Advertising slots during this year's Academy Awards telecast on ABC have sold out. But just as last year, advertising rules apply, meaning "marketers still have to make sure certain ads featuring celebrities or celebrity voice-overs don't run near segments of the program that could feature those very same stars."

Last year, the prominent example of this rule in action was best actor nominee Jeff Bridges and his voiceover work for Oscar advertiser Hyundai (above).

This year, Bridges is the most prominent nominee to lend his talent to the, ahem, commercial sector. But he's far from the only one.

The nominees for Best Work in a Commercial Campaign (TV or Print) are:Continue reading...

Airtel's new logo — "blobby" or "modern, vibrant and friendly"?

Apple is preparing for patent showdowns with Nokia, Motorola and HTC.

Audi puts focus on US Sunday TV advertising.

Batten & Company, a new unit of BBDO, opens shop.

Black Friday sales saw more foot traffic but lower-than-expected sales as retailers cross fingers for Cyber Monday.

BP is commissioning a feature-length documentary about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill — but the company says it is not intended to scrub its reputation clean.

Delta and Southwest Airlines aim to emerge from among branding-challenged air carriers.Continue reading...

Allstate targets college-football road-trippers online.

Boston Market upgrades image.

Conan ratings level off but stay solid.

Dell refocuses brand, stops chasing Apple.

Delta flights suffer mishaps over weekend.

Fox moves American Idol to Wednesday-Thursday slots.

Gap launches in Italy.

GE and IBM lead green social-media efforts.

GM unveils Baojun brand in China.Continue reading...