Here's the commercial for Madonna's new "Truth or Dare" fragrance deemed too racy by Disney's ABC TV censors.

Below, enjoy some bacontastic branding mmmoves, and more:Continue reading...

Any old alcohol brand can sponsor a sports event or an arena, but Captain Morgan spiced rum has found a more unique opportunity: the underwater exploration of a ship thought to belong to Admiral Sir Henry Morgan – the rum brand’s notorious namesake – that sunk off the coast of Panama in 1671 along with four other ships.

The announcement that Morgan’s flagship, the Satisfaction, had been found by a team of divers and archaeologists led by Texas State University was made earlier this month, while Captain Morgan parent Diageo sent out its own press release announcing its sponsorship of the project. But Captain Morgan offered a grant to the archaeologists last September, after the team recovered six iron cannons from a nearby site also believed to be from one of Morgan's ships and additional funding was needed to explore the surrounding sites.Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts of the past week range from Justin Bieber's Perfume to Lady Gaga's marketing blitz for Born This Way, her new album:

#1 Justin Bieber's New Perfume Gives Back While Taking From Marc Jacobs

#2 U.S. Navy Finally Applies To Trademark "Seals"

#3 Yes, Nike Knows It Just Released The 'Air Croc'

#4 Zombies Ate My Marketing Plan: CDC Stunt Runs Amok

#5 Pepsi's Green Cups Square Off With Coca-Cola's PlantBottles

#6 Ashton Kutcher Gets an A+ for Personal Branding

#7 Brands do the Time Warp (Again)

#8 Thanks to "The King's Speech" Director, Captain Morgan is Now a Gritty Badass

#9 USAA Gets Top Marks for Customer Experience

#10 It's Lady Gaga's World (We Just Live In It)

You don't go into battle with the mascot you want, you go with the mascot you have. That's what the Captain Morgan brand of rum is doing with a tuned up version of its pirate character, Captain Morgan.

As with Batman and James Bond, Captain Morgan is getting a "gritty and real" makeover, transforming him from a red-coated cartoon buffoon to a scruffy, brooding rum-swilling badass more in keeping with his "privateer" roots.

The Diageo-owned brand's new campaign, "To Life, Love & Loot," boasts an Academy Award-winning director in Tom Hooper (The King's Speech). In the new campaign, starting with the "Dive" spot above, Hooper is again directing a period piece — only this time based on the fictional character of Captain Henry Morgan.Continue reading...

Bing lets advertisers place ads in brand-name searches.

Borders bankruptcy shakes up book industry.

Captain Morgan searches for "Ultimate Morganette."

Chobani Greek yogurt lets fans tell its story.

eBay tops branded social media engagement leaderboard.

Ferrari 458 Italia chosen as car of the year by The Robb Report.

Google beats Apple and Sony in TNS corporate reputation ranking.Continue reading...

While we're on the theme of brands tapping into new year's weight-loss resolutions, what's a healthier diet without a little exercise?

Even the doyenne of celebrity fitness brands — Jane Fonda — is back in a leotard, pitching boomers and zoomers to get serious about their glutes and pecs. Now Captain Morgan spiced rum offers a workout video that targets the funny bone. 

The "Captain Morgan Workout" also riffs on the rum brand's mascot, whose classic pose on its bottle label has filtered into popular culture. The mock workout involves placing the right hand on the hip, raising the left leg, placing the left hand on the left knee, holding, lowering, and repeating. The video explains proper technique and offers result testimonials: "It's like having your mind blown with fitness!"

As the captain explains, his foray into the fitness arena is a natural brand (and leg) extension: "There are three things a pirate is famous for: Looting, pillaging, and developing high-intensity, low-impact resistance training programs."Continue reading...

Best Buy sets terms for Black Friday Twitter contest.

BP marks return to deep water with Egypt gas discovery.

CNN Heroes event draws cause-marketing crowd.

DuPont sues cleaning products company over Teflon trademark.

H&M acquires rest of Cheap Monday brand owner.

HarperCollins, Gawker resolve lawsuit over Sarah Palin’s memoir.

Issuu gives up on Apple app store after three rejections.Continue reading...

BP CEO Tony Hayward tells investors he won't resign as company orders (and touts, above) Kevin Costner's water-filtering technology.

Apple's iPhone 4 notched 1.5 million estimated sales on first day (majority being upgrades) as "death grip" mystifies.

Coca-Cola's first promoted trend on Twitter netted 86 million impressions in 24 hours.

ESPN's LeBron Tracker (sponsored by Captain Morgan Rum) follows NBA star's moves as a free agent.Continue reading...