Airbus wants Rolls-Royce to pay up for engine woes.

Babies "R" Us introduces Lazoo!, a private-label children's lifestyle brand.

Baskin-Robbins aims to revive brand in Australia.

Chevrolet Volt picks up another car of the year award, from Green Car Journal.

China Unicom to launch own smartphone brand.

Disney will produce up to 20 ads to lobby for a Best Picture nod for Toy Story 3.Continue reading...

When the Tiger Woods scandal broke, some marketers featuring the golf star couldn't distance themselves from him fast enough, while others tried to weather the storm. Woods reportedly dropped around $32 million in sponsorship money as a result of his marital meanderings.

But Woods was just one high-profile example of the risk associated with using a celebrity for a product endorsement. British soccer star Wayne Rooney, famously skewered by the British press for his lascivious liaisons, will be summarily dumped from a Coca-Cola campaign in the U.S. next year.

That accounts for an increase in something known as 'disgrace' insurance. No surprise, brands want their backs covered when their ambassadors don't keep theirs covered.Continue reading...

Part-time Gillette spokesman (and trickster?) and full-time Swiss tennis champ Roger Federer's endorsement deals are expanding, even though he's no longer the world's #1 tennis player.

He debuted on last night's Emmy Awards telecast as the "global ambassador" of Lindt, the Swiss chocolatier, with a spot for its Lindor Truffles brand. (See the extended version of his Lindor ad after the jump, along with a behind-the-scenes look, with more on Facebook.)

Making a rare comment about newly divorced pal Tiger Woods, Federer was quoted over the weekend saying that he and Woods would rise again. He's eyeing his sixth title at the US Open, where he faces tough competition from current men's tennis #1, Rafael Nadal.Continue reading...

When we hypothesized in June about Tiger Woods' comeback after his dalliances, followed by his public mea culpa, we noted that it would take a few tournament wins for the world's most accomplished golfer to regain his stature. Well, at the moment, things aren't looking so good for Tiger, or for Tiger-related products, according to Bloomberg.

Woods has failed to win even one tournament this year, and his ranking has dropped to 83rd on the PGA Tour's money list. Combine this with news of his divorce being finalized yesterday, and Woods' celebrity status appears to be plummeting. Despite healthy sales of golf apparel, for example, the Nike Tiger Woods line is not faring as well.Continue reading...

* AIG pays back $4 billion of its US loan.

* BlackBerry and India may resolve their differences as early as next week.

* Barneys finally hired a CEO, after two years without one.

* BP, continuing work on its broken pipe, is slammed by Brad Pitt in Spike Lee's HBO documentary debuting tonight.

* Boeing expects more than $2 billion in U.S. military satellite sales.

* Fujitsu is "very actively" seeking acquisitions, according to its president.

* J&J recalls contact lenses in Asia and Europe.Continue reading...

General Motors hires Chris Perry, Hyundai’s marketing chief, to head its needy Chevrolet division. The move shows GM CMO Joel Ewanick shoring up his team as he taps a key hire to market Chevy, the most important brand at his new company.

Starbucks' sales figures for Via coffee brand come under scrutiny.

Tiger Woods' sagging performance impacts PGA and golf sponsors as TV viewership slumps.

BP may be able to shield itself from suits under a proposal for the $20-billion Gulf of Mexico oil spill compensation fund.Continue reading...

Aflac is ruffling its feathers with a new "No Quack" ads featuring cable-TV chef Guy Fieri.

American Apparel's late and partial financial results indicates a brand in trouble.

Apple and Google are gearing up for Internet TV battle, as Google TV is seen as a "tough sell."

Best Buy introduces a mobile-reward experiment.

Bratz vs. Mattel legal battle heats up as Mattel is accused of spying on rivals.

Burberry slaps Variazoni with a $2 million lawsuit claiming counterfeit goods.

Eli Lilly halts experimental Alzheimer's drug testing.Continue reading...

• American Idol's former owner, Robert F.X. Sillerman, wants it back.

• Apple is renaming Apple TV to iTV (adding apps, losing 1080 HD video playback) and patches "gaping" security hole.

• BBC's iconic Top Gear faces a tough audience when an American version launches on the History Channel this fall.

• Cisco profit soars 79%, but revenue falls short of Wall Street expectations.

• GM may file its IPO by Friday, says the New York Times.

• JetBlue listens, finally addresses Steven Slater incident with a blog post.

• John Madden is still big in video games, but misses TV.

• NHL franchise lets fans name their own ticket prices.

• Old Spice actor Isaiah Mustafa lands two movie roles.Continue reading...