AIG considers suing U.S. government despite federal bailout aid.

J&J sells Roloaids brand to Sanofi.

Samsung caps best year ever.

ABC spurs questions for marketers with move of Jimmy Kimmel's show.

Apple sees CEO Tim Cook make second visit  to China as mainland footprint doubles.

Bacardi snaps up St-Germain liqueur brand.

Bank of America extends retreat from mortgages.Continue reading...

Film: Men in Black 3
Total Products/Brands Spotted: 22
Standout Placement: Ford Taurus
Most Memorable Placement (positive): Glamour magazine
Most Memorable Placement (negative): Ford Taurus
Overall Product Placement Integration Grade (1-10): 5
Comments: Continuing the trend we noted a year ago with X-Men: First Class, the third installment in the Men in Black franchise — the world's new #1 movie — sets a good position of its action (and its viral marketing) decades back, cashing in on the 1960s craze. This setting allows for period-appropriate product placement such as one for Hamilton watches and placement gags involving Glamour magazine, Rolaids, the New York Mets and Viagra.

But the real star of the show is Ford, which is once again launching its Taurus with a sci-fi film.Continue reading...

Dozens of antacid brands, including Johnson & Johnson's trio of Rolaids, Pepcid and Mylanta, aren't available in the US due to recalls. As J&J works to get its products up to FDA muster and back on shelves, the pressure's on generic store brands such as Kroger’s and CVS private-label products to meet demand.

At a CVS store in Fortville, Ind., USA Today spotted a sign on a shelf where Pepcid AC should have been: "Looking for Pepcid AC products? Try CVS/pharmacy Brand for the same great results."

Less reputable outlets are looking to meet demand — witness the recent theft of $500 of heartburn products (either for personal or black market use) from Target.Continue reading...

Apple, hot on the heels of iPad 2 launch, tops Fortune's Most Admired Companies list for fourth year in a row.

Best Buy and other big box retailers rethink as they shrink.

Budweiser posts first global increase in two decades thanks to World Cup.

Charlie Sheen hits 1 million Twitter followers in less than a day.

Facebook growth slows in the US.

Ford issues recall, plans to harness its design gurus to relaunch the Mustang.

GM leads incentive spending as "Old GM" expected to be liquidated today.Continue reading...

Apple's iPhone displaces Samsung on home turf of Korea.

Chevron boosts spending by 20%.

eBay may be liable in Europe for L'Oreal trademark breaches.

J&J recalls Rolaids over particle fears.

MasterCard acquires prepaid card business.

Pfizer (and its $10 million richer outgoing CEO) dragged through WikiLeaks muckraking, as US probes cyberattacks.

Twitter grew by more than 100M new accounts this year, as announced in a microsite; 8% of online Americans use Twitter, adds Pew.