With Super Bowl XLVI looming on February 5th, marketers are starting to trickle out news of their plans during the big game. The latest:

• The Mars-owned M&M's brand will introduce a new character during its Super Bowl spot (by BBDO New York) during the first quarter: Ms. Brown, according to the New York Times. She's the sixth candy character (following red, yellow, blue, green, and orange) and the second female in the cast, following Ms. Green, and will be portrayed as a behind-the-scenes character and the brand's "chief chocolate officer." Ms. Brown now has a Twitter account (@mmsbrown) and is being teased (above) on the M&M's Facebook page.

• H&M announced today that the Swedish fast-fashion retailer will run a 30-second TV spot (produced in-house) during the second quarter of the game, featuring the upcoming David Beckham Bodywear collection of men's underwear in the first Super Bowl spot for the brand and for Beckham.Continue reading...

Adidas taps Katy Perry for new campaign.

AFL-CIO launches image campaign.

Airbus posts record sales.

American Airlines stops flying to India, sacks 150 workers.

AOL leads companies testing crowdsourcing.

Apple expands iTunes Match, reportedly preps interactive textbooks for the iPad, while pre-earnings valuations vary.

BASF halts its genetically modified products in Europe, including its Amflora potato.

Beats Electronics breaks up with Monster.

Beyonce accused of skin-lightening in album promotion, gives first post-baby interview.

BlackBerry-maker RIM criticized by analysts for PlayBook incompatability.

BMW recalls 89,000 Mini vehicles.

Burberry quarterly profits jump 22%.

Carnival faces heat in wake of Italy shipwreck, its worst accident in 40 years, as environmental fears mount and cruise industry is rocked.

M&M's will introduce a sixth candy character — Ms. Brown — in its Super Bowl commercial, while Kia plans 60-second commercial with Adriana Lima and Motley Crue, in keeping with trend to longer Super Bowl spots.Continue reading...

Hyundai just keeps rolling along. The latest testament to the stunning rise of the Korean brand in the U.S. market is its industry-best showing in J.D. Power's much-watched customer-retention study, announced this week. Last night, Hyundai's growing relationship with its customers also was recognized in its first award in annual prizes sponsored by R.L. Polk, another industry research analyst.

That was after the new Hyundai Elantra won North American Car of the Year honors at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. And as company executives continued to make a case for how they can stretch the Hyundai brand from its original value positioning into what Hyundai of America CEO John Krafcik calls recognition as a "valuable brand" with a vehicle roster that runs from spartan to opulent.

Power's exhaustive surveying of U.S. automotive consumers led to its conclusion that Hyundai had the highest customer-retention rate last year among auto brands, with 64 percent, beating bigger competitors Ford and Honda, who scored 60 percent. BMW finished in a tie for fourth with 59 percent, with Hyundai's sibling brand, Kia.Continue reading...

The "December to Remember" campaign from Lexus and other big holiday-themed auto-brand promotions are sooo 2011, even though they don't expire for awhile. Jeep and some other brands are more interested in looking forward to what promises to be an intriguing 2012 in the car business.

For example, Jeep's promotional focus already has moved to winter weather where its four-wheel-drive technology can excel. It's offering yet another special version of a Jeep model, this time a 2012 Wrangler Arctic Edition, and a just-launched marketing effort to match, including social outreach via Facebook and prize trips to a handful of random online participants to attend the Winter X Games in Aspen, where they will compete with each other to dig through a pile of snow and find a "Jeep Yeti."

That's only the tip of the developing iceberg as the U.S. auto industry prepares for what is shaping up to be a better 2012. Most prognosticators believe sales will uptick again next year by about 10 percent over this year's expected sales level of between 12.5 million and 13 million units, which in turn has provided about a 10-percent pickup from 11.5 million sales in 2010. That has likely included a healthy gain in sales this month over a year earlier.Continue reading...

Kia summons the brand's heritage in this new spot, called "Bicycle" — "From our humble beginning making bicycles to our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia, Kia has come a long way in the last 60 years. To learn more about two of the vehicles we're most proud of, the Kia Sorento crossover and Kia Optima midsize sedan, visit http://www.kia.com."

Remember "New Twitter"? Get ready for the "New New Twitter," as the 140-character driven social platform prepares to unveil a redesign. While the video touting the redesigned Twitter makes it sound like it's a great way to hook up with friends, the redesign is featured in a microsite that touts a consistent mobile experience, new user icons (Home, Connect, Discover, Me and Tweet) and a rearranging of the furniture.Continue reading...

P&G delays $1.5 billion sale of Pringles.

Facebook struggles to get advertisers to pay for exposure.

Los Angeles Dodgers are for sale, owner Frank McCourt confirms.

Apple sees new CEO Tim Cook make it his own.

Bank of America blinks and withdraws $5 debit-card fee.

Bloomberg Businessweek ad campaign pitches personality.

BMW may see profit lead evaporate as new 3 Series eats into earnings and is topped by Mercedes-Benz in U.S. October sales.Continue reading...

Apple tries to leverage lower prices.

Cars.com sets up custom channels on Pandora.

Chipotle finds customers tolerate higher prices.

Dove asks women, "Who inspired you?" in new campaign.

Kia asks NBA star Blake Griffin to soar again.

Kraft keeps investors and advertisers hopping with its "leaping" strategy aimed at hitting home runs.

Mattel to buy preschool brands.Continue reading...