredient. The new tagline is accompanied by a new logo. Advertising Age 3/4/11
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and NBC’s consumer products division has launched “Late Night Snack” in honor of Jimmy Fallon and his Late Night Show. The ice cream combines potato chips, caramel swirl, fudge and vanilla bean ice cream. AdFreak 3/4/11
Apple tops Fortune’s list of the 50 most admired companies from their survey of business people. Rounding out the top five is Google at number 2, Berkshire Hathaway 3, Southwest Airlines 4, and Procter & Gamble at 5. CNNMoney.com 3/3/11
Forrester says the Apple i Pad will claim 80% of the US tablet market in 2011, thanks to a product strategy that cultivates an emotional connection with consumers through an unrivaled app ecosystem, a channel that's a demo lab (The Apple Store) and excellent service from 'real humans.' Forrester Blogs 3/2/11
Super Bowl XLV was the most-watched US telecast of all-time and web hosting site GoDaddy.com saw the largest lift of any website in post-Super Bowl traffic, with a 41 percent increase in unique U.S. visitors during the week following the game compared to the week before. GoDaddy aired two commercials during the game with their 1st quarter ad starring Joan Rivers as the new GoDaddy spokesperson. NielsenWire 3/1/11
United Continental Holdings Inc. plans to launch an "interim" advertising campaign for the combined company on March 8th, and will utilize a new logo combining the United name with the globe used by Continental. Wall Street Journal 2/28/11
Although the AppleiPad has been positioned as a media consumption device, not for an enterprise environment, there are reports estimating that 65-80% of Fortune 100 companies have deployed or piloted the device. Túaw 2/14/11, All Things Digital 2/14/11
Starbucks (SBUX) has pulled the plug on Seattle’s 15th Ave Coffee & Tea, an independent-café-like concept store to provide a “real-time, real-world exploratory environment” for their designers. The company still operates another “indie-model” testing lab, Roy Street Coffee. Investorplace.com 1/11/11
General Motors (GM) Chevrolet division has introduced a new subcompact brand, Sonic, emphasizing that the Sonic will be built in America, and provides 138 hp, 40 mpg on the highway. Buick has introduced Verano, the smallest car in its lineup in about 20 years. AutoNews.com 1/11/11
Groupon, the site that sells daily coupons for local businesses, has raised $950 million from investors, the largest amount raised by a start-up. The investment follows Google’s $6 billion bid for Groupon, which fell apart last month. HuffingtonPost 1/10/11
McDonald’s new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal must contain 100% maple sweetener in the maple product to use maple in the name, says the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. According to the VAA “there is no actual maple in the McDonald’s product being advertised.” Slashfood 1/10/11
Crumbs Bakery, the largest chain of cupcake bakeries, is going public in a reverse merger worth $66 million. The deal is expected to close next month. Business Insider, 1/10/11
Arm & Hammer, maker of kitty litter product "Super Scoop" is asking a Federal Court to stop Clorox, maker of “Fresh Step” from asserting in a commercial that cats prefer Fresh Step. The suit argues that "It is not possible scientifically to determine whether cats view one substance to be more or less malodorous than another substance." NYDaily 1/5/11
Car manufacturer BMW set up a giant studio flash unit behind the screen of a German movie theater. In front of the flash unit was a card with the letters “BMW cut into it.
During the BMW ad, the flash fired and the ad tells viewers to close their eyes---and they see the letters temporarily projected onto the back of their eyelids.
It's a result of a phenomenon called 'afterimage.' The video below explains the whole thing. Wired 12/14/10
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Anheuser-Busch, the makers of Budweiser says the MLB is demanding higher fees for a multi-year extension of its exclusive sponsorship but the MLB disagrees. Anheuser-Busch has asked a federal judge to make the April agreement binding and to block the MLB from negotiating with any other brewer.NESN.com 11/12/10
J.C. Penney Co. earnings rose 63% in its fiscal third quarter as the department store chain due to strong reception to new exclusive brands such as Liz Claiborne and MNG by Mango. Los Angeles Times 11/12/10
Wendy Thomas, the Wendy’s brand namesake and daughter of founder Dave Thomas is being featured in a promotion for a test cheeseburger called Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger, named after Mr. Thomas. Advertising Age 11/12/10
As part of a comeback, Crocs is rolling out higher-priced shoes that include flip-flops and high heels. To emphasize the comfort of its brand, its traditional clog is an advertising character that gives foot massages. Forbes 11/11/10
Its new styles are what the company wants to emphasize as it navigates a turnaround. The company just reported solid third quarter revenue that was up 30% from the year-ago period to $216 million with strong gains across multiple retail channels. This year, in fact, may be its first profitable one since 2007McKee Foods’ Little Debbie brand has launched an eight month 20-city tour by Airstream to increase sales and also double the ranks of Facebook followers to more than one million. New York Times 11/10/10
Mr. Goodwrench, the mechanic who served as the symbol of GM's dealer service brand for 37 years will be dropped Feb. 1, replaced by "certified service" brands for each of GM's remaining four remaining nameplates that will link buying a car with service. Associated Press 11/9/10
Amazon has beat out Walmart to acquire Quidsi Inc., the parent company of Diapers.com for $540 million. Bloomberg.com 11/7/10
Bolstered by the success of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Canada has been named by FutureBrand as the most respected country brand in the world. VancouverSun.com 11/6/10
Facebook is working on a mobile phone to counter the increasing power of the iPhone and Android platforms and the long term competitive threat to its apps. The company wants to integrate deeply into the contacts list and other core functions of the phone. Techcrunch 9/19/10
A Florida entrepreneur is relaunching the Commodore computer brand. Products include an update of Commodore's once popular C64 model, the former high-end Amiga brand and its AIO (All-in-One) computers in a keyboard.Commodore declared bankruptcy in 1994. BrandFreak 9/17/10
SYMS Corp, owner of Filene's Basement, has unveiled three new stores in Manhattan, Westchester County and Long Island with the mashup name fbSY (pronounced fib-see.) The company says the name makes sense in the age of Twittering and text messaging. Name Wire 9/17/10
As part of a new, externally focused, customer-centric mission to actively promote the local marketing platforms and solutions that local stations have to offer, the 57-year-old Television Bureau of Advertising is replacing its “Serving America’s Television Stations” tagline with “Local Media Marketing Solutions” and rebranding itself as TVB. TVB.org 9/16/10 via NYTimes.com
Ford is running a combined print and mobile campaign for its 2011 Edge crossover in The New York Times that includes 2D barcodes in print ads providing mobile users with access a selection of Times articles on technology and style intended to appeal to tech-savvy prospective Edge buyers. MediaPost 9/16/10
The Corn Refiners Association (CRA), the makers of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), has asked the FDA to rename their product "corn sugar.” The CRA says HFCS is no worse for consumers than other sugars, but has been linked to obesity. Name Wire 9/15/10
Oprah Winfrey topped her 2004 Pontiac car giveaway by giving the 300 members of her 9/13 studio audience on an eight-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Sydney, Australia, in December. Oprah is promoting her premiere week, her 25th and “farewell season.” NYTimes.com 9/13/10
Walmart (WMT) has launched Walmart Family Mobile powered by T-Mobile, a new brand of post-paid cell phone service that offers monthly post-paid plans without a contract or multi-year commitment. It will be sold in nearly 2,500 Walmart stores. Marketwatch 9/13/10
ConAgra Foods’ frozen meals brand Marie Callender’s is presenting mealtime as a respite from the day's worries in a campaign themed "Time to Savor" that portrays the brand's products as comfort food. Adweek 8/29/10
Asian models have been added to represent the brands of Estee Lauder and Maybelline to appeal to the fastest-growing market in the world. SifyNews 8/28/10
A study of YouTube videos for tobacco brands including Marlboro, Benson and Hedges and Winston, says most had pro-tobacco content, using themes like celebrities and movies, sports, music or archival footage (such as an ad using the Flintstones smoking Winston cigarettes), and noted that some videos seemed to be professionally made. A World Health Organization treaty requires participating countries to ban all forms of tobacco advertisements and sponsorships but YouTube is a user-generated site that is not regulated for content control. Pagingdrgupta.com 8/27/10
Federal regulators are looking at Google Inc.'s plans to buy travel technology company ITA Software Inc., which could position Google to compete with travel brands Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. Huffingtonpost.com 8/27/10
Two teenagers are suing Facebook, claiming their names and images were sold to advertisers without parental permission as part of a Facebook feature that allows members to ‘like’ a service or product. Facebook broadcasts likes to the user's friends. Huffingtonpost.com 8/27/10
Apple has set the date of its next "big announcement" for Sept. 1. Speculation is that the company will unveil a cloud-based music service. Brandweek 8/27/10
Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand plans to launch its first performance sub-brand in December, a version of its G coupe, to compete with BMW's M-series, Cadillac's V-series and Mercedes-Benz's AMG. Detroit Free Press 8/26/10
Japanese fast-fashion brand Uniqlo has named Charlize Theron and Orlando Bloom global brand ambassadors for its new “Made For All” philosophy. The company’s new tagline, emphasizes its commitment to provide clothing for everyone, regardless of nationality, age, occupation or gender People 8/26/10
Google has rolled out the “Call Phone” feature to all US Gmail users enabling them to call people directly on their phones. The service is free for calls in the US and Canada for the remainder of 2010. Gmailblog 8/26/10
RIM falls to 17-month low as India plans to ban BlackBerry messaging services Aug. 31 unless RIM resolves concerns the smart phones could be used for terrorist attacks or other illegal activities. Bloomberg 8/26/10
Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co. are recalling 1.3 million 2005-2008 model vehicles because of engine stalling complaints. Autonews.com 8/26/10
Tiffany & Co. is launching a collection of handbags in a dozen U.S. stores on Sept. 1.The move will help Tiffany to drive sales through accessibly priced goods while maintaining the brand’s luxury image. WSJ.com 8/26/10
GM is launching the Chevrolet Cruze in September. As part of GM’s effort to achieve long term profitability the Cruze will be priced higher than previous compacts. WSJ 8/26/10
Four Points by Sheraton has reached a milestone of 150 properties in 24 countries.The Four Points’ brand positioning of “uncomplicated comfort” and value has helped the brand become one of the fastest growing brands within the Starwood portfolio. MarketWatch 8/25/10
American Eagle Outfitters Inc. plans store closings and layoffs in the wake of weaker margins, higher overhead and losses related to its failed Martin + Osa chain. The company points to inconsistent business trends and unpredictable consumer behavior as contributors to losses. WSJ 8/25/10
McDonald’s has named Steve Easterbrook evp, global chief brand officer, a new position at the fast-food giant. Reuters 8/24/10
Sweet ‘N Low is introducing a new campaign to relaunch the brand to consumers and differentiate it in an increasingly crowded category. NYTimes 8/23/10
Ford says it may expand its upscale Lincoln brand outside North America, for the first time, to markets around the world. wsj.com 8/21/10
AT&T is rebranding its homepage as YP.com with the tagline "Click Less. Live More." YP.com is focused on helping users "eat, play, and live" locally. webpronews 8/20/10
Some institutional shareholders have protested Target’s and Best Buy’s donations to a conservative Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate who opposes gay marriages saying the donations are inconsistent with corporate values and could harm the companies' brands. Huffingtonpost.com 8/20/10
Cadillac is launching a CTS Coupe that will compete against vehicles like the BMW 335i Coupe, Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe, and Audi A5. Media Post 8/20/10
Whole Foods Market is launching an iPad/iPhone/iPod touch app designed to help people live healthier lifestyles. "Mission App," offers 70 challenges/missions that involve users engaging in a series of steps to earn "badges and bragging rights." MediaPost 8/20/10
Anheuser-Busch Budweiser share of the U.S. market in 1988 was 26 percent, but was 9.3 percent last year. Some observers say the Budweiser brand risks being forgotten by an entire generation; four out of 10 people in their mid-20s have never tried Budweiser. stltoday 8/20/10
Levi Strauss & Co has launched dENIZEN, a new global brand aimed at young consumers in emerging markets starting in China, Singapore and South Korea. Associated Press 8/19/10
Facebook has announced new location-based capabilities that will allow its 150 million mobile users to check in when they arrive at bars, restaurants, and clothing shops through its new Places platform. Facebook advertising partners Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, and Booyah could get a boost in campaign distribution to Facebook's 500 million users. Clickz.com 8/19/10
Fashion espionage is allegedly to blame for the new Gucci bag seen on the shoulder of Jersey Shore star Snooki in recent photos. Sources claim that a Gucci rival gave Snooki the bag in a counter-branding move to damage the brand’s image. Seriously. GraziaDaily.com 8/19/10
Hearst Magazines has established The App Lab to address the explosion of consumer usage of mobile devices and related platforms and applications. The App Lab will offer educational sessions and previews of emerging mobile content, applications and platforms, including iPad and other tablets; advertiser and agency roundtables on new ad formats and models; and consumer insight panels, among other programming. webwire.com 8/19/10
The Old Spice advertising campaign featuring Isaiah Mustafa as a towel-draped ladies man has boosted sales for Old Spice body wash by 55% says Wieden + Kennedy. AgencySpy 8/19/10
Starbucks Corp's (SBUX.O) announcement of $100 million in global sales of Via brand instant coffee is being questioned by reports that numbers are inflated by free drinks and crediting non Via sales to Via. The company says the instances were limited and had no impact sales. Reuters 8/18/10
Volvo says no longer being tied to a major manufacturer will enable it to react quickly to market demands and enter "the top league of premium brands.” autospies.com 8/18/10
Haim Saban has purchased Paul Frank Industries, the company that owns brands including Julius the Monkey, Lip Smackers lip balm, and about 150 characters, which are licensed for use in toys, apparel, and accessories. Thewrap.com 8/17/10
BMW has branded its new concept car the Megacity Vehicle or MCV, an all-electric car--similar to the Nissan Leaf or the Chevy Volt. Fastcodesign.com 8/16/10
MAC has cancelled the MAC Rodarte limited edition makeup collection, which was inspired by the impoverished Mexican town of Juarez, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world with many victims young women and children. Elle 8/17/10
Controversial urban hipster brand American Apparel is close to bankruptcy after numerous woes including a 66% share drop in 12 months, the exit of auditor Deloitte and a federal subpoenainvestigating the change from Deloitte to Marcum. NYTimes.com 8/17/10
McDonald’s is the current winner of the quick-service breakfast wars, attracting 37 percent of adult consumers who have eaten breakfast at a quick-service chain in the past month. McDonald’s and other quick service chains have attracted breakfast customers with wireless Internet access at their stores, coupons and online offers says Scarborough Research. nrn.com 8/16/10
Levi’s has launched a new lined called Levi's Curve ID that offers women jeans that complement their body type. Freep.com 8/14/2010
Kellogg Co.has debuted Pop-Tart World, a pop up store in Times Square, where customers can eat Pop-Tart “sushi,” order a customized pastry, create a custom box filled with a mix of their favorite flavors, suggest new types of Pop-Tarts, select a Pop-Tart T-shirt made by specialty artists or get “frosted” and “wrapped in foil” by a light show. The State.com 8/14/2010
Jaguar Cars has created the XJ75 Platinum Concept a demonstration of the design customization potential of the XJ luxury sedan, as part of their year long celebration of the Jaguar brand’s 75th anniversary. PRNewswire 8/14/2010
Kroger Co. has doubled its number of store-brand beauty products this summer and plans to continue to launch more products this fall and next year. Their Mirra brand beauty line contains natural ingredients and is priced below brands such as L’Oreal, Aveeno and Olay. Associated Press 8/13/10
Walgreens (WAG) is rolling out its DR Delish private brand line of snacks and beverages nationally; they acquired the line as part of their purchase of Duane Reade Drugstores. Marketwatch.com 8/13/10
The East India Company, world’s first multinational trading company, known for bringing exotic foods from the east to the west, beginning in 1600, has been relaunched as a luxury brand. The company ceased operating in 1874; intellectual property rights to the company were purchased by an Indian-born importer and entrepreneur in 2005. CNN.com 8/13/10
An advocacy group claims that Ben & Jerry's All Natural ice cream and frozen yogurt contains ingredients that either don’t exist in nature or have been chemically modified such as alkalized cocoa and corn syrup. The company says it abides by federal guidelines in using the term natural. Boston.com 8/13/10
Hyundai has replaced Nissan to become one of the top five most considered automotive brands among new-car shoppers, according to the Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence Brand Watch Study. NYTimes.com 8/12/10
David Lauren, son of fashion brand founder Ralph Lauren, tells Blogher conference attendees that his father was born in the Bronx as Ralph Lifshitz and was a salesman, not a trained fashion designer. But his idea was to dress for the life you wanted, and who you wanted to be: "It's not about fabric. It's about dreams." The Recessionista 8/12/10
