America is the first nation to ban food imports from Japan's radiation zone, as tap water threat looms. The nation's disaster bill tops $309 billion and Tepco may receive up to $25 billion in loans. 

Aflac teams with Monster.com to find Gilbert Gottfried's replacement.

Apple pulls 'gay cure' iPhone app, brings iPad 2 to 25 more countries.

Cablevision tiles up to nine TV channels on a single screen.

CNN leads in cable news ratings while MSNBC loses ground.

Facebook and Twitter can't stop "poisoned links."Continue reading...

Abbott backs effort to end childhood malnutrition.

AMC renews Mad Men for a fifth season.

Best Buy sales hurt by holiday tech slide.

BlackBerry to be censored in Indonesia.

BP back in the hot seat with oil leak in Alaska.

Clarins new global campaign not "overly retouched."Continue reading...

We all should have been listening to Magnum PI — er, Tom Selleck — in the early 1990s. It seems the mustachioed heartthrob's ads for AT&T could not have been more right about the future.

Also in Brand Bites this week: zombies, bananas, and minivans — oh my!Continue reading...

Demographically, it's clear what Lincoln is going for. With an audience that is strong in the 30 to 54 demographic and with half of all viewer households boasting an income of $100,000 a year or more, AMC's hit series Mad Men seems the perfect match for an auto brand that's hungry to get back in the game after years of deteriorated relevence.

These numbers are likely what made Mad Men actor John Slatterly (who plays Sterling Cooper cofounder Roger Sterling) so attactive to Lincoln's marketers. But just like the character and his agency typically burn the candle at both ends, it makes one wonder if Lincoln hasn't been played.Continue reading...

After just two episodes, the zombie action (not a contradiction in terms!) US TV drama The Walking Dead on the Mad Men-buffed AMC channel was picked up for another season.

With any luck, the series renewal might give Dodge another 13 whole episodes for a product placement as spectacular as its second episode, titled "Guts."Continue reading...

AMC expands dining options in US cinemas.

Android will conquer the iPhone and other smartphones... according to Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.

BP's board tightens oversight of daily operations.

Carrefours to open in India, stay in Malaysia.

CNN pays tribute to Chile's freed miners.

Disney plans for e-commerce growth in India.Continue reading...

Canadian Club whisky, or “C.C.” in common parlance, long ago hit skid row. Once a top-shelf liquor choice but long since fallen on hard times, the brand is refreshing its image by turning back the clock. As a major marketing partner of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, C.C. is claiming a piece of the show’s Prohibition-era glamour for itself.
 
On the show, Canadian Club is the imported liquor of choice, generously product-placed (and heartily imbibed) in the sordid but dazzling crime world of Atlantic City in the early ‘20s. But the deal doesn’t just play out onscreen. You may have noticed real-world liquor stores and wine shops decked out with signage for the show, and several major cities have hosted speakeasy-themed special events to tout the partnership of Boardwalk Empire and C.C.

There’s no doubt that the lure of the forbidden adds a spark to any experience. This is part of the magic of the Prohibition-era setting, when alcohol was sipped surreptitiously. Like many a taboo, this association could add a shot of sparkle to the C.C. brand. Chase it down with the sexy sepia glow of nostalgia for added luster. Now considered a well whiskey rather than a gentleman’s choice, C.C  was both more popular and a classier selection in the ’20s. By associating today’s C.C. with the brand’s glory days, it could climb back towards the top.Continue reading...

In honor of the Mad Men finale coming up this weekend, here's a live rendition of its theme song. And here we thought nothing could top Sesame Street's Sad Men/Glad Men homage.