TD takes top spot on Interbrand's new Best Canadian Brands ranking.

JCPenney continues claw-back of new business model, plans to use term "sale" again.

Sara Lee renames North American business Hillshire Brands and narrows focus to meat.

Apple uses more celebrities in marketing; what does that say about new products?

Justin Bieber debuts another fragrance concept called Girlfriend.

Burger King expands in Russia.

Clear Channel shifts royalty deal for music artists including Taylor Swift's label.Continue reading...

S.Café seems like one of those ideas that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz wishes he'd come up with. Sounding like Nescafe, it's the trademark name for a composite fiber used to make yarn which is then knitted or woven into fabric and is made from coffee grounds and plastic bottles.

It's garnering a reputation as the foundation fabric for 'green' comfortable clothing that offers odor control, UV protection and quick-drying features. It's now used by apparel brands including North Face, Mizuno, Puma, Wacoal and Timberland, which describes their jacket using the fabric as “our most environmentally conscious performance jacket ever.” 

The already brewed grounds, collected from coffee shops as waste, require less energy in the production process, which is highly calibrated as too much java in the fiber would make it easily prone to snapping.Continue reading...

Timberland is proud of its sustainable store design, talking up the eco-conscious retail elements at its San Francisco flagship in the video above.

It isn't just green at heart; it's considerably more green in the wallet, too. That's because it was just sold to the VF Corporation for $43 a share, or a whopping $2 billion.Continue reading...

Amazon launches this-side-of-spam simple email service.

American Apparel files $5 million suit over 'exploding' nail polish bottles.

Blackwater (now Xe) suit tossed 7 years after "grisly deaths."

Goldman Sachs: better at marketing than managing assets?

Horizon Air retires brand in favor of Alaska Air.

JCPenney is closing 25 stores and select operations.

Madonna's Material Girl juniors collection for Macy's replaces Taylor Momsen with Kelly Osbourne.

Neutrogena hires Kristen Bell to endorse brand.

North Face backs U.S. Freeskiing brand with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Taco Bell refutes "where's the beef?" lawsuit.

Twitter is blocked during protests in Egypt.

Special wizardry is what it will take to dominate this weekend's box office and only one of the new films has any such magic. Harry Potter's greatest magic trick? Turning enthusiasm into cold hard cash. Yet, despite being a commercial juggernaut, the Potter franchise has managed a comparative degree of critical success, in part because the films have refused to appear too commercial. That is to say, Harry Potter has avoided product placement.

But one movie opening this week is all about a brand, and it's no surprise that brand wants nothing to do with its placement. But first, our weekly Brandcameo Product Re-Placement Quiz, after the jump. Continue reading...

As the Dow took investors on a wild ride today, Procter & Gamble and CNBC's Jim Cramer (above) were thrown by a brief 23% dip (likely a trading glitch) in P&G's share price today. P&G (and this doctor) also refuted any charges about Pampers Dry Max as—well—rash.

BP has turned to Twitter and Facebook to report progress on its oil spill clean up efforts. It also created a Gulf of Mexico response section on its website, highlighted in bright red on its home page top nav.

Facebook tests brand status updates as McDonald's develops location-based app.

Nintendo reports slowing Wii sales.

FCC detailed proposed US broadband rules.Continue reading...

MotorWorld gives auto brands due recognition. [CNN Money]

BMW beats its competitors in the vehicle industry. [WSJ]

The National Enquirer lacks a Pulitzer Prize award. [Business Insider]

Paramount, Seagate pre-load movies on hard drives. [Reuters]

Scripps, Weight Waters, Lorillard among worst companies. [NY Times]

Companies use sports arenas for promotions. [Boston Herald]Continue reading...

Vince Neil of the band Motley Crue is set to launch a private jet corporation. [Luxist]

Polo Ralph Lauren, North Face have sued a Chinese website for counterfeiting. [WWD]

Retailer Anthropologie created an e-commerce website for international consumers. [WWD]

Wal-Mart wants to bank off of Dreamworks' upcoming 'How to Train Your Dragon.' [BrandFreak]