Kicking off this week's Brand Bites, model Bar Refaeli's new under.me lingerie line campaign channels an iconic cheeky tennis poster.

PETA take note: the Sierra Club's new "Coal Will Say Anything" campaign shows how it's done.Continue reading...

Watch the big diet companies and you might think they're playing a game of who can snag the most high-profile celebrity spokesperson. The latest VIP dieters for hire: Charles Barkley, the NBA pro turned TV sportscaster, who tried Weight Watchers on his own and will now be featured in the company's "Lose Like a Man" campaign which starts the day after Christmas, according to the New York Times. Janet Jackson, meanwhile, was revealed today as the new face of Nutrisystem.Continue reading...

The first Muppets movie in six years hits theaters a day before Thanksgiving with the hopes of rejuvenating the franchise. The last two films—Muppets Wizard of Oz (2005) and It's a Very Merry Muppets Christmas Movie (2002)—largely fell flat. This time around, titled simply The Muppets, the new film hopes recapture the success of the 1979 original The Muppet Movie, which was not only a critical darling but also the highest-grossing Muppet movie of all time.

But it's a new age of filmmaking, and The Muppets are tacked with more than entertainment. Like all other Hollywood stars, they're being asked to sell a film, and, in the process, move product. Muppet News Flash: the film is going to have product placement.Continue reading...

AIG's former CEO, Hank Greenberg, sues U.S. government and Federal Reserve Bank for $25 billion over takeover.

Bill Gates testifies in Novell suit vs. Microsoft.

Cadbury's trademarks its distinctive shade of purple.

David Beckham's legacy starts to be assessed as Los Angeles Galaxy ending looms and Paris beckons.

Donald Trump estimates the Trump name's worth at $3 billion.

eBay buys Hunch to help discern individuals' taste. 

GE expands to Iraq.

GM retools former Saturn site and prepares to manufacture China autos in Egypt.

HP reports spending $3.3 billion on WebOS as Meg Whitman sets course for turnaround.Continue reading...

P&G delays $1.5 billion sale of Pringles.

Facebook struggles to get advertisers to pay for exposure.

Los Angeles Dodgers are for sale, owner Frank McCourt confirms.

Apple sees new CEO Tim Cook make it his own.

Bank of America blinks and withdraws $5 debit-card fee.

Bloomberg Businessweek ad campaign pitches personality.

BMW may see profit lead evaporate as new 3 Series eats into earnings and is topped by Mercedes-Benz in U.S. October sales.Continue reading...

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell just revealed her lingerie collection for Next in the UK. Available in spring 2012, Halliwell made no bones about her goal: "Basically, my aim was to make boobs look bigger and bums smaller."

Halliwell is just the latest pop star who has discovered that licensing her brand for a consumer line is far more lucrative than making music. From Kylie Minogue to Jessica Simpson to Jennifer Lopez to Gwen Stefani to Lady Gaga, pop stars and brand licensers are making beautiful, profitable music together.Continue reading...

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly signed Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million contract, but the baseball deal pales in comparison to another multi-million contract this week.

Shock jock Howard Stern announced on his Sirius XM satellite radio show today that he has agreed a new five-year contract work $500 million which will also bring his show to mobile devices.Continue reading...