AIG pushes plan for independence from U.S. government.

Burger King says that menu and marketing changes have boosted bottom lilne.

Campbell Soup creates limited edition to help food bank.

Chick-fil-A supporters (and Wendy's) show up for "Appreciation Day."

Christina Aguillera lends her voice to a good cause.

Costco experiences strong U.S. sales.

Crocs celebrates milestone a little too exuberantly.

DirecTV sees U.S. subscribers decline for first time.Continue reading...

Today's Brandlympics round-up is brought to you by field hockey, the London 2012 Olympics sport celebrated in today's Google homepage logo:

Government Not Relaxing Olympic Marketing Ban for Months

The architects of London’s new arenas and sporting venues would like the world to know who they are and what they’ve done, but London won’t allow it. Due to the strict marketing rules in place, the venues can only be associated with London 2012 and the Olympics and not be used to market anyone or anything that hasn’t shelled out the millions it takes to be an official sponsor. And that rule isn’t expected to disappear before year’s end. This, of course, has left the architects unhappy. “The end of the year’s no good,” said Angela Brady, the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, to BDOnline. “All eyes are on London right now. I want the architects to be able to stand proudly in front of their buildings and talk about them to international TV crews. These rules are against the whole spirit of the Olympics. Crushing the small guy is just not on.”Continue reading...

Apple and Samsung trade jabs as their high-stakes patent trial begins in San Francisco.

Avon opens talks to settle bribery charges.

BMW warns about tougher market conditions.

Bud Light Premium helps AB InBev sell less beer for more.

Coach suffers from competition from Michael Kors and other handbag purveyors.

Ford brand loyalty validated by new ranking.

Gap fall kids campaign continues bright color theme.

Google buys Wildfire social marketing firm.

Heineken invites creatives to redefine draught beer experience.Continue reading...

Today's Brandlympics round-up kicks off with Google's homepage salute to the artistic gymnastics men's rings.

Olympians Take On Brand Police

Plenty of brands that haven’t signed on to sponsor the Olympics are plenty annoyed with the heavy-handed methods of the London Organizing Committee to seemingly keep anyone from saying the word Olympics or doodling the famous five rings on their notebooks without heavy fines and public embarrassment coming their way. But it’s not just corporations and brands that are annoyed. It’s also the Olympians themselves. Olympic athletes are forbidden from mentioning any brand names in the lead up to the Games and then during the Olympics themselves. Now a few of them are speaking out, particularly on the Olympics' favored platform of Twitter. A few tweeted protest messages Sunday against the regulation that keeps them from mentioning the brand name whose dimes and dollars have helped them get to the Games. According to the New York Times, American high jumper Jamie Nieto was probably the most brash, tweeting, “I am honored 2 be an Olympian, but #WeDemandChange #rule40 @NBCOlympics It’s time for Olympians 2 be compensated! I am a PRO Track & Field Ath!”Continue reading...

Today's Brandlympics round-up is brought to you by fencing, as celebrated in Google's daily logo salute to the sports of the London 2012 Summer Olympics:

Nike "Greatness" Unchallenged by LOCOG

Nike pushed right up against all the rules that the Olympic organizers have been saying protect its sponsors when it released a tongue-in-cheek campaign last week that featured athletes in London across the globe (except for England) with a British commentator noting that greatness wasn’t just happening at one particular place. It was clearly a sly bit of ambush marketing, tweaking the Games in London (and rival Adidas, the Games' official sponsor) and giving a shout-out to all the average-Joe athletes around the planet, which is amusing since Nike is partially responsible for the insane-celebrity athletic culture we all live in. According to the Guardian, London’s Organizing Committee has said that it won’t attempt to take any legal action against Nike. Why not? Well, the ad campaign technically doesn’t break any rules because it never mentions the Olympics by name and doesn’t suggest that it is a sponsor of the Games in any way. Whatever consumers want to think, well, that is their business. Hello, halo effect.Continue reading...

GM abruptly ousts CMO Joel Ewanick over details of Manchester United sponsorship deal and future of GM's new Commonwealth agency relationship is questioned, while automaker also found to be making risky sub-prime loans.

Apple case against Samsung carries implications for its gripes against Google, as report says Apple discussed investing in Twitter.

Avon CEO is requested to meet with federal prosecutors.

Best Buy founder reportedly mounting a buyback effort.

Chili's touts lunch menu in new video campaign.

Coca-Cola reorganizes and ramps up marketing of Sprite to Millennials.Continue reading...

A new ad campaign from Kellogg’s points out that our culture is a little fixated on the end of sporting events. Featuring Olympic swimmer Rebecca Soni, the new ad is all about the start of each day, how it is filled with potential as well as, of course, quality cereals. The campaign also marks the first time that the brand has ever run a national TV spot during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics Games.Continue reading...

Hang in there, folks, we're only hours away from the Opening Ceremonies of the XXX Olympiad. Above, members of the U.S. Olympics swimming team including Michael Phelps sing their rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe." Phelps has already won 16 Olympic medals and had made plenty of dough from sponsorships and endorsements. But now he’s entering these Games with fellow American Ryan Lochte nipping out his heels and thepostgame.com is wondering what will happen to Phelps’ earning power if he happens to lose a few races this time around. "If he walks away with no medal at all, it would be a tremendous disappointment and devastating for the brand," brand expert Laura Ries tells the site. "People want winners, especially Americans." His current sponsors include Speedo, Hilton, Subway, Visa, Proctor & Gamble, HP, Topps and Omega. Not too shabby. Even he does lose, he’s got enough in the bank already to last him a pretty long time.

Below, a few more headlines leading into the biggest sports event that will be gripping the planet in the weeks ahead:Continue reading...