Brand Bites: Black Eye Edition

Great testimonial ... or greatest testimonial? F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was mugged for his Hublot watch. So, naturally, he made a Hublot ad playing up his mugged mug, above. Not what you'd expect from a luxury watch brand, but certainly in your face.

Oprah Down Under: Australian for product placement. Also: Fodder for yet another Taiwanese nooz takedown.

After the jump: Russia's Pirelli challenger, Happy Meal talk, Tata No-no, and more.

Audi made a motorcycle? No, not really.

Volvo is getting all up in new owner Geely's grill about differences in brand strategy.

In other auto news, is the world's cheapest car, Tata Nano, soon to be world's worst-selling car?

McDonald's Happy Meal ban does not know "how to Bucky," gets rejected in Wisconsin.

Here is the gateweay a participant in the Google Chrome pilot program. Those accepted get a free Cr-48 Chrome notebook.

Glassware brand Western House credits recent sales victories on booming sales of cupcakes.

Is Russia's Altay Tyre making a challenge to Pirelli's status as sexiest tire company calendar? (NSFW)

Smile! Kraft launches unified packaging for Macaroni & Cheese brand.

Whale Fail: Google finds a sense of humor for when it can't find that page.

Rock out with your sauerkraut out. "Gitcha Goomsba Up," a tourism ad for Leavenworth, WA, starring Woody Goomsba, is "zee awesome" —

"He encouraged me to start imagining product placement—'think Happy Meals'—because merchandise is where you make money in these deals."

American audiences to network television: "I wish I knew how to quit you."

Four months after massive egg recall, everyone is eating eggs again.

Twitter explains how things trend.

How do you make a vaccuum cleaner commercial fun and exciting? Here's one way: