During 2010, over 700 billion YouTube videos were watched and more than 13 million hours of video uploaded. Frankly, it’s amazing any work got done at all.

The search trends on the site, the world's second biggest search engine after parent Google, provide an accurate barometer on the serious (and perhaps less serious) news events of the year — and people's propensity for lower case searches. The top search terms on YouTube this year: Haiti, luge, eclipse trailer, ipad, eminem not afraid, shakira waka waka, double rainbow, bed intruder, halo reach, whip my hair and firework.

In other words, it was a good year for brands. Read: Old Spice (Man), the Winter Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, Apple, Katy Perry, Microsoft Xbox and vampires.Continue reading...

Google reveals the most-searched terms of the year, including Justin Bieber, the World Cup and (capping BP's annus horribilus) the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Here's a video snapshot from its Zeitgeist team.

The latest spot in Sky TV's award-winning Happy Place campaign featuring an overly exuberant fan mowing down her favorite TV programming (including movies such as Sex and the City 2). The amusing campaign, from DDB in New Zealand, generated buzz a year ago one decidedly politically incorrect spot you can see after the jump.Continue reading...

In an unprecedented double announcement, FIFA, world football's governing body, announced the bids that have won the right to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups: Russia will host 2018 (slogan: "Ready to Inspire") while Qatar (slogan: "Expect Amazing") will host 2022.Continue reading...

Amazon booted WikiLeaks off its servers following political pressure, the whistleblowing site confirmed on Twitter. Bank of America, meanwhile, grapples with rumors it's next on the WikiLeaks hotseat as Julian Assange sets sights on corporate reputations.

Apple's iPhone takes top spot in US smartphone market.

Bloomberg's annual World AIDS Day breakfast disrupted by activist bagel protest.

EU proposes end to branded cigarettes.

USA makes final pitch (incl. Morgan Freeman, Bill Clinton) to host 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Google Doodles expand to mobile; clamps down on business trolling.

Groupon expands in Asia with three acquisitions ahead of Google deal.Continue reading...

It seems as if all the excitement surrounding global brand growth has been centered around China. In the past year, we've reported on everything from China's "Silicon Valley" to the nation's emergence as the new frontier for Western fashion. Similarly, India has gotten a lot of play as an emerging brand powerhouse and marketing hotbed. Even Facebook opened an office there over the summer.

But big brands, perhaps seeing a saturation point looming in those regions, are looking ahead to other growth areas — and putting the African continent on their radar screen. And they don't intend to sleepwalk their way across the continent, as in Coke's tongue-in-cheek Happiness spot above.Continue reading...

Enamored with Facebook's ascendance and eager to work for Mark Zuckerberg? Watch the new recruitment video above (or work at Google for a FB counteroffer).

Want to find out the latest Facebook trends, and what Coca-Cola, FIFA, Tesco and others are up to on the social network? Click through.Continue reading...

Well, this is embarrassing.

Nike advertising is just having an off year. Sure, the shoemaker is still knocking out ads on the bleeding edge. But yet again this week, a Nike ad is coming back to bite the brand in the butt. This time it's LeBron James. Continue reading...