New Grownup Burger Recalls Grownup Film Moment

The words burger, Heidi Klum and bourbon aren’t generally found in the same sentence, but that’s changed now that Carl’s Jr. will become the first fast-food chain to release a burger branded by a liquor. The Jim Beam Bourbon burger will start being sold Monday night and to celebrate the moment, the chain has turned out a sexy ad featuring supermodel/businesswoman Heidi Klum reprising one of American film’s sexiest characters, The Graduate’s Mrs. Robinson.

In it, Klum seduces the camera and her naïve young male costar while chowing down on a massive Jim Beam burger. (Don’t worry, teetotalers. Unlike the famed Mrs. Robinson, the burger is alcohol-free.)Continue reading...

K-pop phenom Psy's "Gangam Style" video beats Justin Bieber record to become YouTube's most-viewed video ever, with 805 million views on Friday (knocking on 824 million views now) to Bieber's 803 million for "Baby." Bieber, meanwhile, insults fellow Canadians by wearing overalls to pick up award from Prime Minister.

GM considers Buick logo change and bets it can make the 54-year-old Chevy Impala a head-turner again.

Black Friday in-store sales undercut by Thanksgiving early bird shoppers, mobile and e-commerce shoppers.

GSK and other pharma anger critics by paying for studies.

Hostess Brands eyed by Flower Foods.

Mango replaces Kate Moss with Miranda Kerr.

McDonald's testing Egg White McMuffin and variations on Quarter Pounder.

Mercedes-Benz taps Kate Upton for Super Bowl.

Nintendo's revamped Wii takes aim at a changed game world.Continue reading...

Oprah Winfrey devoted two hours last Sunday night on her OWN cable network to Favorite Things, with the items given to ‘deserving military spouses.’ The franchise, an annual brandstravaganza on her former daytime talkshow, this year reverted to the talk show host's personal picks, with one in particular causing a kerfuffle. 

"The Surface, Microsoft's first tablet, feels like a Mercedes-Benz to me, people!" Oprah wrote on her website. "The full-size keyboard built right into the cover makes work easy, the very smart kickstand makes watching a movie or Skyping a friend a delight, the less than a pound-and-a-half weight makes a great alternative to a laptop, and the many other features make it fun for work and play. Now, that's a wowser!"

Unfortunately, it was a follow-up tweet professing her love for the Surface tablet to her 14.8 million followers on Twitter that got her in trouble, as she wrote "Gotta say love that SURFACE! Have bought 12 already for Christmas gifts. #FavoriteThings" from an iPad.

We can only hope that Gandalf won't tout his love for the new Windows Phone from an iPhone. Microsoft is partnering with Warner Bros, the studio behind the highly-anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first installment of a trilogy to be released (in the UK) on December 13, starring Sir Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman as Gandalf and Bilbo respectively.Continue reading...

If Amy Sedaris pitching Downy in a perky new campaign rings a bell, it's because celebrities have been sudsing up for brands since the early days of Hollywood. Think back to the golden days of radio, when Jack Benny plugged Jello in his opening line, "Jello, everybody, this is Jack Benny," and Bob Hope promoted Pepsodent toothpaste. And in the early days of television, George Burns and Gracie Allen peddled Carnation Milk, Groucho Marx touted Prom Shampoo and Ozzie and Harriett shilled for Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix. Before he was President, Ronald Reagan stumped for Chesterfield cigarettes.

In today’s world of 24/7 social media, celebrity endorsement, backing and entrepreneurship (from Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop to Jessica Alba's Honest Company) have reached new digital platforms. This week Stamped, a mobile app and website that lets people share reviews of anything they like, announced new celebrity backers including Justin Bieber, Ryan Seacrest and Ellen DeGeneres, and investments from Columbia Records, Eric Schmidt and The New York Times Company, bringing its financing to over $3 million.Continue reading...

One more young celebrity is leveraging her Hollywood powers and launching a business around her personal brand. The Honest Company, which gets a leg up in the URL naming game with the URL Honest.com, offers “eco-friendly family essentials” through a monthly subscription service.

Selling safe, sustainable products being more convenient, beautiful and affordable, Golden Globe nominee Jessica Alba, ("Fantastic Four," "Little Fockers," and TV series "Dark Angel," "The Office," and "Entourage") named the company after her 4-year-old daughter Honor.

"Being a mom is the most profound experience I've ever had," says Alba, now mother of newborn Haven as well. "When I became a mom, I finally became the person I am, that I always should have been. It's the most satisfying job in the world. But, it can also be overwhelming and confusing. I created The Honest Company to help moms and to give all children a better, safer start."Continue reading...

Airbus raises prices of A320neo plane amid strong demand, as Boeing threatens to compete better in 2012 .

AirTran must reinstate whistleblower pilot.

American Express invests $125 million in China mobile payments startup.

Apple eases into corporate market with Macs, while textbook push draws interest.

BankUnited draws bids from TD Bank and others.

Beyonce and Jay-Z challenged by Blue Ivy trademark applicant.

Burberry sales surge on international demand.Continue reading...

"Instead of just going 3-D like we did on the last one, we brought in 4-D, which is a very fun gimmick that I found in this old movie in the '80s... It's kind of a scratch-and-sniff [experience] and you get to be really, almost like a video game, interactive with the movie. There are some really surprising smells, and some of the biggest laughs come from that."

That's how director of Spy Kids 4: 4D, Robert Rodriguez, explained the film's fourth "D," which will be achieved by way of an eight-smells numbered scratch card audiences will receive with their 3D glasses.

While "smell-o-vision" is easily the most noteworthy marketing stunt at the box office this weekend it's not the only one. Continue reading...