Syfy and Dodge are taking TV and gaming to new bandwidth with an exclusive dual-screen brand partnership. The branded entertainment will tie together Syfy's new series Defiance and Dodge's auto lineup.

Dodge’s Charger and Dart are featured in the television show debuting April 15 while the Dodge Challenger stars in the online video game which launched April 2 on PS3, Xbox and PCs. 

Two Dodge Chargers, with exterior modifications befitting a futuristic storyline, are the hero vehicles driven by main character Nolan (Grant Bowler), Defiance’s "law-keeper," and by the sixth episode, they become main characters in the story. "While 'Defiance' is set in the year 2046, the featured Dodge Charger stays true to its DNA,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO Dodge Brand in a press release. “It has timeless performance and technological capabilities needed to survive in a futuristic world, while the Challenger video game integration allows enthusiasts to interact with the iconic muscle car in ways they might not have imagined possible."Continue reading...

Ladies, this is not your mother's weight-loss plan! Weight Watchers—which also lately has taken aim at men—and Slim-Fast are overhauling their approach to marketing in more significant ways than ever, as the dieting industry continues to grow but also has welcomed new forms of competition.

Slim-Fast's new approach is the more striking one, perhaps because the Unilever-owned brand has been dwindling steadily for years since it was synonymous with weight-loss products. Its new "Get What You Want" advertising campaign communicates the real reason women want to lose weight, and it has to do with sex appeal, not health and fitness.Continue reading...

As the grandfather of streaming video, Netflix has suffered the slings and arrows of being out front, exacerbated by hubris and internal missteps.

The video rental company's announcement of separate fees for DVD and streaming services a year ago was a disaster, one that was exacerbated by CEO Reed Hastings’ foot-in-mouth comment regarding subscriber outrage, "It's something we'll monitor, but Americans are somewhat self-absorbed."

“Despite shrinking margins, a weakening balance sheet and increased competition, the stock was bullet-proof. Netflix was the great Achilles that vanquished Blockbuster Video with a little assistance from Coinstar's Redbox. But like Achilles, Netflix was not invulnerable,” notes Seeking Alpha.

Enter Amazon and its move to free video streaming with Amazon Prime in February 2011, membership priced at $79/year, including free Super Saver Shipping, free book rentals via Kindle and the add-on to rent or buy digital movies and TV shows for an additional fee providing newer content overall than on Netflix.Continue reading...

KFC degrees now an educational option in the UK.

NBC Universal says Olympics ad sales reach $1 billion.

Roku raises $45M from News Corp. and others.

Alcatel-Lucent to slash jobs after loss.

Amazon and Apple heat up their war on multiple fronts.

Boeing improves forecast.Continue reading...

When Comcast formally acquired NBC Universal back in January of 2011, it was only a matter of time before the two sports powerhouses combined their national, regional, and cable efforts to create a single sports media juggernaut.

Following a complete overhaul from brand strategy through to creative execution that included the rebrand of Comcast's Versus channel to NBC Sports Network on January 2nd, 2012, NBC Sports Group is showing off its new face in 2012.

The NBC Sports Group’s new identity launched in January with the rebrand of Versus to NBC Sports Network, and has rolled out across their coverage of the Super Bowl and Triple Crown. The new brand is set to further roll out during NBC Sports Group’s Olympic coverage in July, and will be featured on NBC, NBC Sports Network, the Group’s RSNs (regional sports networks), and digital and web properties.Continue reading...

Syfy’s upfront event for advertisers, held yesterday at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, celebrated a cohort its research team is calling Igniters — “those highly imaginative people who shape the world in which we live and move brands forward faster,” and the key audience that has made the brand a top media destination for imagination-based entertainment.

The brand's on-air/online pitch to media buyers and brand marketers on the Syfy Igniters microsite: "Syfy sparks the imagination, inspiring curiosity and creativity among an influential audience who believes the world is full of possibility. By opening doors to new ideas, and opening eyes to thrilling new perspectives, we make the unbelievable...believable."

The NBC Universal-owned Syfy, which launched in 1992 as the Sci Fi channel (and shortened to Sci-Fi from 1999-2009), has held steady as a top 10 cable entertainment network among adults 25-54 for 16 consecutive years, and its bumper crop in original programming, digital and gaming media portend many more years to come.Continue reading...

Amazon expands into original programming for web and TV, while Senate bill may close Virginia's "Amazon loophole."

Angry Birds lands on Facebook.

Apple shares close above $500, breaking more records, while brand announces iPad 3 release for March 7, testing "iPad Mini" tablet with smaller screen.

Burt's Bees launches spinoff aimed at Gen Y.

Chipotle steals buzz at Grammy's with Willie Nelson/Coldplay commercial.

Ford may have last laugh over Chevrolet with Super Bowl truck ad.

Google sees Motorola Mobility acquisition approved by EU and US.Continue reading...

Cover your ears, Jaws fans, because we have some news you may not like. Universal Studios is officially closing down the Jaws ride, Universal announced Friday. The 32-foot three ton steel and fiberglass shark, which was based on the 1975 movie, was one of the theme park's most popular attractions when it opened in 1990.

The area that surrounds it, which was named after the fictional resort island in the movie, will also be closed "to make room for what will be an exciting new attraction experience," Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said. Fans are biting back.Continue reading...