Time Warner is spinning off Time Inc., turning the 90-year-old publisher of Time, People and Sports Illustrated into a separate, publicly held company worth as much as $3.2 billion. 

"A complete spin-off of Time Inc. provides strategic clarity for Time Warner Inc., enabling us to focus entirely on our television networks and film and TV production businesses," said CEO Jeff Bewkes. "Time Inc. will also benefit from the flexibility and focus of being a stand-alone public company and will now be able to attract a more natural stockholder base."Continue reading...

Here's pt. 2 in our look at Forbe's inaugural ranking of the best social media campaigns, starting with #11 — which offered a Whopper of a come-on.Continue reading...

• Geico's vlogging, Facebooking, Twittering caveman is in a Debbie Downer mood today (above).

• The upcoming Love and Other Drugs is about a fast-talking, philandering medical salesman. What does he drive? A Porsche ... of course.

• Krispy Kreme doughnut's latest filling: Meat.

• 1984: Gillette offers $1 million to ZZ Top band members to shave iconic beards; band declines.

• 2010: Rise-N-Shine's Go Away Grey offers $1 million to CNN's silver fox Anderson Cooper to darken mane; fans balk.

• Verizon's "Rule the Air" spot aimed at young women irks feminists and net neutrality activists alike.Continue reading...

Warner Brothers' Harry Potter 3D film is hoped to revive flagging cinema industry.

GM named Hyundai executive Chris Perry the new head of marketing for Chevy.

Apple is closing its Quattro ad network to focus on iAds.

Chrysler released teaser photos of the 2011 Jeep Wrangler online.

Dollar General, a US discount chain, will start selling beer and wine.

Google is coming to the big screen, joining Facebook and Twitter movies in the works.Continue reading...

Ford and GM brands came out on top for the American Customer Satisfaction Index study for the first time. Ford's Lincoln-Mercury and GM's Buick took the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, the first time U.S. auto makers have held the two top spots in the survey. BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz tied for third.

KFC franchise owners are suing Yum! Brands for control of the fast food chain's advertising. Their beef (er, fowl)? They feel KFC's decision to emphasize grilled instead of fried chicken has hurt the brand and lowered U.S. sales. They've also hired former McDonald's CMO Larry Light to spearhead their campaign.

Toyota is studying the design and placement of its accelerator and brake pedals to see whether the current setup makes drivers more prone to hit the wrong one.

Barnes & Noble removes its brand from Nook e-reader suite, while commercial landlords start to worry about B&N being up for sale.

Barclays agreed to pay $298 million to settle charges by U.S. and New York prosecutors that the U.K. bank altered financial records for more than a decade to hide hundreds of millions of dollars in payments flowing into the U.S. from Cuba, Libya, Iran and other sanctioned countries.

BlackBerry's new Torch has not been a runaway hit, as UAE reports progress on BlackBerry security talks.Continue reading...

Devo, the faux futuristic band best known for 1979's iconic Whip It single, is back with its first studio album in 20 years. And like any retro brand seeking to relaunch, the group updated its tone and look with market research that tapped focus groups, social media and crowdsourcing to help stage their comeback.

New tracks on the aptly-titled Something for Everyone were put to the vote at clubdevo.com, where more than 40,000 fans weighed in (and apparently nixed one song, according to the Wall Street Journal). Warner Bros. contracted Mother LA to help craft the tongue-in-cheek campaign (documented on the band's YouTube channel), which took a not so subtle swipe at what ails the music industry.

Next up: TV and film projects, with the band now "shopping a reality series based on its marketing campaign and hopes to make inroads with the music supervisors who place tracks in movies and TV shows."

Love her or hate her, Rosie O’Donnell just will not go away. The former daytime talk star is preparing a return to television, and her brand of outspokenness will once again be on display.
 
O’Donnell has formed a company with two former Warner Brothers executives who intend to independently distribute a show next year, a source told the New York Times. There is speculation that it will be a daytime TV show to air in the fall of 2011, when Oprah plans to leave her show.Continue reading...

Google's 'enhanced listings' leave many wondering if sales will increase, too. [Econsultancy]

Opening Night of the Olympics brings a boost in sales for all brands involved. [Adweek]

In an attempt to mold with changing times, accessories brands are lowering prices. [WWD]

BMW's new ad campaigns will focus on safety and its customers' satisfaction. [WSJ]

Madonna and Macy's are discussing the creation of a clothing and lingerie line. [WWD]

Akamai Technologies wants its $217 million back from Deutsche Bank. [Boston Herald]Continue reading...