Leonardo DiCaprio will take to the silver screen as Jay Gatsby on May 10 when the latest adaptation of the famed F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, The Great Gatsby, makes its debut in movie theaters in the US, but there are more than a few brands looking to ride the publicity for some consumer love of their own.

Hotels.com is aiming to help one couple “live like Gatsby” for a weekend (though one hopes it doesn’t include the man’s incredible loneliness, insensitivity to others, painful death, or nearly empty funeral as part of the proceedings). Wannabe Gatsby-ites can tweet @Hotelsdotcom between May 6 and May 9 about their favorite luxuries while traveling and include the hashtag #GreatGiveaway. The grand prize: a two-night stay at Boston’s Langham Hotel, which was originally built in 1922 as the Federal Reserve Bank.

For those who don’t win, Hotels.com is showcasing getaways on its site that would be fit for a luxurious Gatsby-like vacation, such as the art deco murals of The Inn at Great Neck on Long Island to the live jazz and themed cocktails of South Carolina’s The Willcox, among other swanky locales.Continue reading...

The upcoming re-imagined Great Gatsby 3D has a slew of roaring '20s brands going along for the ride. Moet & Chandon and MAC Cosmetics are listed among the film's partners in its official "Guide to Style." As is New York's Plaza Hotel, which will "celebrate the Roaring `20s with period-inspired affairs throughout the spring," while Brooks Brothers has released a special Gatsby collection. While not listed in the film's official style guide, Prada has its own major partnership and Gatsby-inpired line. Tiffany & Co. has embraced its tie-in as well.

But one needn't be at entertainment's high-end to grab a fashion line tie-in. Clothing brand Opening Ceremony partnered with Spring Breakers to release a line based on the exploitation film: "Accessories include unicorn bandanas, mesh backpacks, lighters, cotton beach towels, 'HARMONY' friendship bracelets, and 'SPRING BREAK 4EVER BITCHES' wristbands."

It's all part of a booming product placement business that grew 11.7 percent in 2012 and promises to get bigger this year.Continue reading...

GM pressures TV networks for discounts in upfront.

Ducati is booming in North America.

Facebook sees future in India, and explores access for under-13-year-olds as fallout from botched IPO continues.

Adidas sues Merrell over three-stripe design.

Apple/Motorola patent trial will feature Steve Jobs 'testimony.'

Big Tobacco goes to war in California.

BlackBerry-maker RIM victim of own 'identity crisis' (at least it's still cool with South African youths).Continue reading...

The Brooks Brothers 2011 "Holiday Miracle" campaign featuring a group of natty, singing lambs (watch it below) counts high-profile fans such as Elle creative director Joe Zee and Fenton and Fallon designer Dana Lorenz. What's your favorite holiday campaign this year?Continue reading...

Brooks Brothers labels itself an “American Classic” brand. Walk into a Brooks Brothers store, and you'll see classically tailored suits, as well as polo and button-down shirts in any color and pattern. These days, you'll also see Brooks Brothers apparel alongside other classic American brands: Levi Strauss, Hartmann, Peal & Co. and Red Wing Shoes. Brooks Brothers has also partnered with the hit TV show Mad Men in the past.

The St. Andrews Links, another globally known brand, has recently teamed up with Brooks Brothers by naming the American brand the official clothier of the home of golf. Brooks Brothers is now selling St. Andrews' logo apparel, and the brand's flagship store even has golf simulator that allows customers to take a break from shopping and play three of St. Andrews' famous courses.Continue reading...

For clothing retailers, an idea that can be extended is worth its weight in gold. That, apparently, is what Banana Republic thinks of the AMC hit television series Mad Men.

Last summer, Banana Republic leveraged the popularity of the series about the advertising industry of the 1960s into a mini-Mad Men campaign with select specially designed products featured in a Mad About Style guidebook, along with sponsoring a "Mad Men Casting Call" contest that offered winners an opportunity to appear in the actual show.Continue reading...

Chrysler was clearly onto something when it launched its breakthrough "Imported from Detroit" campaign. Sales spiked, leading the company to launch phase 2. Explaining the positioning, Chrysler CMO Olivier Francois told brandchannel, “American coolness is essential to our strategy, because that’s exactly what imports do not have, and some other American [luxury] brands don’t have as well.” 

Chrysler isn't the only one latching on to the rising "Made in USA" star. In March, we reported on the website, MadeInUSAForever.com which was bootstrapped by Todd Lipscomb. He told CNN, "I saw this terrible need in our nation for a real alternative to buy American made products. ... It's a virtuous circle of economic activity that's caused by buying American made." Lipscomb has seen his website business grow at over 40% per year.

Many other brands are following suit, according to Bloomberg. Joseph Abboud, the maker of menswear, proudly displays a "Made in USA" moniker on its website. Brooks Brothers waves a "Made in America" banner and boasts of its factories in the US. Mark Kate and Ashley Olsen's fashion brand, The Row, promotes its American-made line.Continue reading...

How do you weather a downturn in demand? His-and-hers brand icons Brooks Brothers and Maidenform are following a two-part formula to maintain market share and grow their customer base in down times: First, think timeless style, not hot-button fashion. And second, when you have the chance, hitch your wagon to a blazing star.

Maidenform is going from battle-axe to bombshell with a deal inking Mad Men stylist/design goddess Janie Bryant. She’ll be helping Maidenform boost sagging assets by spearheading a viral marketing campaign for the kind of vintage, form-flattering bras and slips that Maidenform has always specialized in.Continue reading...