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...

As promised, a slew of new ad campaigns made their red carpet debut during the Oscars telecast Sunday night on ABC and in local markets. Below, check out new campaigns for Samsung Mobile (starring director Tim Burton and a unicorn), Kristen Chenoweth for Royal Caribbean, Jennifer Aniston for Aveeno, Naomi Watts for Pantene and more. Then tell us which (if any) you think deserve best in show—and which marketers should have saved a million dollars or so.Continue reading...

It’s a stellar app from Stella Artois. Fans are invited to log into the Belgian beer brand's Facebook page to send personalized holiday cards featuring actress Alice Eve as “Holiday Carole.”

Incorporating Google Street View, Maps, Places, Directions and Geocoding APIs, Eve travels through your neighborhood (it's available globally) before arriving at your virtual front door to deliver a carol and a holiday gift from Stella Artois.Continue reading...

Airbus and Boeing aim at each other in advertising spat.

CNN prospects weighed under Jeff Zucker.

Canadian Club launches "Join the Club" red-meat campaign.

Carnival apologizes to gay passengers after forbidding drag dress on cruise.

Chevrolet sees Volt ranked as best-loved car by Consumer Reports.

Costco to spend $3 billion on special dividend ahead of fiscal cliff.

Exxon faces short-term shortage of oil supplies.Continue reading...

A recent study of teen drinking patterns in Europe and the movies they watch, which was published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that the kids who watched more films with alcohol consumption were themselves more likely to both start drinking and abuse alcohol.

To which we say, DERRRR. But will the findings, with CNN the latest to make hay with them, be enough to change Hollywood's long love affair with hooch?Continue reading...

Amazon ships Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch early.

Apple searches for next retailing genius, recalls first-generation iPod Nano devices.

Audi A7 wins car of the year nod.

Barbie links with Stardoll for premium collection.

BMW promotes sustainability with China roadshow.

Boeing cements wide-body lead over Airbus with biggest ever deal, with Emirates.

Borders demise parsed by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launch smashes records.

China 'ready' to allow foreign companies to issue stock.

Chevrolet woos Sonic buyers with perks program, while GM slows Chevrolet Cruze production.

Citrus Australia introduces new seal of authenticity.

Crowne Plaza tilts makeover toward young travelers.

Deutsche Boerse defends NYSE Euronext deal.

Disney buys Babble.com for $40M to reach 'hipster parents.'

Estee Lauder co-founder Evelyn Lauder dies, lauded for launching Pink Ribbon campaign for breast cancer research.

Facebook nears U.S. privacy settlement that would make public sharing opt-in, not opt-out.Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts of the week include Solo Red Cup Anthem, LeBron James, Stella Artois, JLo , and more:

#1 Toby Keith Late to the Party with Solo Red Cup Anthem

#2 LeBron James: Heart of a Lion, Logo of a Lamb

#3 Bank of America Increases Fees Despite Ongoing Occupation

#4 Aaron Rodgers Makes Low-Key National Advertising Debut

#5 Stella Artois Sexes Up the Perfect Pour

#6 Jennifer Lopez Turns Second Video Into a Fiat Commercial (Paid for by Fiat)

#7 Ben & Jerry's Mooved by Occupy Wall Street Protests

#8 Real Steel's Over-the-Top Product Placements (and the FOX/NFL Bot Tie-In We Already Have)

#9 Men, Be a Pepper! Be a Slimmer, More Manly Pepper!

#10 The Original Penguin Jacket Makes Cars Jump With Joy. Or Something.

As Adweek notes, Stella Artois has been fetishizing its nine-step 'perfect pour' for many years, but it's only now merging the mythical methodology with its camp, 1960's-inspired campaigns. Below, check out the brand's more serious takes on the ritual, starting with its new mobile app.Continue reading...