Adidas reintroduces Originals in new campaign.

Apple officially exceeds Exxon to take the biggest market cap crown.

Borders and Waldenbooks brand auction is now scheduled, with bids due by Sept. 8.

CBS sees "EcoAd" unit gain traction.

Cisco shares soar as company earnings beat analyst projections.

Facebook traffic declines in the U.K.

Gap expands Athleta brand with bricks-and-mortar stores.Continue reading...

Fresh from a rare interview as one of Oprah Winfrey's last guests and seeing First Lady Michelle Obama dazzle this week in one of his couture designs, American fashion icon Ralph Lauren is in the spotlight this week.

His Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. may have had its net income decline almost 36%, bringing in “only” $73.2 million, in the fourth quarter that ended April 2nd (prompting at least one analyst to issue a 'buy' recommendation for its stock), but that isn’t stopping the company from investing a cool $1 billion to expand its global retail operation, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

Roger Farah, president and COO of Polo Ralph Lauren, told WWD that in the next fiscal year, $325 million of that would be laid out, with 70% of the cash would go to “growing the company’s store base internationally, particularly in Europe and through concession shops in China and Hong Kong.” But Polo won’t be just throwing money new retail locations.Continue reading...

AT&T bid for T-Mobile comes under scrutiny in California.

Abbott Laboratories gets federal pushback on cholesterol-drug trials.

Amazon takes a do-over on flubbed Lady Gaga promotion.

Baidu plots overseas growth.

Delphi IPO signals automotive rebound.

Facebook beefs up lobbying team in Washington.Continue reading...

Interbrand has released its 2010 ranking of the world's best global brands. The 11th annual assessment of the world's most successful brands for the first time doesn't include BP, which lost billions of dollars of value, and brand equity, due to the Gulf Oil spill.

"BP's environmental disaster and inability to make good on its brand promise of 'Beyond Petroleum' led to its falling off the list and helped competitor Shell emerge as an industry leader," Interbrand (the parent company of brandchannel) stated. As a result of BP's fall from grace, Shell is now ranked 81—up from 92 last year—in this year's standings.

Toyota, which also had a tough year in the wake of recall-related consumer mistrust, lost 16% of its brand value and fell out of the top 10, dropping from 8 to 11 as "its long-standing reputation for reliability, efficiency and innovation helped it weather the crisis better than expected.

Goldman Sachs, "once the envy of Wall Street," increased one position (from 38 to 37) and saw its brand valuation rise 1%. The financial services giant "faces the dichotomy of strong economic results and an angry public that will continue to lash out until the company begins to demonstrate that it is making sincere efforts to better align its ethics with its brand."

HP cracked into the top 10, making #10 "despite a challenging year" and for "smart additions to its product portfolio." Other tech brands, meanwhile, dominated the top five fastest gaining brands.Continue reading...

The 98-year old L.L. Bean label is one of those New England legends that are increasingly rare in the branding world. As independent as its Maine roots, the company is firmly entrenched in tradition. It has distinguished itself by offering an ironclad lifetime guarantee from the very beginning on its apparel and outdoor equipment. That's because founder Leon Leonwood Bean always stood behind the products he sold from his Freeport, Maine store. Today L.L. Bean's corporate headquarters are just down the road.

One thing L.L. Bean has not been known for, however, is innovative fashion. Its clothing line typically appeals to the Bean customer, average age 50, who's more interested in long-lasting utilitarian comfort than trendy styles. Which is why it is noteworthy that the company has just launched a new brand targeting a younger audience – the L.L. Bean Signature Collection. It is very likely a strategic move to seek out a new avenue for growth in challenging times.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]