In what seems like a desperate bid for brand extension, the GEICO gecko has published a book. Yes, the fictitious, talking lizard not only convinces people to buy insurance, but his accented charm apparently works on publishers, too. 

The GEICO Gecko has "penned" a book titled You're Only Human: A Guide to Life, a 164-page, breezy, robustly illustrated, reader-friendly tome that covers topics of interest to the renowned, slimy little insurance mascot, ranging from "friending" hawks to Twitter, from tattoos to flossing.

Why you may ask? Well, the Gecko has always been one of the most reflective mascots in TV and print advertising. It's clear that there's a lot more going on in that tiny, tiny brain than mere shilling for his commercial sponsor.Continue reading...

Warren Buffett may finally have met a deal that satisfies his appetite. In agreeing to buy H.J. Heinz Co. in partnership with 3G Capital for $23 billion (or $28 billion including debt assumption), the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway has acquired a stable of globally popular brands owned by a staunchly resilient company in an economically dependable business.

In fact, the famed Oracle of Omaha told CNBC this morning, he has been ogling Heinz since 1980. "This is my kind of deal and my kind of partner," he said. "Heinz is our kind of company with fantastic brands."

Those brands include not only Heinz ketchup, the "bread and butter" of the portfolio of the Pittsburgh-based CPG giant, but also Ore-Ida, Lea & Perrins sauces, and Classico pasta sauces. Heinz products are sold in more than 200 countries.

Even more important to Buffett, Heinz and its brands have been great performers in a tough industry even during the Great Recession, and over the last 12 months its stock already has risen nearly 17 percent. Berkshire and 3G agreed to pay $72.50 a share, about 20 percent above Heinz's closing price on Wednesday. On Thursday, the stock climbed about to about the acquisition price.Continue reading...

A Ford ad ties into the NBC series The Smash. So far, the show has brought lackluster ratings.

The Middle, Smash and Portlandia offer three examples of the growing seamlessness between product/brand placement and the creative content of TV series.

On ABC's The Middle this week, the episode was practically an ode to two brands: iPad and Red Lobster. The youngest child in the Heck family, Brick, pines and pesters for an iPad until his parents, Frankie (played by Patricia Heaton) and Mike, finally relent and buy him a restored model on eBay. Until they do, a huge chunk of the script is devoted to Brick's description of the wonders of the iPad.

Much of the rest of the story depicts the family at a Red Lobster, naming the restaurant repeatedly and including a shot of a juicy lobster. (A Red Lobster ad also aired during the episode — though there was no commercial for iPad.)Continue reading...

AOL plans to distribute Discovery channels as its Huffington Post flip flops on Goldman Sachs.

Animal Planet finds room for Geico and other advertisers in annual Super Bowl "Puppy Bowl."

Ann Taylor brings back actress Kate Hudson as ambassador and designer.

Apple plans to offer broader guidance on earnings as it must fight to maintain dominance of iPhone.

Audi releases Super Bowl commercial with alternate endings for YouTube voting.

Boeing faces of extended inquiry by authorities into Dreamliner fires.

Bristol settles Hepatitis C claims.

Burger King drops firm that supplied horse meat in UK.Continue reading...

Kia names first non-Korean as president and integrates Google Maps.

Avis to acquires Zipcar brand for $500 million.

Nivea woos investors as CEO admits Rihanna was the wrong brand ambassador and brand returns to NYC's Times Square as New Year's Eve event sponsor.

Amazon apologizes for Christmas Eve outage.

American Girl's 2013 Girl of the Year doll addresses U.S. arts education cuts.

Apple sees its store in Paris robbed.

BBC Worldwide appoints chief brands officer.Continue reading...

With little to gain and a lot to lose, playing politics is something brands generally do from a position of neutrality ("7-Election"), low-brow humor (Gas-X's "Gas Crisis") or outright mocking of the system (Etch A Sketch; Reebok's 2003 Terry Tate candidacy). So when the Most Interesting Man in the World chose to host a fundraising event for President Barack Obama, Dos Equis's parent Heineken USA was understandably vexed, forced into one of those frustrating statements all brands hate to make that include the words "views are strictly his own, and do not represent."

But maybe Dos Equis — and Heineken — should play to their brand strengths. According to a recent study, both brands' drinkers trend Democratic, with the former rated the most popular beer amongst lefties. So when viewers drunkenly yell at the TV during the first 2012 presidential debate on Wednesday, chances are they will do so with very partisan bottles in hand.Continue reading...

U.S. auto insurance brands spent $5.7 billion on marketing last year in the U.S., nearly double what they spent just five years earlier. But they're not getting as much bang for their buck as they did a couple of years ago.

Allstate, State Farm, Nationwide, Esurance, Farmers Insurance, Progressive and Geico are among the many car insurance brands that have mounted notable marketing campaigns over the last few years, almost all of them emphasizing the availability of deep discounts as an integral part of their positioning.

But except for Progressive and the charismatic Flo, and Geiko and its geeky gekko, which have picked up market share, car-insurance brands are becoming jaded entities to American consumers, according to J.D. Power & Associates.

"We didn't see a commensurate increase in [market] churn" to match the industry's advertising expenses last year, said JPD senior director Jeremy Bowler.Continue reading...

Airbus sees more jet orders held up in emissions row with China.

American Airlines races against clock in bankruptcy court.

Apple faces pressure over app store fraud as fans line up around the world for new iPad.

BCE buys Astral Media for $3 billion, shakes up Canadian media landscape.

Centers for Disease Control launches grisly new anti-smoking ad campaign.

China corporate espionage makes cover of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Cisco increases focus on video delivery with purchase of NDS.

Derek Lam resigns as creative director of Tod's.

Disney pulls in movie production reins after John Carter flops.Continue reading...