The new top-grossing movie, Kick-Ass, brought brands galore and a dose of controversy when it hit theaters this past weekend. It also bumped How to Train Your Dragon from top spot by a mere $200,000, less than the cost of the Rolls-Royce featured prominently in the film. Boasting over 40 discernable product placements, some brands kicked more than others though. Go to Brandcameo to get the rundown on the kick-ass load of brands featured in Kick-Ass, from Apple and MySpace to the modded-out Red Mist Ford Mustang and a super-modded out Claudia Schiffer.

Toyota is turning to digital to generate buzz and create a cool factor for its Scion brand. Add to that all the requisites of a bona fide TV production, and the result is “Reinvent the Wheels,” a six-episode, web-only series, on your computer now @ www.reinventthewheels.com.

Targeted to the younger generation, the series has been created, cast, and produced like reality television, replete with trailers, behind-the-scenes interviews, music downloads, explosive graphics, and an episodic time clock countdown.

Hosted by comedian Angie Greenup, six “creatives” were chosen from scores of pitch auditions on how they would redesign their Scions. Each episode is 10-15 minutes long. The six contestants will quickly be reduced to three finalists who will work with professional garage tuner shops on their redesigns.

Greenup will be joined by three judges, and instead of a show-runner, there’s a show mentor, Zulu of LA’s "Zulu Tattoo" parlor. His role is to push art to the automotive level and encourage the contestants to think out of the box… or in this case… out of the car. His credential for the role? Celebrity inker.Continue reading...

With new media endeavors proving fruitful for brands, it seems like every day brings a new website spreading the word about one product or another. Photography newsletter Photojojo took this idea a step further by enlisting the help of social-networking blogging platform Tumblr and putting bloggers in the driver's seat.

Tumblr is unlike its counterparts in that it gives users the ability to "re-blog", a copy-and-paste process that allows a post to be repeated within seconds. Facebook fan pages and Myspace e-mails are a thing of the past – Tumblr gives consumers something fresh while companies instantaneously keep up with their branding strategies. Take Fuji, for example.Continue reading...

Burberry has sued TJX for copyright infringement and plagiarism. [WWD]

The characters of 'Mad Men' were remade into a line of plastic dolls. [BrandFreak]

Twitter has launched a new location-based feature for users. [NY Times]

MySpace wants to attract video game designers for a makeover. [LA Times]

YouTube extended its promotions to include mobile phones. [Adweek]

Tropicana boxes are getting smaller as prices increase. [Consumerist]Continue reading...

As social-networking site MySpace premieres the second season of its viral “Married on MySpace” series, brands have jumped at the sponsorship opportunities. The show's first season, geared toward young couples as well as reality show junkies, successfully generated more traffic for the site and MySpace wants a repeat performance.

“Married on MySpace” will follow one chosen couple (who met through the website, obviously) down the aisle, but not until site members have voted on all that the nuptials entail. As the number of reality shows increases and the space becomes cluttered, attention spans tend to decrease. Yet MySpace hopes that the road to wedded bliss, with all of its twists and turns, will keep people watching. Continue reading...

ABC viewership increased by 14 percent thanks to the Academy Awards. [LA Times]

Payless ShoeSource is extending its brand to include a cosmetics line. [WWD]

Online series 'Married on MySpace' has attracted a variety of advertisers. [Brandweek]

Mayor Bloomberg calls for a tax on soft drinks to be passed in New York. [Daily Mail]

Toyota stands up against declarations that its electronics are flawed. [Reuters]

A new eBay campaign promotes buying used to save the planet. [NY Times]Continue reading...

Tabasco celebrates its 142nd anniversary and discusses future plans. [CNN Money]

The newest Sprint ad challenges similar AT&T and Verizon prices. [Brandweek]

Aflac spends over $60 million annually on advertising. [Adweek]

Google adds photo editing website Picnik to its list of recent purchases. [NY Times]

Apple has admitted to employing underage workers in its factories. [Consumerist]

The latest episode of CBS's 'Undercover Boss' tackles White Castle. [Daily Finance]Continue reading...

Now that he is unemployed, Conan O'Brien has more time to tweet. [AP]

Kimberly-Clark now tells bedtime stories to its GoodNites consumers. [Brandfreak]

Yelp must soon defend its practices against claims of extortion. [Econsultancy]

Saks is counting on its outlets and online sales to increase profits in 2010. [Daily Finance]

Myspace is experimenting with a new "in-steam" advertisement program. [Adweek]

Fashion Delivers for Haiti is $5 million away from reaching its donation goal. [WWD]Continue reading...