When it comes to headphones, it’s all about whose head they're sitting on. Last summer at the Olympic Games in London, plenty of companies shelled out millions to be official sponsors, but one that didn’t bother was likely the biggest winner. Beats by Dre headphones kept getting airtime on international TV as athlete after athlete seemed to be sporting them.

These days, the business started by one of the world’s most influential—and richest—rappers, Dr. Dre. is commanding top billing among audio equipment providers. Dre is sitting extra pretty after HTC bought a 51 percent stake in the company in 2011 to the tune of a reported $100 million. (HTC later sold back 25 percent to Dre and co-founder Jimmy Iovine for $125 million.)Continue reading...

Want to have your face on a Pepsi can? Well, first you need to sell more than a 100 million albums around the globe and win 16 Grammy awards. At least, that’s what it took for Beyonce to get her face etched into aluminum.

As already announced, Bey is starring in the Pepsi-sponsored Super Bowl XLVII halftime show in February as part of the brand's multimillion-dollar return to the Big Game after pulling out in 2010 to reallocate its funds for the social Pepsi Refresh crowdsourced philanthropy platform. Now

Now PepsiCo is expanding its Super Bowl deal with the performer beyond the half-time show into a full-blown partnership in a $50 million deal that will burnish the Pepsi brand and Brand Beyonce, including marketing support for her new album that's dropping next year.Continue reading...

Singer and adidas/Pepsi brand ambassador Nicki Minaj released the official commercial for her Pink Friday perfume, named for her first album, which debuted at #2 two years ago. It's a follow-up to an unofficial commercial that hit the web last month.

Apple iPhone 5 sets pre-sale record, inspires queues outside stores.

Express Scripts members now can go back to Walgreens.

Ford becomes focus of talks with Canadian Auto Workers ahead of strike deadline at midnight.

Fox says Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban will join American Idol as judges.

GM is getting resistance from U.S. government over proposal for taxpayer exit from ownership.

HP emphasizes design in turnaround hopes.

Heineken makes over its bottle and enlists James Bond for global campaign.Continue reading...

Apple seeks to create web radio Pandora rival as TV talks bog down with content companies.

Beyonce-backed House of Dereon fashion label sags.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics reveals Katie Holmes campaign.

Cablevision refreshes Optimum brand.

Elizabeth Arden launches Nicki Minaj's perfume debut, Pink Friday.

Emporio Armani becomes first brand to partner with Spotify.

Fashion's Night Out brings out global fashionistas.

Ford expands offerings for Europe.

Grand Marnier launches experiential rooftop bubble bar in London.

IHOP partners with PepsiCo's Quaker Oats brand.Continue reading...

Back in April, PepsiCo announced a global marketing platform, a music-based initiative dubbed Live For Now, with Nicki Minaj as its launch brand ambassador. Already incorporating Twitter as its key social partner for Live for Now, Pepsi is now looking to tap into music fans tuning into the Video Music Awards by signing up for MTV's advertising product, Reverb, which places ads on television, MTV's website and its new WatchWith social TV app simultaneously.

The year-old app, downloaded close to one million times, lets fans follow Facebook comments and tweets about a particular program (along with information about past episodes) and as of three months ago, banner ads were introduced. So tonight, during the MTV Video Music Awards, rapper Minaj will appear in a new Pepsi commercial at 8:30 pm and anyone on the mobile app or MTV.com will see the interactive ad, too. (Minaj recently held a Live for Now concert in New York with Pepsi and Fuse.)

"It is a little bit of the Wild West but what we know the adoption and usage is only growing. We are going to have to have a solution," observed Chad Stubbs, senior director of media for beverages at PepsiCo, to the Wall Street Journal.Continue reading...

In his address at the International AIDS Conference that wrapped in Washington, D.C., on July 27th, Sir Elton John told the audience that "I should be dead" for having not taken precautions against HIV in the past.

AIDS 2012, as it's better known, was the most attended global HIV/AIDS conference to date. It made headlines this year not only for its return to the U.S. for the first time in 22 years, but for companies including Levi Strauss and MAC who continue to support the fight against the disease and prejudice that surrounds it.

The MAC AIDS Fund (MAF), the philanthropic arm of MAC Cosmetics, announced two major initiatives at AIDS 2012, continuing its leadership position as the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical funder in the HIV/AIDS arena.Continue reading...

This is the last Summer Olympic Games that Adidas is sponsoring, so it's going big with its messaging around London 2012.

The official outfitter of Team Great Britain today reported that it has sold $100 million of 2012 Olympic merchandise to date, no doubt helped by its high-profile guest designer, Stella McCartney. As the Telegraph notes, "As well as making the official London 2012 sports apparel merchandise, Adidas provides the kit for hosts Team GB and it is providing 3m items of clothing for the athletes to wear in the Olympic village and for volunteers."

Despite being targeted by rival Nike with its faux London 2012 campaign and sweatshop activists, the sportswear giant is keeping on track.Continue reading...