After China's fake Apple stores debacle, Apple moves to open real Apple store in prestigious Peking University library. (Not so fast, say officials.) And scoring two knock-offs in one, Chinese consumers are now being tempted with fake Converse sneakers bearing Apple's logo. They sell for about $5; click here for the fall lineup.

Below, check out legit branded kicks exclusively for the China market — Angry Birds sneakers! — and more.Continue reading...

TOMS Shoes is ready to kick off the "Shoes" in its brand identity, rebranding with a campaign (which we previewed in March) dubbed "What's Your Next Chapter?" that will be unveiled in a series of events with its partners across the US tomorrow.

The company, founded by Blake Mycoskie in 2006, changed the game of social activism with its "one for one" business model — a pair of shoes is donated for every pair purchased. TOMS quickly made its bandage-style shoes ubiquitous, and proved it's possible to be profitable while impacting the lives of those less fortunate.

More than 1 million pairs of shoes distributed in over 20 countries later, TOMS has proven that social media is the lightning rod for digital activism be it on Facebook, Twitter, guerilla marketing or blogging. Now, Mycoskie is ready to expand beyond TOMS beyond shoes, taking "One for One" to the next level.Continue reading...

Last fall, a quartet of Hollywood actors — Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Ana Ortiz and Taye Diggs — donated their talents to promote Feeding America's work in keeping food flowing to more than 200 food banks.

Now ConAgra is also stepping up, expanding a commitment that began last year by increasing its donation, to up to 2.5 million meals, to Feeding America's child hunger program.Continue reading...

Subway passes McDonald's as the world's largest restaurant chain.

Morgan Stanley may drop "Smith Barney" name.

YouTube acquires web video creators NextNewNetworks, making Google "officially" a media company.

AOL shares sink as Huffington Post deal closes.

Ben Affleck teams with Cindy McCain to raise awareness about the Congo.

Bing speeds up search results to keep pace with Google.Continue reading...

That an Ashton Kutcher film would be loaded with brands should come as no surprise. It was approximately a year ago that the actor starred in Valentine's Day, a film in which we counted nearly 60 brand appearances.

This week we take a closer look at the product placement-packed No Strings Attached, which opens this weekend, as well as a special Ashton-themed Product Replacement Quiz. But first, a look at how Grey Goose won the product placement award of the week.Continue reading...

The Town is chock full of products, from Puma track suits to Dunkin' Donuts to BlackBerry and Glock and Sig Sauer handguns.

But just as The American served as a Frommer’s guide to Italy, The Town’s greatest placement is Boston itself. The only difference is where George Clooney’s American was an Italy you want to visit, Ben Affleck’s (home) Town of Boston is a often place you might pay to avoid.

Yet, from Fenway Park to Old Sully’s, The Town's greatest placement is its title and setting. As one Yelp user wrote of Old Sully’s, “The drinks are cheap. $3 a pint as best I can figure. And they seem to serve bar food if you're interested, but I wouldn't expect much. It's a great place to unwind and soak up some Charlestown Irishness.”Continue reading...