Our most-read blog posts of the past week range from Ronald McDonald's close call to to The X Factor USA's Simon Cowell:

#1 McDonald's Launches Billion Dollar McMakeover

#2 Disney Beaten to "Seal Team 6" Trademark

#3 Yes, Nike Knows It Just Released The 'Air Croc'

#4 Beretta Wins Race to Capitalize On bin Laden Death

#5 Will The X Factor USA Be Simon Cowell's American Idle?

#6 McDonald's Pressured to Oust Ronald

#7 Southwest "Too Fat To Fly" Apology Too Little, Too Late?

#8 United Airlines Apologizes for 9/11 Flight Numbers Reinstatement (Updated)

#9 Gillette's Evan Longoria Trick Shot's Real Trick: Admitting Federer Fakery

#10 At 40, Wonka Candy Is Greatest Reverse Product Placement Ever

Looks like Gillette is up to its old viral tricks. After last year's trick shot YouTube video with Roger Federer, the brand appears to be behind this latest athletic trick video. The description's a dead giveaway: "Tampa Bay Ray and Gillette Young Gun Evan Longoria makes a crazy bare hand catch right before it hits a reporter."

In other clues, the unflinching "reporter" covers up any logo that would normally be on her microphone, and it's the only video upload by YouTube user MrSprts12 ... who only joined YouTube on May 4th, lists his company as Gillette, and makes his favorite videos another giveaway. Even YouTube asks: "viral ad of the day?"

With this, Gillette is all but admitting outright that last year's Federer trick shot was a staged stunt. 

In the branding world, becoming a "lifestyle brand" is seen as something akin to grabbing the golden ring. If a brand can represent a particular lifestyle, the theory goes, it can gain a huge competitive advantage over other products in its category, because the lifestyle brand connects with consumers on a very personal level.

Harley-Davidson, for example, may be a motorcycle brand, but it embodies a lifestyle that creates fanatics who live and breathe the brand and what it stands for. Case in point: "Harlistas," the moniker for Latin American Harley riders, as highlighted on Harley's website and above.

As much as it may seem desirable to have consumers identify their lifestyle with a favored brand, now, it seems, that very strength can actually be a liability.Continue reading...

Maria Shriver (who recently hinted she's in transition) and Arnold Schwarzenegger prepare to divorce as he announces movie comeback and their son Patrick responds on Twitter.

Bristol Palin lands reality show on History Channel's BIO cable channel.

Facebook asks to be exempt from US political advertising rules.

Audi launches roadside assistance app.

Australian advertisers face opposition on self-regulation and children's marketing.

BMW launches eBay store in the UK.Continue reading...

Over the weekend, this Pepsi clip starring David Beckham became one of YouTube's most-shared videos. The video shows the British soccer star relaxing (with a camera crew watching) between takes on a Diet Pepsi commercial, and landing three balls in three distant garbage cans after carefully placing the can, logo toward camera, in the sand.

It recalls Gillette's popular (8.2 million views and counting) trickshot video featuring Roger Federer from 2010, complete with a heated debate — just scan the comments on YouTube and Facebook — over whether or not Beckham's stunt is real or fake.

AARP sues over reverse mortgages. 

Adidas opens women's concept store in Seoul.

Asahi hits roadblock in Australia push.

BMW to expand lineups of EVs and hybrids.

Daimler and Rolls-Royce launch bid for Tognum.

Dynegy faces Chapter 11.Continue reading...

When it comes to climate change, consider the conversion of Admiral David Titley, Chief Oceanographer and Navigator of the US Navy. The former climate skeptic is now a climate crusader, convinced that this issue is the greatest challenge of the 21st century.

According to one estimate, about two-thirds of Interbrand's latest ranking of the top 100 best global brands could step up on the climate change front.

The research firm's new "Cool Brands versus Hot Brands" report (here's a .pdf) assesses the world's leading brands on their current and long-term policies around sustainability, carbon emissions, and specifically climate change.

An estimated 69% lack adequate policies, management systems and reporting, according to the analysis by EIRIS, which is short for Experts in Responsible Investment Solutions.Continue reading...

Gwen Stefani for HP, Michael Jordan for Hanes, Dr. Dre for HP, Peyton Manning for Sony, Lady Gaga for Polarioid, Lance Armstong for Radio Shack, Michael Vick for… ArTran?

A new study confirms what a lot of people on both ends of the advertising paradigm suspect: celebrity endorsements aren't worth it. My colleague Sheila Shayon earlier pondered this question — find out why the evidence is swinging in favor of taking back the swag bags and shutting down the gravy train.Continue reading...