AT&T promotes its 4G network with a commercial that rewinds a football player's life back to the moment his dad first bought him tickets to a game, purchased (of course) with his AT&T phone.

Watch more new spots — from Audi, Coca-Cola, TurboTax, Intel and other brands — after the jump.Continue reading...

American designer Tommy Hilfiger has launched LOUD – a digital radio station with a singular purpose: promoting Hilfiger’s new fragrance master-brand, LOUD for her and LOUD for him. And the brand sees no better way of promoting the youth-oriented brand than blasting the soundtracks of a generation.

Although tying a radio station to a brand, and vice versa, is terrain originally trodden by sneaker and apparel giant Converse, this is the first time a lifestyle fragrance brand has taken to the airwaves to broadcast its message and convey its brand commitment to staying vibrant and young.

LOUD is on 24/7, and it’s run by a team of professional programmers, DJs and on-air personalities from the Goom Radio studios, the same studio behind The Converse Radio initiative.Continue reading...

Is stupidity a product? Because if stupidity is a product then Jackass 3D is the most product-placed film of all time. Yes, even more than Sex and the City.

Sadly, stupidity is not a product, though, for some, it is a brand position. In fact, the stupidity on display in Jackass 3D may explain why there are so few brands, with most of them in the background. A pair of boxing gloves, repeatedly used in one gag, may be Everlast, but the brand is intentionally obscured under duct tape.

Yet, there are a few mentionable amongst the unmentionables.Continue reading...

Converse last night broke a 60-second TV spot during The Family Guy promoting its Star Player Evo shoe, featuring Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Doug E. Fresh and some skateboard stars in a spot taped in Brooklyn and Harlem. It will also run during the NBA season opener on Oct. 26, when the Boston Celtics face LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Despite making an appearance during the recent MTV Video Music Awards, Converse has been light on TV spots in recent years. CMO Geoff Cottrill tells Brandweek, “TV's always been a part of the media mix. We wanted to make a statement about Evo.”

Director Antoine Fuqua talks about the brand spot after the jump.Continue reading...

As Google and Verizon defend a net neutrality proposal that exempts wireless services, Google faces privacy questions over an alleged order of a “microdrone” from a German company.

BSkyB challenges Skype over logo.

BP nears a deal with U.S. government on guarantees for $20B compensation fund.

Dish Network experiences slippage in subscribers even while rival DirecTV posts gains.

H-P navigates its future after the resignation of CEO Mark Hurd in an ethics scandal, as customers by and large remain loyal – but investors knock down the company’s share price.Continue reading...

We recently noted how Coca-Cola used sonic branding during the World Cup, and how brand marketers are playing with original music to engage younger consumers this summer. Case in point: Converse's original All Summer tune above, a collaboration between Kid Cudi, Bethany of Best Coast and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend. More brand-inspired music after the jump.Continue reading...

Brands are luring music-lovers with a variety of musical tie-ins:

• Adidas Originals is hosting a live chat with Snoop Dogg on its Facebook page tomorrow to celebrate reaching the 3 million fans benchmark.
• Converse is appealing to hipsters with indie music collaborations such as artists Cudi, above, and Best Coast.
• Keds is sponsoring performances at The Whitney (and taps artists such as Jenny Holzer for limited-edition sneakers) in summer collaboration.
• Levi's is promoting musicians such as Jason Mraz and John Legend & the Roots as part of its Pioneer campaign.
• VICE magazine and Intel kicked off their Creators Project collaboration in NYC, featuring the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner and other artists.
• Among luxury brands, meanwhile, Burberry is working with British musicians (and tapping some to model) to support its digital marketing.

More brands making news after the jump.Continue reading...

Yesterday may have seen a plummeting stock market, but that's yesterday. For the next five years, the world's leader in athletic shoes is planning to run with the bulls.

In the company's first meeting with analysts in three years, Nike boldly proclaimed it has plans to fuel growth by more than 40% over the next five years, hitting $27 billion in annual sales versus its $19.2 billion sales tally for last year.

CEO Mark Parker expects most of that projected growth to come from existing brands, but he's not ruling out acquisitions. Nike owns the Cole Haan, Hurley, Umbro and Converse brands.

Converse, which the company acquired in 2003, is already a billion-dollar business, and Nike wants to at least double that by 2015. It's testing Converse retail locations with the brand's first standalone store opening soon on Boston's hip Newbury Street, and it's also looking to regain brand ownership from international licensees.Continue reading...