Cristiano Ronaldo gets his own (unofficial) iPhone app; check it out after the jump.

Ambush marketing, such as Bavaria's orange-dressed dig at official beer Budweiser, should warn brands, according to Australian law blog.

Nike unveils mural at Selfridge's in London as nod to Team England and Brazil.Continue reading...

President Obama's first White House speech last night, which addressed the Gulf of Mexico disaster, lambasted BP's "recklessness" and promised the company's reparations fund and swift action, while also focusing on U.S. energy policy.

In response to Obama's speech, a BP spokesperson told CNN that the company shared his goals of "shutting off the well as quickly as possible, cleaning up the oil and mitigating the impact on the people and environment of the Gulf Coast," and viewed today's Washington hearing with BP executives "for a constructive discussion about how best to achieve these mutual goals."

BP, also under fire for staff "reporter" while blocking media, now faces more than 225 lawsuits in 11 states. TED's upcoming Washington event will tackle the oil spill later this month. More brands in the news after the jump.Continue reading...

What price technology? As Apple unveils its next wave of products at its worldwide developers conference today, one of its key tech suppliers is in the spotlight and under fire.

The allegations that Foxconn, headquartered in Taiwan with production in southern China, is a tech sweatshop and a human rights flouter, are having such an effect on Apple's brand that CEO Steve Jobs was forced to address the situation at last week's D8 conference in Silicon Valley. In the clip above, he called the rash of employee suicides at Foxconn " very troubling" and reassured Apple-watchers, "we're all over this."

Jobs also said that Foxconn's manufacturing facility "is not a sweatshop," and that "for a factory, it's a pretty nice factory," citing its on-site hospitals, restaurants, movie theaters and swimming pools. That appears to be part of the problem for workers who live there 24/7 and never get away from Foxconn.

Apple, which relies on Foxconn for production of products including the Mac mini, iPod, iPad, and iPhone, isn't the only mega-tech brand to rely on the supplier.Continue reading...

BP's "top kill" effort resumes as second plume discovered and clean-up cost approaches $1 billion. WSJ investigation shows lack of command at Deepwater Horizon rig.

Smart-a$$ behind the mock @BPGlobalPR Twitter feed revealed to be San Francisco-based interactive designer Mike Monteiro, who may have a book deal. [update: Monteiro denies the whole thing]

Apple's iPad starts selling globally, with buyers lining up in London, Tokyo and beyond. Time Warner and Universal grapple with its Flash allergy, though Time Inc.'s gung ho.

Absolut taps Spike Lee to design limited edition Absolut Brooklyn.

Nike's "Write the Future" World Cup ad sets viral video record.Continue reading...

Now here’s a match made in heaven: Nintendo now has the American Heart Association’s endorsement for its Wii Fit balance board.

Nintendo has trumpeted its fitness effectiveness for years, while the AHA has has been promoting getting fit. Now they are teaming to promote the notion of fitness for life, especially for a generation of young gamers in danger of a sedentary lifestyle.

AHA wields considerable clout as one of the most widely respected U.S. health organizations, so the AHA logo on the Wii console is priceless.

Or at least worth $1.5 million, the amount Nintendo paid for its three-year endorsement deal with AHA (the first such endorsement the AHA has struck with a video game brand, by the way).

It's already being seen as a welcome move by gamers, although Will Fit appeals across ages and demographics to include gamers' moms and the entire family.Continue reading...

As the Dow took investors on a wild ride today, Procter & Gamble and CNBC's Jim Cramer (above) were thrown by a brief 23% dip (likely a trading glitch) in P&G's share price today. P&G (and this doctor) also refuted any charges about Pampers Dry Max as—well—rash.

BP has turned to Twitter and Facebook to report progress on its oil spill clean up efforts. It also created a Gulf of Mexico response section on its website, highlighted in bright red on its home page top nav.

Facebook tests brand status updates as McDonald's develops location-based app.

Nintendo reports slowing Wii sales.

FCC detailed proposed US broadband rules.Continue reading...

Lady Gaga teamed with Armani for her American Idol debut.

Altria raises prices on cigarette brands following Marlboro growth.

AT&T extends iPhone exclusive through 2011.

Beef producers go lean in new campaign.

Best Buy smashes UK sales records.Continue reading...

Earth Day is a huge draw with brands looking for eco-friendly consumers.

PepsiCo launched an initiative to encourage recycling with nation-wide kiosks.

EBay's creator has designed a subscription online information service for Hawaii.

JC Penney looks to increase sales by focusing on brand collaborations.

CenturyLink is buying Qwest, creating the largest US landline phone company.

Sony's PlayStation will stream Major League Baseball games.

LG Electronics rolls out new campaign in run-up to the FIFA World Cup.Continue reading...