The bloom quickly fell off Friday's Facebook IPO, as the wildly overhyped public debut staged by the social media giant and its bankers are now being sued by shareholders for concealing weakened growth forecasts prior to the $16 billion offering.

According to Reuters, defendants including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Morgan Stanley were cited as hiding “a severe and pronounced reduction” in revenue forecasts during the IPO marketing process. Two lawsuits have been filed, one in U.S. District Court in Manhattan and the other in a California state court. The New York filing said lowered business forecasts were “selectively disclosed by defendants to certain preferred investors” and not to the general public.

While everyone knew there would be post-IPO challenges, Wall Street and Silicon Valley have been stunned as Facebook shares fell 18.4% from the $38 IPO price in the first three days of trading, reducing the value of stock sold in the IPO by more than $2.9 billion.Continue reading...

It's always a challenge for a brand to shift its demographic focus. But that's what Denny's hopes to do, with a novel Web-only campaign.

The restaurant chain, whose television advertising generally targets families and older consumers, is breaking out of traditional media with a video series running only on CollegeHumor.com, with little mention elsewhere except Denny's Facebook page. The series launched about a year ago; "Season Two" has just begun.

Called "Always Open," the web video series, according to Denny's chief marketing officer Frances Allen, is designed to bring Denny's pitch, "America's Diner is Always Open," to Millennials, ages roughly 18 to 30. Allen tells the New York Times that the new video series offers "an engaging brand moment for millennials" that "communicates our brand message that diners are really welcoming places where everyone can come as they are."Continue reading...

As it has done for the past three Academy Award ceremonies, jcpenney will hit the Oscars red carpet by promoting its recent "brand refresh," showing off that it's had a little work done (new logo, single-monikered lowercase name) and is making a comeback in true Hollywood fashion.

New brand face Ellen DeGeneres will be featured in five 30-second commercials (watch "Changing Room" above and a sneak peek at others set in the Wild West, Victorian England and ancient Rome, below) that will air in North America during ABC's telecast on Sunday night.

Other brands debuting new campaigns at the 84th annual Academy Awards include Hyundai's new Wes Anderson commercials, and a glamorous spot for the sixth-generation SL roadster by Mercedes-Benz.Continue reading...

Hulu will air its first TV commercial on ABC during the Oscars telecast Sunday night. Starring one of the channel's own stars, Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives, it touts Hulu Plus and brings back Will Arnett, whose character was introduced during the Super Bowl — and whose Up All Night airs on NBC.

After the head of the Federal Communications Commissioned moved to block AT&T buying T-Mobile's USA operations, AT&T announced on Thanksgiving Day that it was withdrawing (for now) its application with the FCC for its planned $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA — and would take a $4 billion charge against earnings, the amount owed to T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom in the event of a failed deal. Its next move? According to the New York Times, an asset sell-off is likely looming.

"Focusing on the antitrust trial, scheduled for February, the companies ... vowed to continue to pursue their bold plan to combine the second- and fourth-largest cellphone carriers in the United States," the Times reports of the buzz on Wall Street. "But the companies’ ambitions must be scaled back if they want any chance at a deal, analysts say. To address the objections of the Justice Department and F.C.C. that a merger would be anticompetitive, AT&T could agree to sell off 40 percent or so T-Mobile’s assets to wireless rivals, they say."

Possible scenarios include selling assets to rivals who opposed the merger: Sprint and MetroPCS, the third- and fifth-largest U.S. carriers. Good thing AT&T has hired a "high-powered Internet attorney" to plead its case: "High-powered internet attorney Kent Wesley," played by Will Arnett, who will say or do "whatever it takes to get you the AT&T 4G smartphone you deserve." See more of AT&T's "You've Got a Case" holiday campaign with Arnett below.Continue reading...

Honda has hired actor Jason Bateman as the new "narrator" of Honda advertising. His debut: the new Accord commercial (“Through It All-5 Star”) that debuted during Sunday's Patriots/Chargers NFL game. He can next be heard in a spot for the redesigned Pilot.

“For Honda, the tone of our advertising needs to be simple, smart and fun. Just like our vehicles,” said Mike Accavitti, VP, automotive marketing at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Bateman is well received for his real, down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is honesty that lines up perfectly with Honda’s leadership as the smarter choice.”Continue reading...

Find yourself in a state of baconstant craving? Denny’s is ready with six (make that seven) degrees of heaven: bacon.

The US eatery gave up its perch in Super Bowl TV advertising last month, so the quick-serve chain has been looking for other ways to make bold statements. Its “Baconalia” promotion may be just that.

With seven new bacon-tastic menu items and an advertising blast that it is unleashing this week, Denny’s is introducing Americans to a phantasmagorical array of new recipes with bacon. These include not only the relatively predictable Bacon Meatloaf but also a sampler with three kinds of bacon and – mercy! – a Maple Bacon Sundae.Continue reading...

Last June, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett introduced DumbDumb, a production company backed by Ben Silverman's Electus to create original web comedies for brands, starting with Orbit gum.

Add Denny's to that roster with Always Open with David Koechner, a new web series that reinforces its "America's Diner is Always Open" campaign. It stars Koechner — who you may recognize from his recurring role on NBC's The Office — chatting with a cast of fellow comics that includes Bateman and Arnett, plus Kristen Bell, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, and Will Forte.

Watch the trailer above, and the first episode below.Continue reading...