Air New Zealand isn’t above doing something a little scandalous to bring in customers and publicity. Two years ago, it painted uniforms onto the skin of supposed members of a ANZ flight crew for an ad campaign, raising more than a few eyebrows.

Then a year ago, the airline introduced a brand mascot: a raunchy puppet named Rico, who starred in an online-only ad campaign in which he used “sexual innuendo and chats with B-grade celebrities,” such as David Hasselhoff, Richard Simmons, Snoop Dogg and Lindsay Lohan, to help sell the airline, according to New Zealand’s Stuff.

Rico found some success, collecting 4.5 million YouTube viewers and more than 48,000 Facebook fans along the way. ANZ is likely the only major airline that had a series of online ads starring a puppet that all opened with the text, “The following video contains language and themes of a sensitive nature. Viewer discretion is advised.”Continue reading...

American Airlines woos Hispanic travelers with Spanish-language website.

Distilled Spirits Council releases social media guidelines for alcohol brand marketers.

Foster's takeover by SABMiller seen as good for the brand.

Goodrich may soon have a new owner in United Technologies.

Google chairman Eric Schmidt refutes charges the site 'cooks' search results, while site faces inquiry into Microsoft ad pricing.

Gucci celebrates 90th anniversary with "art deco meets Blade Runner" opening show at Milan Fashion Week.

HP board eyes new CEO.

Lindsay Lohan lands German brand endorsement deal.Continue reading...

Call it a loogo — the looted logo for the London 2012 Olympics making the rounds this week.

For the tech-savvy felon: iPad cases made from Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff's pants (for her, there's iChoo).

There's a movement afoot to stop the Rapunzel-like long receipt madness.Continue reading...

Celebrities getting paid for tweeting brand mentions is nothing new in the US.

Last year we looked at sponsored tweets middleman Sponsored Tweets and its stable of ready-and-tweeting celebs. We found famous names such as NFL star Nick Mangold and Lindsey Lohan getting, respectively, $1,764.75 to $2,985.80 per tweet. Even Kim Kardashian was available for the right price.

Twitter, meanwhile, is opening the floodgates to brand marketers by ramping up "promoted tweets" next month — a move that will, according to All Things D, "give marketers a chance to place their message directly in front of users who follow particular brands, via ads that will show up when a user first logs on to Twitter.com."

But over in the UK, they're still struggling with product placement tweets from celebrities. Now, the ISBA, which represents British advertisers, is pondering producing a guide on celebrity Twitter endorsements for its members. But how enforceable could any rules possibly be?Continue reading...

The generational divide is in the Weeds, as digital gamers and baby boomers can now engage via a virtual haze of ganja gone Facebook.

According to a Bloomberg Businessweek report, urban fashion designer Marc Ecko and Lionsgate Films have joined forces for Weeds Social Club, a Facebook social game to coincide with the June 27th return of Lionsgate's hit original series for Showtime, Weeds, which this season brings pot-dealing soccer mom Mary-Louise Parker to the Big Apple.Continue reading...

Apple and the Weather Channel sued over location-based advertising.

Chrysler may hire up to 3,000 workers.

Cisco, struggling, reveals that AT&T will power its Cius tablet.

Duncan Hines tries to broaden its appeal.

eBay stands to make $1.4 billion on Skype's sale to Microsoft, as Skypers brace for more ads.

Facebook can't keep its Mark Zuckerbergs straight.

FOX releases biometric study assessing brand effectiveness.

Gilt valuation puts web brands to test.

Google will launch Chrome laptops in June.Continue reading...

Air Canada launches new regional brand to replace Jazz.

Amazon vs. Apple "app store" spat continues, while Apple moves to trademark "startup."

Apple iPad 2 finally goes on sale in Japan this week, plus 11 other countries.

Barclay's posts disappointing results.

BP's Russian saga continues as net profit rises, Gulf clean-up costs continue.

Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf ace crash tests.Continue reading...

Best Buy shoppers shun pricey TVs.

BlackBerry parent RIM's product strategy questioned by Wall Street.

Facebook passes major milestone, with more than half of all Americans now Facebookers.

GM to reopen plant shut by parts shortage.

Japan's injured nuclear workers to be released "soon."

Lindsay Lohan is dropping her surname, according to her mom.Continue reading...