Frito-Lay's Cheetos brand Crunchy Flamin' Hot chips may be free of gluten-free and trans fats, but some school officials feel it's free of any redeeming value whatsover and are moving to ban it. The New York Times Well blog reports that "School districts in three states are waging a battle against (the) spicy snack that is so laden with artificial ingredients it leaves a trail of red fingerprints behind."

What has school administrators in Pasadena, Calif., Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Rockford, Illinois, up in arms?

...some school districts say the chips are too high in calories, salt and fat, and too spicy for most children. Teachers and parents have complained that the artificial coloring has children leaving behind bright red fingerprints in their classrooms and on their clothing. And emergency room doctors say they have seen patients complaining of stomach pain after eating hot Cheetos, and they warn that eating the chips in excess – because of the bright food dye they contain – may cause discolored stool that can lead to unnecessary hospital visits.

The PepsiCo-owned Frito-Lay brand "has said that it does not specifically market Hot Cheetos to small children, nor does it sell its snack products directly to schools." A current promotion with Ubisoft's Just Dance Game featuring its Chester Cheetah mascot, for instance, is aimed at kids 13 and older.

Below, watch a video tribute ("Hot Cheetos & Takis") by some kids, which has racked up more than 3.5 million views on YouTube since it was posted in August:Continue reading...

Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White is boosting his personal brand, big time. The champion snowboarder just partnered with D6 Sports to launch his own action sports product line, Shaun White Supply Co., at an event (above) with the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas.

Offering action sports hard goods including skateboards, bikes, stunt scooters, protective gear, and ramps and rails, SWSC’s website says its "main focus is to create, produce and deliver authentic products at an affordable price."

What's more, "Every product has been rigorously tested, changed and tested again until Shaun and his team felt the Shaun White Supply Co. standards were met. It was important to White that not only could SWSC’s products be used by him in competition, but that they could also be used by recreational athletes in an effort to give individuals the opportunity to enjoy, experiment and excel in action sports."

The namesake collection follows on White's other high-profile deals.Continue reading...

Bandit brand pulls ultimate spoof on fellow Michigan native Chrysler with "Imported from Remus" ad for its wood chippers.

Denny's new Mac'n'Cheese Patty Melt will melt your arteries.

On eve of New York Fashion Week, Lady Gaga disses New York Times fashion critic and releases six-part "fashion film" series to promote new single:Continue reading...

The weekend belongs to Thor and its numerous product placement partners, including Dr. Pepper and Acura. We'll have a full rundown of the God of Thunder's marketing blitz on Monday.

In the meantime, a look at the product placement week that was, starting with our review (and subsequent questions regarding its ethics) of POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and ending with a film opening this weekend that was far more shy about showing its product placement in its trailers. Continue reading...

Apple poaches Microsoft exec to head up data project, as iPhone 5 seen as crucial test with Verizon. And a lucky class of Maine kindergartners receive iPad 2 tablets.

Bank of America appoints new CFO as earnings disappoint.

BP seeks to resume drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Cisco's Flip camera eulogized by NYT's David Pogue.

Donald Trump mulls political announcement on The Apprentice.

Francis Ford Coppola acquires Inglenook trademark, rebranding his Rubicon Estate to the historic name.Continue reading...

While BlogHer attracts more than so-called "mommy bloggers" (a term uniformly disliked by moms who blog, by the way), its sixth annual conference, taking place next week in New York, has attracted a slew of high-profile brand sponsors.

P&G, PepsiCo, Hillshire Farm/Jimmy Dean, and Walmart are among the brand marketers paying for exposure as BlogHer 2010 Diamond Sponsors.

BlogHer reaches more than 20 million women each month. Its goal is simple.Continue reading...

Ubisoft rips it up to promote Shaun White Skateboarding game. Check it out with a different audio track here.

Cadbury Australia rolls out first ever round YouTube videos for its new rollpack. The clever (unembeddable) ads are on its YouTube channel.

Paul the Octopus is pointing to a World Cup victory for Spain. Mani the Parakeet, however, begs to differ.

"Pork on a Fork" is delicious, potentially a trademark violation.Continue reading...