The 53-year-old Madonna promoted her Bridgesteon-sponsored half-time show at Sunday's Super Bowl with a press conference today in which she promised to salsa like the New York Giants' Victor Cruz. 

When it comes to personal branding, it's hard to trump Donald Trump. The self-proclaimed $3 billion brand name may have been conspicuously absent from the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, but don't count Donald Trump out just yet.

Flexing his publicity-prone muscles, Donald Trump gave the media and blogosphere a New Year's gift by proclaiming that he wouldn't rule out a run for president as an independent should the Republicans choose the "wrong candidate." In fact, a report surfaced that a group of Trump supporters had filed paperwork in Texas to allow him to run as a third-party candidate for the "Make America Great Again Party." 

Whether it's true or not, Trump continues to keep the political fire burning — and awareness of his name high.Continue reading...

The King may have left the building, but he has not left the branding. Elvis Presley would have turned 77 on Jan. 8 if he could have found a way to survive the massive amounts of lethal drugs and sandwiches he ingested in the years leading up to his death on Aug. 16, 1977 (unless, of course, he really is that guy spotted at the Hare Krishna ranch in Roswell, New Mexico, back in 2008). 

Assuming it's not, this year marks the 35th anniversary of when the King of Rock was found to be unresponsive on his bathroom floor. The world mourned his death then, but it's ready (at least, his estate is ready) to party now.

Graceland will kick off a yearlong celebration on Thursday that will feature a slew of special events, including tribute concerts, according to release from Elvis Presley Enterprises. An annual birthday shindig for Elvis kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday. That will be followed up by, you guessed it, an Elvis cruise from Jacksonville, Florida, to Nassau, the Bahamas. It’s not Hawaii, but one can bet a few rounds of “Blue Hawaii” will be heard along the way.Continue reading...

What would Bob Barker think? Snoop Dogg kicked off Celebrity Charity Week on The Price is Right on CBS today by winning more than $70,000 for his charity the Snoop Youth Football League, his youth football league based in Chicago. TPR host Drew Carey and the longrunning game show's producers are matching the contestants' winnings to boost the charitable donations this week, which will also see Jenny McCarthy, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Daughtry, and Heidi Klum take part for their favorite charities. Below, the Doggfather — a tireless endorser — talks backstage about his latest star turn.Continue reading...

Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile branded ‘Life is for sharing’ campaign reached new heights and lights in a multi-city, multi-media show starring Mariah Carey, witnessed live by thousands of Europeans in a hologram delivered simultaneously in Germany, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Poland, as well as streamed via the lifeisforsharing.tv channel.

Carey’s holographic form which appeared to be dancing with real dancers before her image burst into sky, was created using Musion technology’s Musion Eyeliner, a digital variation of a stage illusion called Pepper's Ghost, with HD video projection or LED screens that project images into a live stage setting.Continue reading...

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell just revealed her lingerie collection for Next in the UK. Available in spring 2012, Halliwell made no bones about her goal: "Basically, my aim was to make boobs look bigger and bums smaller."

Halliwell is just the latest pop star who has discovered that licensing her brand for a consumer line is far more lucrative than making music. From Kylie Minogue to Jessica Simpson to Jennifer Lopez to Gwen Stefani to Lady Gaga, pop stars and brand licensers are making beautiful, profitable music together.Continue reading...

Whether you like her or loathe her, one thing is clear: Lady Gaga knows her way around self-promotion, brand building, and protecting your image. And it’s not good news when someone else is trying to use your name.

So Gaga's representatives filed a lawsuit Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court against a Nevada company, Excite Worldwide LLC, that’s attempting to trademark “Lady Gaga By Design” to stick on a line of cosmetics and jewelry, according to the Associated Press.

“Defendants are aware that their applications will never be granted in the absence of plaintiffs’ consent, which defendants have been told will never be given,” the suit says, the New York Post reports.

The Post notes that Gaga’s own application for a trademark has been delayed due to the confusion. Gaga wants to block Excite from using her name on any products as well as for the company to turn over “unspecified money damages,” the Post reports.

Talk about a Bad Romance.

Fox's new comedy New Girl is finding praise as "smart" in a sitcom field where those words are rarely used.

One thing New Girl appears to be light on, for now anyway, is product placement. But look a little more closely and there is a whole microcosm of selling going on, "smart" selling.Continue reading...