Our most-read blog posts of the week:

#1 Brand Transparency: Lululemon Recalls Yoga Pants for Sheer Fabric (UPDATED)

#2 The Future of Retail: How Mobile Payments Are Changing the Retail Experience

#3 American Eagle Spoofs Skinny Skinny Jeans with Viral Ad

#4 American Express at 163: Having Its Cake and Tweeting It, Too

#5 For JCP's Ron Johnson, Joe Fresh Looks Like a Rescue by Canadian Mounties

#6 Bitcoin Sees Broad Global Adoption of its Controversial Virtual Currency

#7 Whole Foods Expands From Retail to Lifestyle Brand with Health Resort

#8 Lays Canada Borrows Flavor Contest from U.S., but Adds Lucrative Twist

#9 Audio Branding: BMW Uses New Sound Signature To Help Redefine the Brand

#10 Facebook Encroaches on Twitter's Territory with Hashtag Integration

Our most-read blog posts of the week:

#1 Why Starbucks' Customer Loyalty Is More Lucrative Than Any Ad Campaign

#2 Dunkin’ Donuts Prepares for New York Big Soda Ban as Starbucks Shrugs

#3 Taco Bell Recovers from Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos Pre-Launch Snafu

#4 PepsiCo CMO Salman Amin Leaves for S.C. Johnson

#5 Pinterest Analytics Brings Site One Step Closer to Profitability

#6 H&M Launches & Other Stories Brand in Europe

#7 Stark Contrast: Iron Man 3's Audi Deal Complicates Product Placement

#8 An Insider's View of BlackBerry's Clandestine Role in Zero Dark Thirty

#9 Brad Pitt's Cadillac China Ad Shows Auto Brand's Confusion With Market

#10 Reader’s Digest Rises from Bankruptcy… Again

Our most-read blog posts of the week:

#1 China Buick PR Disaster as Dealer Uses Abducted Baby in Ad

#2 LIVESTRONG Moves on From Lance Armstrong Woes With Brand Refresh

#3 Macy’s Introduces Marilyn Monroe Collection to a Racier Generation

#4 General Mills, Kellogg Compete for Liquid Breakfast Market

#5 Martha Stewart Dishes From Lofty Perch of Witness Stand in Macy's-JCP Trial

#6 McDonald’s Trims Menu Items as Sales Drop

#7 Affordable CLA Model Will Be Key in Mercedes-Benz Turnaround

#8 Galaxy Chocolate's Hepburn Ad the Latest Entry in VFX War

#9 IKEA and Marriott Team Up to Launch Millennial-Friendly Budget Hotel Chain

#10 Google Takes On Auto Retail—And Dealers?

Our most-read blog posts of the week:

#1 In-N-Out Burger Biggest Loser on Oscar Night

#2 Announcing the 2013 Brandcameo Product Placement Award Winners

#3 Toyota, Japanese Brands Keep U.S. Down in Consumer Reports' "Best Cars" Rank

#4 2013 Oscars: Brands Seek Star Power With Tim Burton, Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Watts and more

#5 Lana Del Rey Croons for Jaguar, Latest in Auto-Branded Video Boom

#6 Heineken's "The Candidate" the Latest in Extreme Interviewing

#7 H&M Launches Garment Recycling Program Across All Markets

#8 Big 10 Food Brands Fail Oxfam Report UPDATE

#9 Oreo Continues Its Ascent to Social Media Fame

#10 JCPenney Hopes to Breathe Life into Retail Sales with Pop-Up Shops

Our most-read blog posts of the week:

#1 Rumor Mill Churns Ahead of Sony PlayStation 2013 Announcement

#2 Costco CEO: We Shouldn't Have Used Tiffany to Describe Rings [EXCLUSIVE]

#3 BlackBerry Popularity Rises in Wake of BB10 Launch

#4 Hi Neighbour: Target Readies for its Canadian Invasion

#5 Heineken's "The Candidate" the Latest in Extreme Interviewing

#6 Pepsi Does the Harlem Shake, Coca-Cola Reveals Marc Jacobs-Designed Cans

#7 Oscar is the Word: Academy Awards Officially Rebrand Show for 2013

#8 Kate Spade Saturday Launches Despite Dispute Over Name

#9 Project Glass is Now in Session: Google Wants You to Try Out High-Tech Glasses

#10 Tiffany Does Battle—Again—With a Non-Luxury Seller

Our most-read blog posts of the week:

#1 Watch Miracle Whip #KAOM #Grammys Music Video With Susan Boyle, Lance Bass and the Village People

#2 Mayo Clinic: Explaining the Hellmann's Jar in 'Silver Linings Playbook'

#3 Toy Fair: 'Breaking Bad' Action Figures, a 'Julius' Spinoff, New Crayons and more

#4 Adidas Looks to Boost Sales With High-Tech Running Shoe, Britney and Selena

#5 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Woos Women With Help From Target

#6 Ad Watch: Grammy Awards Follow Super Bowl as Brand Campaign Launchpad

#7 As Stranded Cruise Ship Makes Landfall, Carnival's Trouble Is Just Beginning

#8 Poland Spring's #SOTU Social Flop: Rubio Response a Missed "Oreo Moment"

#9 Super Bowl Ad Wrap-Up: Samsung Surges, VW and Ram Spots Endure

#10 Era of Wearable Computers Seems Imminent as Apple, Google Explore Ideas

Above, a Chinese New Year brand extension the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is likely not aware of: 7Up fireworks.

China is the second largest economy in the world and every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse)—but who's got the time?! Here's 10 reads that will make you look like a keen China observer in case you find yourself immersed in a cultural conversation.

This week: Valentine's Day "debauchery"... Amazon's Kindle-less Kindle store... PM2.5... Yum!... Renault recall... Bloomingdale’s... the end of free Wi-Fi... Pizza Hut's shrimp tempura, mayo and hotdog pizza... 7Up fireworks... and more. Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts this week:

#1 #SuperBranding: Watch Nina Agdal's Super Bowl Ad for Carl's Jr. and Hardees

#2 #Superbranding: The Best and Worst Super Bowl 47 Ads

#3 Look Out, Lululemon: Nimble, Lower-Priced Ellie Aims to Make You Sweat

#4 #SuperBranding: Pepsi Taps Funny or Die to Freeze Out Coke Super Bowl Push

#5 Celebrity Mouths Open to Miracle Whip for Grammy Awards #KAOM Promotion

#6 Apple's Inner Workings: New Blueprints for HQ, Plans for Texas, Offices in Tokyo

#7 Ram Truck Ad Wins Praise, But That God-Made Farmer Looks Awfully Familiar

#9 Super Bowl Ad Watch: Of All the 2013 #SB47 Ads, Were Any #SuperBranding VIPs?

#10 Slam Dunk: Nimble and Playful at 100, Oreo Ties Dome Darkness Into Campaign