Tide Pods are providing a robust helping of good news for Procter & Gamble in a year when its brands, products, strategy and even CEO have been taking a beating.

The company is projecting $500 million in first-year retail sales for pods, according to Ad Age. That's a major feat, given that of the 1,500 new consumer-packaged-goods launches tracked by SymphonyIRI in 2011, only 21 percent reached one-year sales of even $50 million.

Hungry for a big win at a time when nearly everything about its long-running formula for victory has been questioned, P&G has seen Tide Pods become a relatively rapid success since launching in February with a colorful campaign — with a few speed bumps along the way.Continue reading...

Air New Zealand's Rico is back, this time with David Hasselhoff, who was down under last month to promote...Continue reading...

Airbus and Boeing compete for major deal from AMR.

Albertsons ends self-checkouts.

Apple loses “app store” battle with Amazon, picks new target.

Arby’s launches “casting call” contest.

Audi to build cars in North America, reports record first-half global sales.

Campbell Soup needs immediate help from new CEO.

Citigroup leverages digital to engage Asian consumers.Continue reading...

P&G has upped its F-commerce game with new Facebook stores for Tide, Gillette, Olay, Gain, CoverGirl, Luvs and Febreze, mixing social with detergents, cosmetics and diapers in a bid to fish where the fish are — and make it convenient for them to swim up to the checkout.

P&G's pilot store launched on Facebook last year, powered by Amazon, but now, the e-commerce functionality is being outsourced to PFSWeb's eStore, the CPG giant's independent online e-commerce site selling its branded products directly to consumers.

“Shop now” buttons on each brand page link to a retail page for e-commerce with a splash tab inviting fans to “Purchase on Facebook through these trusted retailers.”Continue reading...

The sensational trial of Casey Anthony, the mother accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, has become the biggest media courtroom circus since O.J. It's also proving to be the most brand-laden trial since O.J. Simpson modeled gloves.Continue reading...

Procter & Gamble’s Febreze air fresheners just joined the billion-dollar brand club. It’s the 24th P&G brand to reach $1 billion in annual sales, an elite club that includes Pampers, Tide and Pantene — the mainstays of 70% of the company’s sales yielding $79 billion last year.

Febreze’s success may come as something of a surprise (especially if you go by the somewhat geeky campaign above) in a cash-challenged consumer environment where purchases of more expensive detergent, shampoo and even toilet paper are generally down — unless you're paying attention to moms who blog and exchange tips on social media.Continue reading...

AARP sues over reverse mortgages. 

Adidas opens women's concept store in Seoul.

Asahi hits roadblock in Australia push.

BMW to expand lineups of EVs and hybrids.

Daimler and Rolls-Royce launch bid for Tognum.

Dynegy faces Chapter 11.Continue reading...

Expedia's Netherlands agency (Woedend) takes inspiration from the legendary Saul Bass and the Catch Me if You Can title sequence in this new :20 commercial and :10 tag-ons.

Watch more new spots — from Target, Pepsi Max, Victoria's Secret and other brands — after the jump.Continue reading...