Well, that was fast. Yesterday, NASA announced a new toxic (arsenic-based) lifeform; Purell's response, above. More fun with Brand Bites, after the jump.Continue reading...

Amazon tops buzz meter on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Bank of America dismisses speculation that it could be the next target of WikiLeaks.

Boots, the Co-operative, and Fairy rank as the top “family” brands in the UK.

CBS replaces The Early Show anchors.

Coca-Cola, Nestle, Walmart and other Western brands aim to grow in Africa.

ESPN ramps up tech innovation to stay ahead of the competition.Continue reading...

Airtel's new logo — "blobby" or "modern, vibrant and friendly"?

Apple is preparing for patent showdowns with Nokia, Motorola and HTC.

Audi puts focus on US Sunday TV advertising.

Batten & Company, a new unit of BBDO, opens shop.

Black Friday sales saw more foot traffic but lower-than-expected sales as retailers cross fingers for Cyber Monday.

BP is commissioning a feature-length documentary about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill — but the company says it is not intended to scrub its reputation clean.

Delta and Southwest Airlines aim to emerge from among branding-challenged air carriers.Continue reading...

In the wake of the FTC charging on Sept. 27 that its ads made deceptive health claims, POM Wonderful didn't waste any time putting out new ads that steer away from any health benefits. Instead, the California-based beverage maker's just-released trio of new ads subtly makes mythological claims under a new tagline: "Powerful Then. POM Wonderful Now."

While not stated outright, the not-so-subtle message of the new commercials, POM Wonderful co-founder Lynda Resnick tells the Associated Press, is that POM improves your sex life. The campaign — narrated by Malcolm McDowell— isn't in response to the FTC, she adds, but as AP puts it, a response "to competition from Coke and Pepsi, which are slipping small amounts of pomegranate juice into new beverages and stealing market share."

In the spot above, actress Sonja Kinski continues channeling her mom Nastassja's infamous nude-with-snake photo by Richard Avedon, with a similarly posed commercial in which she portrays a naked Eve, tempted by a serpent (and a succulent pomegranate) in the Garden of Eden. Check out POM's other libido-targeted spots after the jump.Continue reading...