Harry Potter's Hermione has won herself an endorsement for Lancôme's Trésor Midnight Rose perfume. But it appears Lancôme blew the budget on landing Emma Watson and, with what little was left over, hired a director whose previous credits include karaoke videos. Whoa, sepia!

AdFreak today asks, "Is Emma Watson's Lancôme‬ ad as bad as they say?" In a word, yes. From the pedestrian camera work, trying-too-hard arty lighting and corny "plot," to the fact that Watson appears to be a tween playing dress up with her mom's pearls and heels, it's mindboggling that a company as big as Lancôme would see this a fitting representation of its brand.

"It's not the end." Is that a threat?Continue reading...

Lancôme released its first TV commercial starring Emma Watson, for the brand's new fragrance, Trésor Midnight Rose. Directed by Mario Testino and co-starring Cyril Descours, the chaste spot features a bookstore (one for the Harry Potter fans?) and feels a bit like Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is suing 17 US and European banks and more than 130 individuals on charges of selling bonds backed by mortgages that should have never been packaged into securities. Institutions named including Bank of America, its Merrill Lynch unit, Barclays, Citigroup and Nomura.

Halliburton is suing BP for defamation and misrepresentation, while a key court ruling in the Gulf of Mexico litigation could encourage more lawsuits. Oil and gas production is curtailed in the Gulf, meanwhile, as New Orleans declares state of emergency ahead of storm.

Facebook tests comment translation button.

GM rehires Bob Lutz as an adviser.

Google acquires Zave Networks, a digital coupons platform, as it expands local deals offering.

Hugo Boss releases campaign featuring Orlando Bloom and Sienna Miller in support of African schools.Continue reading...

The biggest news at Paris Fashion Week continues, as Dior chief today attends ousted designer John Galliano's private label fall runway showing in Paris (above), and says he will keep continue to financially support Galliano's label for now. Other fashion news:

• Also making a splash at Paris Fashion Week: Chanel fetes Blake Lively as brand's latest handbag ambassador ... LVMH circles its next target: Hermès ... Former Burberry ambassador and Harry Potter star Emma Watson is collaborating on an eco-friendly fashion collection for Alberta Ferretti.Continue reading...

Charlie Sheen attracts 500 new followers per second as he gets ready to bring the crazy to Twitter. Update: he tweeted! And uploaded a twitpic in his first tweet, no less. No word on how Naked Juice and Broguiere's Farm Fresh Dairy chocolate milk feel about being Sheen's "choose your vice" stand-ins.

In other celebranding news:

Bono swoops in to address Spider-Man on Broadway woes.

Bristol Palin is writing a book.

Christina Hendricks pitches Vivienne Westwood.

Emma Watson used as lure for Facebook "clickjacking" scam.Continue reading...

The world has gone mad for plaid! This week, Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts announced expectation-exceeding profits for the first half of the year: £117.7 million, up from £78.4 million, on sales of £641 million. She also shared the tactics that have made the brand hotter than ever around the globe.Continue reading...

Apple prepares to announce Beatles/iTunes deal at 10am ET.

BHP Billiton will keep pursuing large acquisitions despite failed bid for Potash.

Buick, Delta, Disney, Diageo, and T-Mobile test Google Goggles brand marketing.

Chrysler redefines Dodge brand, sans Ram.

Discovery buys Animal Planet and Liv TV channels from BBC.

Droid lands a starring role in Gossip Girl.

Facebook roils rivalry with Google with new messaging system.Continue reading...

Luxury and fashion brands that want to survive now and into the future are anxious to reach consumers between the ages of 18 and 28, commonly referred to as Millennials. What they recognize, however, is the "in-your-face 20th-century approach" just doesn't work with this audience; instead, Millennials want to be "entertained and informed" through increasingly sophisticated technology.

According to a report on Millennials by the Pew Research Center, 75 percent of this youthful audience engages in social networking. This "makes them very savvy consumers," says Robert Polet, president and chief executive of the luxury brand Gucci. "We are embracing different ways of creating dialogue through social media. Some of our brands have launched Facebook and Twitter pages and iPhone applications."Continue reading...