The new marketing campaign being launched by Hertz breaks convention for rental car companies in two respects: it uses a mascot, and it features live characters to differentiate Hertz from its competition.

The mascot, at right, is a little yellow animated guy that looks like he may have just escaped from a video game. Voiced by actor Owen Wilson, "Horatio" (the cheery mascot's name) is featured in a series of television ads directed by Tucker Gates, who has worked on such TV series as The Office and Parks and Recreation.

Thirty and sixty-second versions of the Wilson-voiced campaign (watch below) will run on network and cable television. The deal also marks the first time Wilson is working on the commercial side of the street.Continue reading...

AMD warns of a sales shortfall.

Apple TV divides networks as NBC refuses to play ball.

Avis raises bid for Dollar Thrifty in last-ditch effort to trump Hertz.

Blockbuster is assessing each store as it works through bankruptcy.

Daimler is cutting costs with Euro refinancing scheme.

Disney Interactive head Steve Wadsworth resigns.

GM's IPO hopes are trimmed by the US government.Continue reading...

* Apple will start selling the iPad in China this week.

* BP resumes drilling relief well as step toward permanent seal.

* FedEx, Office Depot top ForestEthics' eco-report card.

* Hertz raised its Dollar Thrifty bid to $1.56 billion, continuing car rental war with Avis.

* IBM executive jailed in biggest insider trading case in US.

* Intel aims to revolutionize PC industry with new chipset.

* Microsoft Xbox 360 fans anticipate Halo: Reach availability at midnight.

* Nokia's mobile chief isn't sticking around to work with the new CEO.Continue reading...

AT&T backs BlackBerry in the next round of the smartphone race: an "iPhone killer" dubbed the BlackBerry Torch, in a collaboration outlined in the video above. Meanwhile, RIM deals with increasing pressures for BlackBerry devices from governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over its encrypted information.

Barnes & Noble puts itself on the block, pressured by shareholders who believe management isn’t coping with erosion by digital books.

BP achieves “static kill” of the well in the Gulf of Mexico, a significant milestone in its efforts to seal the well permanently.

CBS, P&G, Toyota and more after the jump.Continue reading...

"See something, say something." Simple, catchy and, it turns out, very, very effective.

The recent containment of the potential bomb debacle in Times Square was due in part to citizen action—spotting a suspicious SUV and promptly alerting authorities—as a result of New York's ubiquitous anti-terrorism slogan.

The slogan, part of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s security campaign, went into effect post-9/11 to encourage the public to report unattended packages and suspect behavior on public transport.

Credit for "If you see something, say something," goes to Korey Kay & Partners, the MTA's ad agency, whose CEO Allen Kay drew his inspiration from an earlier war's public education campaign—"Loose lips sink ships"—which came out before he was born.

Instead, says Kay, think of the MTA campaign as "Loose lips wanted." Continue reading...

United and Continental launched a website to explain their union. (As we prepare to bid adieu to Continental, post-merger approval, enjoy some classic TV ads above.)

Apple's iPad reaches 1 million sales faster than iPhone; Apple is also on the hunt for startups.

Avis may try to top Hertz's bid for Dollar Thrifty.

BP described by Reuters as "under seige" today as company deals with oil spill clean up.

Ford, GM, Chrysler and Toyota reported April sales figures.Continue reading...

It can be difficult to make waves in the venerable greeting-card business. The appearance of humor some decades ago might have been the biggest innovation. Not far behind in impact has been Hallmark’s far more recent move to put music clips on computer chips in cards.

Now, American Greetings – which has always played Avis to Hallmark’s Hertz in this industry – is hoping to create a new buzz for its brand with its “hi-definition lenticular” card line.

The Cleveland-based company isn’t exactly claiming that its lenticular cards will seem as sharply defined as a high-definition TV screen, nor that they’re three-dimensional per se, a popular trend now in movies with Avatar’s success.Continue reading...

After recalling eight of its models in the US, Toyota extends to Europe and China. [NY Times]

Hertz, Enterprise, and Avis will temporarily suspend the rental of Toyota vehicles. [CNN Money]

Windows 7 is successful in boosting sales for Microsoft. [WSJ]

Kimberly-Clark asks Cottonelle consumers how they roll their toilet paper. [BrandFreak]