Since we don't want to spend more time covering the product placement in Hop than the filmmakers spent on the whole plot of the movie, this is going to be short.

The ad tie-ins got started even before the movie did. Our cinema screened the above commercial trailer for Walmart featuring Hop-branded merchandise just before starting the film.Continue reading...

It’s only been a few days since Honest Tea became fully a part of Coca-Cola, but already the company’s “TeaEO,” CEO Seth Goldman, is moving on to his next agenda item.

That would be introducing a brand extension called Honest CocoaNova, a completely new kind of product for the maker of organic teas and “ades.” 

The reason it's launching a new product line now is simple: the brand needs to keep innovating and evolving, says its founder. “We continue to look for new ideas,” Goldman told brandchannel.Continue reading...

ABC's Oscars TV ratings on Sunday dropped 10% from a year ago.

Berkshire Hathaway adds to possible successors to Warren Buffett.

Carlyle Group buys Japanese auto-parts firm. 

Charlie Sheen circus continues with part 2 of Today Show interview.

CNN is taking Piers Morgan on a roller-coaster ride. 

Dior loses as Natalie Portman severs ties with brand following anti-Semitic remarks by John Galliano.Continue reading...

Amazon sees costs rising at faster pace than sales. 

Bell & Evans and Mary’s Chickens prepare to switch to more humane way of killing chickens. 

Calvin Klein faces censure in Australia over ads depicting violence. 

CBS picks up all five of its new fall TV shows. 

Dodge will get its first Fiat-based car in late 2011.

Ford lags in repairing cars recalled for fire-engine risk, regulators say. Continue reading...

DirecTV defends its crucial NFL Sunday Ticket business with a new $100 million marketing campaign.

Amazon unveils third-generation Kindle e-book reader.

Toyota issued its latest recall: 412,000 vehicles in the U.S., 16,000 in Japan.

Get the latest on Disney, Ford, Shell and more after the jump.Continue reading...

BP suspends marketing activity (but keeps up social media response) as Obama moves to name panel to investigate Gulf disaster. Other oil brands are staying resilient.

A coalition of America's largest food companies, including General Mills, ConAgra Foods, Kraft Foods, Kellogg, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Hershey, commit to taking 1.5 trillion calories out of their products by 2015 in an effort to reduce childhood obesity.

As the Ritz-Carlton prepares to take world's tallest hotel crown in Hong Kong, luxury hotels are booming in China.

European travel brands capitalize on ash cloud flight chaos.

Facebook on cusp of 500 million users.Continue reading...

When it comes to advertising, The Academy Awards can't compete with the Super Bowl. However, a slew of brands paid more than a million dollars per spot for some serious exposure during last night's ceremony. Some wasted their money. Some didn't. A couple really stood out.

American Express and Hershey's went the Good Samaritan route, linking their brands to charitable works. Specifically, AmEx promoted its Takepart.com site while Hershey's raised awareness for its Milton Hershey School. The latter was impactful, employing the line "Every Hershey's product you've enjoy supports the Milton Hershey School."Continue reading...

Tragedy in Haiti fuels rumors, innuendo, and speculation regarding relief efforts. [Ad Age]

World supports Google's decision on China. [NYT]

Gerber launches a campaign featuring healthier Gerber Generation. [BrandWeek]

Cadbury benefits from talk of Hershey bid. [Guardian]

France proposes options to Google regarding taxes, information. [NYT]