For those who are huge fans of both Halloween and branded consumer products, here's the second in our two-part series on Brands as Halloween Costumes.

Like the Mozilla Firefox costume above, Halloween is a time of year when you can unabashedly communicate your brand loyalty to the world by dressing yourself, or your child, as a favorite brand. Or, just in case you don't successfully bid on that creepy Snickers commericial costume, here are some more suggestions:Continue reading...

Fox maintains top ad rates for American Idol even without Simon Cowell, as News Corp.-Cablevision stand-off saw 3 million NYC area homes lose the channel over a big weekend for football fans.

Apple is turning more attention to the corporate market.

Barclay Capital foresees modest bump in U.S. holiday sales.

Chevron incorporates anti-oil industry sentiment in new ads.

Chrysler expands as other U.S. automakers cut brands.

Citigroup reports $2.2-billion third-quarter profit.Continue reading...

Absolut unveils limited edition crystal bottle.

AIG strikes a deal to repay billions in taxpayer dollars.

American Airlines, Levi's, Progressive and Wells Fargo received GLAAD awards last night in New York.

Ford touts 40-mpg 2012 Focus at Paris Auto Show.

Geico tops new consumer survey of auto insurers.

H&M slows store openings amid construction slump that has constricted new mall locations.Continue reading...

Geico and T-Mobile prepare customers in Northeast US for Hurricane Earl.

Google will continue to provide search functions on AOL's websites in a new five-year deal.

Google Maps sponsored icons intrigue brands as new geo-advertising opportunity.

HP trumped Dell for 3Par, as the WSJ ponders what all the fuss was about in the first place.

Lehman Brothers bank units face sale or closure.

News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch sees global economy in turmoil.Continue reading...

It seems an insurance brand can go one of two ways when it comes to ad messaging. The first: be serious and sincere, presenting the brand and its products or services in a unadorned fashion. The second is the exact opposite of that.

That's why current brand campaigns by US insurance companies are trying to draw attention by being as quirky as possible. Case in point: Nationwide's "World's Greatest Spokesperson in the World."Continue reading...

• Geico's vlogging, Facebooking, Twittering caveman is in a Debbie Downer mood today (above).

• The upcoming Love and Other Drugs is about a fast-talking, philandering medical salesman. What does he drive? A Porsche ... of course.

• Krispy Kreme doughnut's latest filling: Meat.

• 1984: Gillette offers $1 million to ZZ Top band members to shave iconic beards; band declines.

• 2010: Rise-N-Shine's Go Away Grey offers $1 million to CNN's silver fox Anderson Cooper to darken mane; fans balk.

• Verizon's "Rule the Air" spot aimed at young women irks feminists and net neutrality activists alike.Continue reading...

Dreamworks plans sequel to How to Train Your Dragon.

Airbus may suffer in United, Continental merger.

Apple shooting itself in the foot with blogger vendetta?

Audi competes with Tony Stark's suit in Iron Man 2; Mickey Rourke's character gets BK burger.

Blockbuster banks on kiosks.

Carhartt aims beyond blue collar demo.Continue reading...

It is taken on faith that Warren Buffett is an investment genius – better than almost anyone at analyzing financial reports and fiduciary data and investing accordingly. But a recent move by one of the world's richest men, however, demonstrates that Buffett is an expert not only of finance, but also branding.

In the video employees put together this year for insurer Geico's annual employee meeting, Buffett makes a cameo dolled up as Guns-n-Roses rock star Axl Rose. Yet this is not the financial guru's first role. In other years, he has appeared in the annual Geico video as both a DJ and a hobo. A hobo!Continue reading...