Adidas aims to outrun Nike with bouncier shoes (Boost), Google ad test and increased soccer focus as Confederation Cup and FIFA World Cup loom, while Nike feels the heat in China.

Disney's Oz: The Great and Powerful wins weekend box office, marking a comeback for Disney's studio arm.

Old Spice introduces wolfish marketing director to boost men's animal magnetism.

America's Brand USA global marketing arm expands reach with $200M boost and German campaign.

Apple CEO Tim Cook may testify in e-book antitrust suit.

Beam looks past corruption scandal with new brand strategy in India.

Bumblebee and Chicken of the Sea expand U.S. tuna recall.Continue reading...

Apple pays $60M to end iPad trademark dispute in China, looks to secure ipad3.com domain.

Barclays scandal forces out chairman, saying "the buck stops with me."

Bristol-Myers agrees to buy Amylin Pharmaceuticals for $5B in cash, expands diabetes alliance.

Rupert Murdoch will rebrand the Wall Street Journal as WSJ as part of News Corp. split.

AMC parent ends AT&T U-verse TV dispute with long-term agreement, as Dish feud continues.

Applebee's rolls out fresh menu, look and campaign.Continue reading...

It's truly a testimony to the branding strategy of “just-stick-with-something-long-enough-and-people-will-come-around" that I am writing these words: I like the Svedka robot.

Yes, like so many others, I raised my eyebrows at the odd robot spokesperson (spokesthing?) when the Svedka vodka brand announced her (it?) to the world. But in the interim, as that bizarre robo-babe has popped up more and more, I've been forced to acknowledge that it's an effective move.Continue reading...

The last two years were hardly vintage years for wine-makers. Strapped consumers have not stopped drinking wine, but they've sopped up more of the cheap stuff, so it has been tough going for pricey wine brands.

That's why Constellation Brands, the largest producer of wine in the world, is trying some breakthrough techniques to promote such wine brands as Estancia, Ravenswood and Robert Mondavi. Not surprisingly, those techniques include a considerable investment in digital media and interactivity.

One initiative, targeting under-35 consumers, is a first for wine brands.

Constellation is testing a mobile application, available for the iPhone and BlackBerry, that allows consumers to scan bar codes on bottles of wine. In return, they'll receive additional details about the wines, some of which will be delivered as video, such as tips on wine/food pairings.Continue reading...

Move over, Lady Gaga. Your latest competition may be a vodka-drinking sexy female robot.

Svedka Vodka is bringing its brand to US television next week with a female robot ("fembot") called Svedka Grl who dances her way through a new ad, a first for the vodka brand.

Svedka Grl has already appeared in print ads that claim Svedka has been voted "the #1 vodka of 2033" -- apparently the year Svedka Grl is from. Marina Hahn, senior VP for marketing at Constellation Brands, Svedka's marketer, tells The New York Times, "Our vision of the future is very different." The ads, says Hahn, depict 2033 as "a lot like today, but better, more fun... It's good to have some release in this dire time at a price pint you can afford."Continue reading...

Saab draws fresh interest after deal with Koenigsegg collapses. [WSJ]

iPhone-on-steroids may arrive mid-2010, available on AT&T and Verizon Wireless. [24/7 Wall St]

Monsanto's market dominance in crop seeds draws antitrust scrutiny. [WaPo]

Google fights to become the Number 1 search engine in Japan. [NY Times]

Wal-Mart's co-op ads are attractive, but costly for featured brands. [AdAge]

Panasonic takes on low-cost competitors with cheaper white goods. [FT]

Companies use Twitter for customer service assistance during the holiday season. [NY Times]

(More headlines: "Extreme" beer, C&C.)Continue reading...

Despite brand's global decline, China celebrates 60 years of Communism. [Reuters]

Kraft, L'Oreal and P&G capitalize on opportunity in China during the economic crisis. [Warc]

Bank of America chief executive Ken Lewis will step down by year's end. [Times of London]

Behind the collapsed Penske deal to buy Saturn from GM, who will now shut the brand. [LA Times]

Comcast denies formal deal to buy NBC Universal from GE. [NY Times]

Coca-Cola plans ad campaign to fight "soda tax," obesity epidemic. [Warc]

Global ad market show signs of bottoming out. [NY Times]

(More headlines: Pepsi boosts ad spend, banks agree to bonus rules.)Continue reading...