The social media airwaves are alive with fury as a seven-year-old comment reignites a firestorm over positive body image and branding. 

Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries made his position clear back in 2006 and has stuck to it ever since. “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

Jeffries' prejudice was reignited after a blog post reminded the public that the brand doesn't carry sizes XL or XXL in its women's products, a decision that is not only outdated but one that is being challenged by direct competitors like American Eagle and H&M, both which carry extended sizes for women and men.Continue reading...

Every April 1st, Google tries to outdo itself with a new array of April Fools' Day pranks, and this year was no different.

Users of Google quickly spotted a “Google Nose” link that appeared on April 1st that invited consumers to smell what they are seeing on the site, whether it is a campfire or a flower. Or, at least, it would let them “leverage new and existing technologies to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available.”Continue reading...

"Go home American Eagle you're drunk."

That's the most popular YouTube comment on a new "skinny jeans" ad from American Eagle Outfitters. Is it an early April Fool's spoof or a blatant attempt to go viral by spoofing a trend gone too far?Continue reading...

Toyota tops Interbrand's 2012 Best Global Green Brands report.

News Corp. considers splitting company in two, spinning off publishing assets, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft acquires Yammer for $1.2 billion to take on Oracle and Salesforce with new cloud-based services.

Nissan rises on fast recovery from disasters and plans $1B China auto plant as CEO Ghosn remains Japan's highest paid exec and automaker turns to Facebook to launch five new models.

Facebook names first woman to board — COO Sheryl Sandberg — and pulls so-called stalker app while creating uproar by changing all users' email addresses to facebook.com.

Google I/O news on Wednesday expected to reveal Google and Sony taking on cable and satellite operators with voice-controlled YouTube TV box, as Google prepares to battle Apple with discount tablet.Continue reading...

For Southwest, 40 is a magic number. The airline just turned 40, so it will celebrate by holding 40 conservation projects from the East to West Coasts of the U.S. during its "Conservation In Action Tour," which started last Friday in Southwest's home town of Dallas. Sony, American Eagle Outfitters, and The Coca-Cola Company are sponsors of the tour. 

Southwest employees will team up with the Student Conservation Association (SCA). Over 700 Southwest employees participated in the first projects in Dallas, which included work on behalf of Rochester Park, the Texas Trees Foundation, and Trinity River Audubon Center.Continue reading...

As UK mobile payment startups join forces in $87 million merger, Google is expected to announce mobile wallet with Macy's, Subway and American Eagle Outfitters as charter retail partners.

Fiat chairman and James Murdoch vie for control of F1 racing brand.

Google harnesses ocean water to cool Finnish data center.

L'Oreal and other luxury brand execs project strong 2011, more M&A.

Orbitz targeted for advertising on Fox News.

Rick Santorum is expected to throw his hat in the GOP race for the White House.Continue reading...

The Holy Grail for advertisers is coming ever closer - interactive billboards that recognize and target passers-by with custom ads, as imagined and portrayed for the 2002 neo-noir film, Minority Report starring Tom Cruise.

Digital posters that scan face-traffic and change the display when an onlooker’s attention is caught are now appearing in train stations, on bus stops and on the sides of buildings, but remain generic ads for a limited suite of products.

Digital dressing rooms, allowing shoppers to virtually see outfits superimposed on their likeness are already installed as a "look finder" feature in 77kids, the children’s subsidiary of clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters.

The underlying technology, Radio-Frequency Identification, was developed  by electronics company NEC and is now being researched by Panasonic, Samsung, IBM and others.

RFID employs facial recognition software to determine gender and age and serve up ads that match the demo. The technology, as we've noted, is so sophisticated it can catch the nuance of a frown, a nod, or a raised eyebrow.Continue reading...

An estimated 138 million shoppers will hit stores this Black Friday, up from 134 million last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

With more consumers getting an early jump on deals online — and skipping stores altogether, with one survey finding that 60% of consumers find Black Friday doorbusters "no big deal" — retail brands are rewriting their holiday marketing playbooks this year, relying on social media in particular to drive sales.Continue reading...