It’s been more than 1,500 years since Saint Patrick was laid to rest and could no longer use the shamrock to explain to Christians the idea of the Holy Trinity. Thanks to St. Patrick's Day every March 17th, his legacy inspires millions the world over to consume massive amounts of alcohol and shout “Top of the morning to ya!” to anyone who passes. With such a jovial reputation, you can bet that brands, alcoholic or not, take advantage of the built-in marketing ploy—and not just those participating in Pantone's color of the year for 2013.Continue reading...

QVC is selling Titanic-branded merchandise for sinking centenary next month. "Legacy 1912 –Titanicä" perfume, anyone?

H&M is rumored to have a high-end luxury fashion line in the works, while its Conscious Collection lands on April 14th.

Converse Chuck Taylor Premium line recasts iconic high-top sneaker in luxe leather.

Move over, Ralph Lauren's Big Pony and Lacoste's Big Croc — Benetton is joining the big logo brigade:Continue reading...

Apple tightens up on apps again, frustrating developers.

Blip.tv gets fresh funding, drops .tv from brand name.

Chrysler CMO personally approached Clint Eastwood about Super Bowl ad just as he did Eminem a year ago.

Corona supports cancer research with promo.

Google nears launch of cloud-storage service.

Groupon reports net loss in first quarterly filing after IPO.

Honda aims to reclaim its luster.

Mattel launches new global campaign for Barbie.Continue reading...

Victoria's Secret was just accused (by a Bloomberg News investigation) of using child labor; this week it's the Kardashians' turn on the hot seat.

Kim Kardashian and her controversy-stirring family are being accused of using sweatshops to manufacture the K-DASH and Kris Jenner Kollection lines for QVC,  by the US-based Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights, according to a report in Star magazine (via Radar). The family responded via a rep that they're unaware of such conditions but are taking the allegations "very seriously."

Other brands being targeted by the global labor and sweatshop watchdog include a Chinese manufacturer of Hasbro's Transformers toys; the Dallas Cowboys; and Walmart, the NFL and NCAA. (Update: Charles Kernaghan, executive director of The Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights, tells TMZ he was misquoted.)

It's come a long way, baby.

The Knot, which began as an online wedding brand in 1996 from business partners David Liu, Carley Roney, Rob Fassino, and Michael Wolfson, is rebranding as XO Group Inc., short for hugs and kisses, as it expands its franchise even further.

The premier destination for all things weddings, nesting and babies, is changing its common stock listing is to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from Nasdaq, starting June 28 under the new trading symbol XOXO.Continue reading...

Royal Wedding fever is heating up, and not just in the UK. Expect the hype over the Super Bowl of weddings to intensify right on up to and through the actual ceremony uniting Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29. The question for all sorts of brands is whether the nuptials will bring with them a cascade of benefits at retail.Continue reading...

* New York Fashion Week may be whetting appetites (and chopping trees) for Spring/Summer 2011, but back on earth, Kmart's busy wooing fashionistas for fall, above.

* The Kardashians are also in NYC this week pitching their K-Dash line for QVC to fashionistas, while real designers ply their wares, goody bags, sex toys?

* The memorably-named Acne denim brand, meanwhile, is launching a line seemingly targeted at transvestites and cross-dressers.

* Chanel's relaunched Soho boutique for NY's Fashion Week features a gotta-get-it Yeti look.Continue reading...

Discovery Communications is big on Oprah, spending more than $100 million budgeted to launch Winfrey's OWN channel in January.

Google waves farewell to Google Wave, reportedly acquires Slide and designates a "social general" as it ramps up vs. Facebook.

BP's next CEO, Robert Dudley, eyes the future by visiting the company's Russian partners during a trip to Moscow.

Facebook ad sales: booming and getting bigger, according to COO Sheryl Sandberg.

LinkedIn finally makes its first acquisition: mSpoke, a data-sifting startup.

Zynga has acquired Unoh, a Tokyo-based startup.Continue reading...