Above: The evil geniuses at Taiwan's NMA have produced an online Kim Jong-un-inspired game Best Korea Smackdown. The animation gang has also produced what is maybe its most subversive ever little video about American-Chinese relations with its "Iron Man 3" commentary.

China is the second largest economy in the world and every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse)—but who's got the time?! Here's the week's reads that will make you look like a keen China observer in case you find yourself immersed in a cultural conversation.

This week: BMW's China brand... Spotify's in Asia... Ginseng... Iron Man 3 "chinky eyes"... Online retail... HTC's branded disaster... Xiaomi denies Jobs copy... Hertz buys to rent... Alibaba phones... Apple porn... Burberry and YSL... WeChat... "cat models"... and more.Continue reading...

BlackBerry launches new Z10 smartphone in US today, as CEO says Apple's iPhone is outdated.

Pepsi introduces first new package design since 1997.

PPR, French owner of Gucci and Saint Laurent, announces rebrand to "caring" Kering with new owl logo.

Nike surges on China rebound, North American results in latest quarterly earnings report.

Asda pulls private-label corned beef from UK shelves over horsemeat discovery as new report finds consumer concern fading. 

Chrysler looks to Nike and Starbucks for inspiration.

Coca-Cola tops British grocery brands ranking as Walkers rises to #2.

Facebook tests yet another timeline design.Continue reading...

The most populated country in the world has been, until recently, perceived to be a hotbed of conspicuous consumption. Luxury brands rushed in to fill the void and make a bundle. Vuitton, Prada, Burberry — you name it, you could buy it in China. And consumers were happy to show off their ability to buy.

But suddenly things have changed. The tap has been turned off and many of the luxury brands of the West that flooded China are now sitting and waiting for consumers to get back into the spending mood again. With all the consternation over Burberry's lull in its China growth, it's easy for luxury to get rattled.

Prada, however, is trying to keep its investors, employees and calm about what's going on in the Mainland. "I think we must stay calm and be less hysterical. I don't see such a dramatic market," commented Patrizio Bertelli, Prada’s CEO, according to Reuters. "We think that considering all markets at the same level is wrong. We must accept markets' diversity and adapt to different needs and traditions." In effect, Keep Calm and Brand On.Continue reading...

Samsung mocks iPhone 5 buyers in latest commercial.

Chick-fil-A backs down and vows to stop donating to anti-LGBT groups.

Visa shifts global creative duties back to BBDO.

AOL names female CFO.

AT&T faces backlash over Apple FaceTime restrictions, while CEO explains anti-texting and driving push.

Bed Bath & Beyond beats the odds.

Citibank credit card is coming to China.Continue reading...

Fashion brands are particularly fussy when it comes to protecting an attribute that defines their very soul — or in the case of Christian Louboutin, its sole.

The designer of shoes with iconic red bottoms that sell for as high as $3995 a pair, Louboutin has been sticking its stilettos into counterfeiters who sell fake versions of pricey pairs of their shoes, as well as other fashion brands who dare to step on their trademarked sole. 

Last August, Louboutin took legal action in a U.S. court against another French fashion firm, Yves Saint Laurent. The case had interesting trademark implications: Louboutin had argued that YSL was infringing on its intellectual property by introducing all-red shoes. But a New York judge rebuffed the argument, stating that "Loubotin's claim would cast a red cloud over the whole industry, cramping what other designers could do while allowing Louboutin to paint with a full palette. Louboutin would thus be able to market a total outfit in red, while other designers would not."

Louboutin appealed the decision and now, in the latest twist, it has won a trademark battle, but not the trademark war.Continue reading...

Yves Saint Laurent announced last month that it was dropping the Yves from its ready-to-wear line, and the logo looks to have shed a little weight as well.

A big departure from the brand's iconic intertwining YSL letters, the new logo (revealed on its Facebook page) is all caps in white type on a black background, signaling a return to an earlier period of the company when the logo type was much simpler and straightforward. New York magazine notes commenters on the brand's Facebook page harrumphing at the change. "Where's the iconography? This is not iconic," said one. "YSL without the Y is not YSL," wrote another.

Looks like recently appointed creative director Hedi Slimane is going to have a lot of defending to do while designing the next line of clothes and bags — or NYC T-shirt company Rocksmith may feel compelled to cover up the brand's logo yet again.

Hedi Slimane, newly installed creative director of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion empire, is reportedly spurring the iconic brand name and signature logo created in 1961 at the inception of the house to Saint Laurent Paris. “For Slimane to make the decision to change YSL to SLP before his first collection for the label has been shown is a strong statement about regime change. Clearly, Slimane intends to do things his way," commented the Guardian.

“WWD assures us that the classic YSL logo 'will not disappear,'" reports Racked. In fact, Slimane's rebranding looks to the past as well as the future: He's hoping to tap into the sense of youth and modernity that Yves himself captured with his Saint Laurent Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line in 1966.”

Update: Yves Saint Laurent provided the following statement to brandchannel clarifying the evolution of its branding:

The YSL logo, created by Cassandre in 1961, will remain intact and the name Yves Saint Laurent will continue to be used and represent the fashion house. The Ready-To-Wear line, originally called "Saint Laurent Rive Gauche" in 1966, will now be called "Saint Laurent Paris." Therefore the principal change will be the RTW’s name, "Saint Laurent Paris" and the fashion house will continue to go by the name Yves Saint Laurent. Continue reading...

YSL Experience, the web portal for the Yves Saint Laurent family of fragrance and beauty products, is highlighted in a new video (watch below) that was released today by the brand. The website that encourages users to explore, create and share, customizing the website for a "YSL by You" experience and sharing content on Facebook and beyond to bring the brand experience to life.Continue reading...