NASCAR is not only a powerhouse brand, it has forged alliances with many of the world's most recognizable brands to create a co-branded halo. Brands involved in this most American form of motorsport include Budweiser, Crown Royal, Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, and UPS. NASCAR has even slapped its name on branded carwashes in the Chicago area.

Their cars and racing suits decorated in decals both large and small, NASCAR drivers are loyal advertisers for their sponsors as well. Winning drivers routinely thank their sponsors in victory lane when giving interviews, and cars are often known by the main sponsor as well as the driver and number.Continue reading...

UBS warns of big losses (up to $2 billion) on rogue trades, leading to employee arrest in London.

Esprit divests North American business as profit drops 98%.

Fast Retailing, parent of Uniqlo, sets big expansion plans (opening up to 300 stores/year) as brand that "represents" Japan.

Groupon plans to put IPO back on track.

Al Gore's 24-hour Climate Reality webcast irks some.

CBS CEO Leslie Moonves insists that TV ad market is holding up.

Crocs banned for nurses in Wales.

DuPont wins nearly $1 billion in damages in Kevlar-secrets case.Continue reading...

Labor Day is fast approaching, and US college-sports fans are already unpacking their face paint, pennants, and big foam fingers (not too mention their coolers, hibachis, and tortilla-chip bowls) to prepare for another full year of football, basketball, water polo, fencing, bowling, and all the rest. 

And who is going to be enjoying all those intense rivalries right alongside some of America’s most ardent fans? That’s right, it’s the execs of UPS, who will be enjoying the fruits of three different sponsorship deals in the world of college athletics.

Post and Parcel reports that UPS has struck new “deals with college sports marketing and branding firm IMG College, along with sports conferences Big Ten and Pac-12 (that) will help it build growth in the business-to-business sector as well as accessing college sports fans across a country where college sports are arguably more popular than national professional sports.”Continue reading...

Christian Louboutin suffered a setback today when a New York judge rebuffed the brand's attempt to stop other brands — namely, rival French fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent — from adding a red sole to their high-heel shoes.

According to the Associated Press,

"U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero refused a request by Christian Louboutin to stop the sale of women's shoes with red soles by competitor Yves Saint Laurent S.A.S., another French company based in Paris. Though the ruling came at an early stage of consideration of a lawsuit Louboutin brought in April, the judge said it will probably be tossed out."

Marrero ruled that it's unlikely Louboutin could defend an "overly broad" trademark, which claims the lacquered red sole as a feature of its mark, that was granted in 2008 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Drawing an artistic analogy, the judge said Picasso couldn't legally prevent Monet from using a particular hue of indigo, and added that granting Louboutin exclusive use of the color red could hinder manufacturers of other items.Continue reading...

Air Canada launches new regional brand to replace Jazz.

Amazon vs. Apple "app store" spat continues, while Apple moves to trademark "startup."

Apple iPad 2 finally goes on sale in Japan this week, plus 11 other countries.

Barclay's posts disappointing results.

BP's Russian saga continues as net profit rises, Gulf clean-up costs continue.

Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf ace crash tests.Continue reading...

After years of litigation between MGA and Mattel, with Barbie-maker Mattel charging copyright violation over the latter's Bratz line of dolls with a former employee, a court has finally found Mattel to be in the wrong.

The corporate espionage case has been brutal, with Mattel winning itself no sympathies with ad hominem attacks, referring to MGA as a "mediocre toy company."

On the (high) heels of news that it will be slammed by a $88 million court decision against it, Mattel is looking to positive areas, including playing nice with the environment with a new green initiative that was announced for Earth Day.Continue reading...

If three of the biggest names in shipping in the U.S. market were playing poker, the latest hand might have gone something like this: I’ll see you a mayor and raise you a president.

Just a day after DHL touted the rollout of an all-new “green” fleet in New York City by quoting Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a press release, much bigger rivals FedEx and UPS were adding to their own environmental chops at event with President Obama, where they joined fellow heavy hitters PepsiCo, Verizon and AT&T in a new National Clean Fleets Partnership.Continue reading...

It’s that time again. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament begins tomorrow, and brands are gearing up as never before, from official “corporate champions” to those that can suggest only the thinnest of possible connections between themselves and some sort of vernal activity.Continue reading...