Uniqlo kept out of Bangladesh safety pact by owner Fast Retailing.

Renault suffers blow from failure of Better Place EV startup.

ESPN layoffs underscore sports-network battle and soaring rights fees.

Acura eyes emerging markets.

BMW hints at bringing out super-luxury coupe with a Pininfarina touch.

BuzzFeed, CNN and YouTube plan online-video channel.

Club Med buyout sees large role for Chinese investors.Continue reading...

Bausch & Lomb board approves $4.5 billion sale to Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals.

Nextflix makes waves with Arrested Development reboot as Hulu sees bidders jostle with Yahoo.

Monsanto targeted by worldwide protests over GMOs.

Club Med brand sees takeover bid from China's Fosun and AXA.

Apple grapples with PR fallout from U.S. tax-dodging inquiry as original model nabs $650,000 at auction.

Better Place, Israel's electric car brand, packs it in and files for bankruptcy as Renault ends partnership.

BP-sponsored art exhibit at London's Tate Britain hailed by critics.

Fast and Furious 6 sets Memorial Day weekend box office record.

HTC One plays catch-up with Samsung's Galaxy smartphones.

McDonald's CEO-scolder Hannah Robertson, 9, becomes a media sensation.

SABMiller promotes cassava beer in Africa.

Woolrich parts ways with designer Mark McNairy, goes "on hiatus."

& Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville": "the most lucrative song ever."

Interbrand announces the 2013 Best Retail Brands report.

Coca-Cola honored with first Clio brand icon award.

Starbucks names new global CMO in former Sephora marketer Sharon Rothstein, as McDonald's passes Starbucks as most social brand.

Apple rumored to pull out the stops for the next iPhone to take on Samsung, which has replaced Nokia as top smartphone brand in China and confirmed it's developing a smartwatch to take on Apple's rumored wearable computer.

BlackBerry prepares to bring million-selling Z10 smartphone to U.S. on Friday with 100,000 apps.

Burger King hopes folks gobble up new turkey burger.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's introduce Jim Beam bourbon burger.

Clorox introduces smart tube technology to packaging design.Continue reading...

China is the second latest economy in the world, every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse!); but who's got the time?!  A weekly potpourri of ten reads that will make you look like a keen China observer during any conversation about China.

This week: Tom Ford, Apple, Moutai, iPhone 5, BYD's remote car, Baidu, KFC, luxury watch corruption search and more...Continue reading...

Best Buy announces nationwide rollout catered to health and fitness products.

Bing hits all-time market share high in November.

Club Med announces the grand opening of the only all-inclusive family resort in the U.S., Sandpiper Bay.

ESPN app advances long-delayed interactive TV push.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney announces agreement to recover $7.2 billion for victims of Bernard L. Madoff's ponzi scheme from estate of Jeffry M. Picower.Continue reading...

Club Med's recent sale of a 7% stake to China's Fosun has prompted interest among other Chinese companies looking to get a foot in the door of the international market.

A number of Chinese companies are now looking at buying up minority stakes in internationally recognized brands, reports the Financial Times, which notes: “If the preferences of Chinese shoppers are any guide, then taking a chunk of practically anything from Armani to Zara might be in their sights.”Continue reading...

Vince Vaughn knows Guitar Hero. And he should. His character, Dave, sells Guitar Heros for a living in the romantic comedy Couples Retreat. When the film’s plot escalates to an intense and hilarious jam session between Dave and his island nemesis, Stanley (Peter Serafinowicz), the stage is set for a Hollywood-size product placement. But Guitar Hero has many supporting cast members, as this week's brandcameo reports:

Food and beverage brands dominate this film as Budweiser, Bud Light, Pepsi, Starbucks, Froot Loops and Applebee’s receive screen time – whether verbal or visual – in the film. Tech brands Apple, PowerPoint and Guitar Hero have prominent brandcameos, as do apparel brands Under Armour and Polo. Club Med, Sandals, Volkswagen, Ford and Solistone tiles round out the brandcameo roundup.

Written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat explores modern-day marriage at mid-life, and the storyline is framed by product placements that reveal youthful desires for Froot Loops and the adult reality that no one wants to end up old and alone at Applebees. None of these product placements, however, threatens the dominance of the reigning champion in our brandcameo listing of product placements in No. 1 films.

Visit our brandcameo page for next week’s debut films and brandchannel’s complete reference list of product placements in this and other top-grossing films.