Country? England. Gun? Shot. Agent? Provocateur. Murder? Employment. Skyfall? Product placement.

The latest James Bond film hit the US this weekend, letting audiences decide for themselves what all the product placement hubbub was about. The verdict? Meh. Some valuations have nailed down some dollar numbers on just how much exposure Skyfall brought its top-line brand partners, but what about the unidentifiable brands on-screen?

Despite no label ever being seen, at least one already has backorders going into 2013. And what to make of Bond's glorious return to tobacco?Continue reading...

Ben & Jerry's supports gay marriage in the UK with "Apple-y Ever After" ice-cream and Facebook app.

How do you promote a parking app at South by Southwest? Fake parking boots!

Of course there's a "woody" Toyota Prius.

Lingerie retailer Figleaves escapes outdoor ad ban.Continue reading...

It's the time for end of the year lists and Nielsen’s "Tops of 2011: Advertising" collection is certainly worth a look.

The media tracking firm covers everything from Volkswagen’s Little Darth Vader Super Bowl phenomenon to product placement. Nielsen says these "best-liked ads reflect the enduring value of traditional ad elements that have withstood the test of time – strong creative, simple and engaging messaging, and a solid emotional connection."

The Nielsen charts that caught our eye were the two pertaining to product placement, because both tell us almost nothing about measuring product placement except to underscore how nobody can properly measure product placement.Continue reading...

As Renault extends its News of the World ad boycott to other News International titles, News Corp.'s very bad week gets the Taiwanese animation treatment (now with tattooed hipster intro).

Below, Star Wars chic, Apple politicking and more.Continue reading...

It wasn't just the unsuspecting audience members who flipped for Oprah's two-part, final Favorite Things gift-giving year-end special. Featured brands can also expect a boost in holiday sales thanks to the halo effect of the Winfrey wand.Continue reading...

My word! In case you haven't been keeping up, Scrabble isn't your grandfather's Scrabble any more.

In France, a new edition of the most popular word game in history is now available: Scrabble Délire ("Delirium"), in which pretty much anything — backwards words, proper nouns, placing words anywhere on the board — goes.

Naturally, a kooky reinvention of the game deserves a delightfully delirious campaign to match. Shot in an empty apartment block, it evokes how Délire's chaotic gameplaying — including Gulliver and a dragon, a huffy princess, and clownish characters — could (in fact, should) shake up diehard fans of the original game.

While there's no English-language version of the Scrabble mash-up (yet), it's not the first time the game has been taken for a joyride. Check out Mattel's (mildly) racy 2009 campaign after the jump.Continue reading...

Gemvara turns consumers into jewelry designers. [TechCrunch]

Design products with the help of Quirky.com. [Daily Finance]

Google is doing well enough to hire more employees. [Mediaweek]

Bed Bath & Beyond surprises with high sales. [Daily Finance]

Fashion brand Diesel has restructured and divided. [WWD]

Vitaminwater, Polaroid promote on 'Gossip Girl.' [Adweek]Continue reading...

Toy Fair, kicking off in New York this weekend, is the big show for new toy introductions. When toy manufacturers display their wares this year, analysts expect them to be conservative as the recession subsides, pitching value more than price.

"You will see the manufacturers emphasize how much play time or value the kid gets out of the toy and then talk about the amazing price associated with that play value," says Anita Frazier, an analyst with market research firm NPD Group.

Toy makers will focus primarily on two areas – going green and leveraging technology – to boost sales in 2010. For the first time, Toy Fair will include a "green pavilion" to highlight environmentally friendly toys. It's a response to retail buyers who said last year they wanted more "eco-friendly" products to market to consumers.Continue reading...