Always a bonanza for marketers (as the New York Times' Stuart Elliott notes), campaigns pegged to the Olympics are often overly serious and attempt to be tearjerkers, as P&G knows all too well. Still, its Old Spice brand is retickling its Old Spice Guy funny bone by partnering again with W+K on an Olympics commercial. "I Will Live Forever," above, stars a skinny hero who listens to a self-help tape and somehow manages to win a slew of medals and a ton of hearts while smelling good all along the way.Continue reading...

With school back in session across most of America this week, food service brands are under more pressure than ever to make a difference in how U.S. schoolchildren eat, and they’re breaking out new menus and positioning in the effort.

The Big Three of educational foodservice – Aramark, Compass Group’s Chartwells division, and Sodexo – are patently aware of how Michelle Obama has fingered childhood obesity as Public Enemy No. 1. And while the chains have dedicated a lot of resources over the last several years to formulating, distributing and marketing more healthful fare to their school clients, there’s nothing like attention by the First Lady to get them to apply even more.

So Rye, N.Y.-based Chartwells, for instance, has launched a program called, “Be a Flexitarian.” Originally rolled out last spring in celebration of Earth Day, the program is being intensified this fall, offering kids more chances for meatless meals that feature ingredients like black beans and brown rice.Continue reading...

* AIG sets a date for its AIA unit IPO.

* Amazon poached Microsoft's head of game platform strategy, Andre Vrignaud.

* Barclays promoted Bob Diamond, an American turned high-profile British banker, as its next CEO.

* BlackBerry-maker RIM acquired mobile startup DataViz for $50 million.

* Christian Dior's "Shanghai Dreams" ad campaign in China deemed racist by some critics.

* Coors Light launches aluminum bottles in time for NFL season.Continue reading...