So this is how they make beer in Australia! Super Hahn's comical spot was directed by Tom Kuntz, who shot that Old Spice Man spot.

Wisconsin state branding suggestion: ingenious, cheesy fashion.

Think you hate your cable operator? Not as much as the guy who spent $1,000 on a Time Warner Cable tirade.

Below: Smells like rebranded team spirit and more.Continue reading...

BMW and Mercedes outpace rivals in China, as Shanghai auto show opens and a new report shows the most popular brands in China are predominately foreign. Ford's China JV execs mull own brand, while Volkswagen reveals the new Beetle at events in Shanghai, New York and Berlin today. The Volkswagen Group also saw record first quarter sales as China deliveries boom.

VH1 woos female viewers with new programming, while siblings BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nick, and Spike remain holdouts on Time Warner Cable's iPad app due to Viacom lawsuit, although Cablevision's iPad app gets only grumbles.

Toyota resumes production at all Japan plants for first time since tsunami, as its Lexus brand slips behind rivals in the US. TEPCO also laid out a plan for shutting down nuclear reactor.Continue reading...

Airbus says Mideast unrest could wipe out up to 40% of orders.

Alfa Romeo delays planned return to US.

BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion plots a rebound.

BP flounders in Russia.

CBS prepares to part ways with Katie Couric, as Couric and Matt Lauer explore reteaming for a daytime syndicated talk show.

Charlie Sheen gets two standing ovations in NYC Sunday after bombing Friday.

Christian Louboutin sues Yves Saint Laurent for allegedly violating trademark red sole.Continue reading...

Aflac casting call for duck role inspires American Idol-type passions.

Apple asks Toyota to pull Scion-branded ad campaign for jailbroken iPhones. 

Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett are dogged by conflict-of-interest charges.

Blockbuster sells to Dish Network at auction for $320M.

BMW has a huge “green” advantage over rival Daimler, says analyst.

BP prepares to face investors’ wrath as Transocean executives to donate safety bonuses to families of Gulf blast victims.Continue reading...

BP seeks to resume drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fox readies launch of Nat Geo Mundo Spanish-language channel.

IBM gets into the pharma business via nanotechnology.

Kraft extends “Real Women of Philadeophia” web series to tout cream cheese.

Mad Men is adding more commercial opportunities.

McDonald's brings Ronald back in new ads, and launches “McJob” marketing campaign as recruitment tool.Continue reading...

BP reviewed by US prosecutors for potential manslaughter charges.

British Airways cable crew vote for new round of strikes.

News Corp. and Vevo are in talks about the future of Myspace.

AT&T/T-Mobile merger "hurdle must be high," writes the New York Times in an op-ed.

Eminem lawsuit could change how digital revenues get shared with artists.

Grameen Bank head Muhammad Yunus fights move to get him to step down.Continue reading...

Abercrombie & Fitch raises eyebrows with push-up bikinis for girls.

Adidas commits to using sustainable cotton.

Apple begins global sales of iPad 2.

BP pact with Rosneft blocked.

CBS removes Showtime content from Netflix as Starz delays programming.

GE avoided paying taxes in 2010.Continue reading...

Time Warner Cable may want its Facebook fans to "like" its new iPad app — it's been running an iPad giveaway to promote the free app, in a contest that ends today. But ever since the app was released on March 15th, its programming partners have been vocal in disliking the move.

The former Time Warner-owned cable operator, which kept the Time Warner name after it was spun off in 2008 but refreshed its logo and brand identity last fall, launched the iPad app with 32 networks including CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel and CNBC through its high-speed Internet network.

It was a bold move, becoming the first major US cable operator to stream live TV on the iPad. But as the Wall Street Journal notes, the launch immediately hit problems.Continue reading...