When you’re a 6-10 pro basketball player, you are used to getting things your way. But Los Angeles Clippers power forward Lamar Odom, husband to Khloe Kardashian, may not win the current battle he’s thrust himself into.

Odom and designer Jonathan Garcia launched a clothing line, Rich Soil, back in 2009 and one of its T-shirts caused so much of a stir that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo actually sent him a letter to tell him to stop selling it, the Associated Press reports. Cuomo expected Odom and his pal to stop sales within five days.

The problem? The shirt looks an awful lot like a logo for a New York State farming program. The Rich Soil shirt features a very similar Statue of Liberty that sits behind familiar-looking crop rows, encircled in a similar font reading "Rich Soil New York" as opposed to the program's "Pride of New York." Check out a side-by-side here.Continue reading...

ESPN begins hundreds of layoffs.

H&M says that some clothes were produced in collapsed factory in Cambodia.

Target misses earnings expectations and cuts outlook.

Cable networks are rebranding, and pay-TV brands aren't happy about it. 

Dairy Queen to debut new ad campaign that promotes its burgers and fries.

Dodge enjoys star turn for its Challenger at premiere of Fast and Furious 6.

EA lawsuit over players' videogame-likeness issue threatens NCAA policies.

Facebook becoming less popular among teens, Pew study finds. 

Ferrero backs off attack on World Nutella Day.

Fisker Automotive reportedly sees bid by boutique firm led by former GM exec Bob Lutz and Chinese supplier.Continue reading...

Airbus faces order by European regulators for checks of all A380 jets.

Anheuser-Busch demonstrates new emphasis on sophisticated consumers in its advertising as Bud Light enlists Weego, the Super Bowl dog, to continue buzz.

Apple's iPhone reportedly squeezing carriers.

Buffalo Wild Wings rejoices that NFL season came off.

Chrysler sees no let-up in criticism of Eastwood ad as plot thickens.

Coca-Cola boosts marketing and branding investment as word comes that its Super Bowl livestream exceeded expectations.

Disney sells out Oscars advertising on ABC.Continue reading...

Photo: The Telegraph

Talk about eating, breathing and sleeping a brand:  The new Food Hotel in Neuwied, Germany, is sponsored by some of Germany’s top food brands and is completely decked out in a food theme, from can-shaped furniture to barstools made of beer crates.

The Rhine River hotel is a collaboration of 36 German brands, who helped contribute to the cost of construction. Each guest room is sponsored by a food brand, which was given free rein to create a theme and paid for furnishing it.Continue reading...

Google may stop complying with Chinese Internet censorship requests and shut down operations due to cyber attack. [NY Times]

Conan O'Brien rejects 12:05 timeslot, prepared to leave NBC. [NY Times]

Toyota to introduce two new Scion vehicles in 2010. [WSJ]

Nintendo Wii game console to stream Netflix movies. [NY Times]

Football sponsors launch digital initiatives in preparation for the summer World Cup. [WSJ]

Ferrero abandons Cadbury bid. [Times of London]Continue reading...

Heineken to purchase Femsa's beer unit for $7.6 B. [NY Times]

Goldman Sachs may donate portion of executives salary to charity. [NY Times]

Win-win: Online communities boost sales of weight loss programs, weight loss. [BrandWeek]

NBC confirms rumors of late night shakeup, Jay Leno moves to 11:30. [NY Times]

Conan O'Brien may jump to another network. [WSJ]

Ferrero joins the fray in bid for Cadbury. [Times of London]Continue reading...

Cadbury is up for grabs, and as we have been following, it looks like like Hershey and Kraft Foods are hungry for a takeover.

Kraft has been at the center of the multi-billion struggle with no signs of giving up, though Nestlé is considering placing a rival bid for the chocolate company, which may incite a hostile reaction from Kraft. Regardless, Cadbury knows who the true power-players are:

Roger Carr, Cadbury’s chairman, indicated that a straight merger with Hershey would be preferable to a deal with Kraft. His rationale is that a deal with Hershey would deliver better value for its shareholders because both groups were focused on confectionery, while Kraft produces a variety of low-end processed foods.Continue reading...

Kraft’s attempt to buy Cadbury has gone from Cadbury trying to tease more money from Kraft, to Cadbury rejecting Kraft’s firm offer, to Kraft going into hostile-takeover mode, setting the stage for a long boardroom battle for chocolate control.

Does that sound as complicated as nougat yet? Now, enter Hershey. North America’s largest chocolate manufacturer (and the brand responsible for 10% of my diet) has been eyeing Cadbury for weeks and might partner with Ferrero, the Italian chocolate-maker responsible for Nutella, to make a run at the coveted confectioner.

Both Hershey and Ferrero have been mum, but the reports are likely to force Kraft to raise its offer, which could lead to a “Barbarians at the Gate” slugfest reminiscent of the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco 20 years ago.Continue reading...