On August 15, Hollywood's The Lincoln Lawyer--about a shady attorney who uses his Lincoln's backseat as an office--opened in China's theaters with less than fantastic results or fanfare. Two weeks later, Ford announced that it would bring its Lincoln brand to China's booming luxury car market. One had nothing to do with the other, a bit of odd coincidence.

Ford is hoping to make a bigger splash than the film. But that is very unlikely to happen for a good number of reasons. Continue reading...

In addition to an even trippier special edition of its tie-dye logo, Apple unveiled more than one dozen new products today at the brand's highly anticipated 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference. While Apple’s main growth drivers remain the iPhone and the iPad, its Mac line remains a cornerstone.Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts of the week include Steve Jobs' iYacht, HP's TouchPad and more:

#1 i, iCaptain: Steve Jobs’ Unrealized Dream was the iYacht

#2 HP's TouchPad: The Discontinued Tablet That Won't Go Away

#3 Angry Birds Hits Half A Billion Downloads

#4 Burger King's New Kids Meals Highlight Play and Philanthropy

#5 ASICS Cheers on New York City Marathon with Transit Experience

#6 J&J, Under Fire, Commits to Formaldehyde-Free Johnson's Baby Products

#7 Mercedes Don't Run Over 99%ers, 1%ers Run Over 99%ers

#8 Google+ Opens Doors to Brands, Starting With +Pepsi, +Toyota + more

#9 Sale of New Marlins Gear Awaits New Logo Announcement

#10 UNTHINK, the Facebook Alternative

The capitalization on 1980s nostalgia has no equal this year like the live-action version of The Smurfs.

But the original world of the Smurfs was a fantastical land free of consumer concerns. (In fact, conspiracy theorists have suggested its commune focus is nearly Communist, or worse.) So, what better way to inject a little green in all that blue than bring the gang to New York City?Continue reading...

Maybe it's the dulcet tones of brand voice Jeff Bridges, but Hyundai — a smaller automaker than rivals Honda and Toyota — is tops on one important list: the most common return-customer seller in the last quarter.

Hyundai topped the Kelley Blue Book list, a first for the company, according to a KBB press release. As Auto Loan News reports, Hyundai placed first in customer loyalty with 52.3% of the vote with Honda (49.7%) and Toyota (42.7%) placing second and third.

The top American brand was Ford, Auto Loan News notes, which came in fourth with 45.4%.Continue reading...

BMW and Mercedes outpace rivals in China, as Shanghai auto show opens and a new report shows the most popular brands in China are predominately foreign. Ford's China JV execs mull own brand, while Volkswagen reveals the new Beetle at events in Shanghai, New York and Berlin today. The Volkswagen Group also saw record first quarter sales as China deliveries boom.

VH1 woos female viewers with new programming, while siblings BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nick, and Spike remain holdouts on Time Warner Cable's iPad app due to Viacom lawsuit, although Cablevision's iPad app gets only grumbles.

Toyota resumes production at all Japan plants for first time since tsunami, as its Lexus brand slips behind rivals in the US. TEPCO also laid out a plan for shutting down nuclear reactor.Continue reading...

The emotional strings evoked in the film's title may not be attached. But there are certainly a lot of products attached to No Strings Attached. Booze. Cars. And of course, Apple. Bushels of Apple.

No Strings Attached is filled with products — nearly 30 by our count. It shouldn't come as a surprise.Continue reading...

* Donald Trump has launched Trump Tea, with four blends named after his favorite places, including New York's Union Square.

* Tiffany & Co. sales increased almost 10% in the second quarter, with half of sales now outside the US.

* LVMH is reportedly eyeing sister-owned fashion label Rodarte as an acquisition, and is now a part-owner of China's Emperor Watch and Jewellery brand, where it sees a big opportunity among Chinese wealthy.

* Chloe's next CEO will be Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, a French luxury vet with tenures at LVMH and Disney. He replaces Ralph Toledano, who unexpectedly exited this week.Continue reading...