For the return of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Mountain Dew this week broke the new commercial, above. Directed by McG of Charlie's Angels big screen fame, it was created by BBDO NY with Activision and the former military advisors who consult on Call of Duty, with sound design by Music and Strategy. (Watch behind-the-scenes footage here).

Below, watch another audiocentric spot — HTC's new spot for Rezound, its smartphone with Beats Audio by Dr. Dre — and more.Continue reading...

Air France replaces CEO, Mercedes-Benz USA CEO is ousted in Daimler exec shuffle, and Olympus shares plunge as its CEO is fired.

Apple sells 4 million iPhone 4S units in first weekend, as Samsung sues to block the device in Japan and Australia and HTC loses Apple patent case in US. Steve Jobs' Silicon Valley memorial service reportedly filled with humor and music, as company prepares to honor late co-founder and report earnings on Tuesday. Starbucks and Apple are also partnering in the UK on free music downloads.

Mattel eyes UK's HIT Entertainment, home to Thomas the Tank Engine and other kids' properties.

Bank of America posts $6.2 billion quarterly profit, while Goldman Sachs reports $428 million loss.

BlackBerry customers receive free apps and tech support to make amends for outages.Continue reading...

This lovely spot for Twirl Bites is the beloved chocolate’s first commercial in fifteen years, as Cadbury brings some marketing muscle to promoting it in the UK. 

Reminiscent of a Rube Goldberg machine, visual effects specialists Mattes and Miniatures hand-crafted the self-contained "Twirly gig" spinning structure of fans, propellers and miniature toys on spinning plates, evocative of daily activities made sweeter with an artistic twirl.Continue reading...

Kraft Foods CEO Irene Rosenfeld plans to accelerate her transformation of the mainstream-foods giant, which boasts 61 brands today, by spinning off its North American grocery unit, a move that she anticipates will free both that business and the remaining snacks business to do better what they do best.

According to the company's announcement, Kraft's grocery entity, with about $16 billion in annual sales, will include the U.S. units handling many of Kraft’s most venerable brands including Jell-O desserts, meats under the Oscar Mayer brand, cheese, convenient meals and other food items that are slower-growing but higher-margin businesses. Those established units, Rosenfeld said, can be counted on to continue to return cash to shareholders.

The other side of the operation, a snacks company that represents about $32 billion in annual revenues, will be built from European and developing-markets units as well as the North American snacks and candies business. This will be the more dynamic of the two large concerns as it pushes Kraft snack products such as Cadbury chocolates and Oreo cookies into emerging markets.Continue reading...

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, 36 women were ejected from a game (and two arrested) simply for wearing orange dresses, it seemed. A little extreme? Not when the women were practicing a little ambush marketing, showing the colors of beer maker Bavaria, a direct competitor to World Cup sponsor Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Budweiser.

Corporations have a long history of gaining a little attention for themselves at such massive events even if they aren’t the official sponsor. After all, such sponsorships can cost a lot of dough. For example, Cadbury spent £20 million ($32.45 million) to be a Tier Two sponsor, according to The Independent. 

So how do the 2012 Summer Olympics organizers plan on stopping 100 people from showing up at an event dressed with Hershey’s Kiss hats?Continue reading...

AOL considers paid content.

Ben & Jerry's kicks off food truck in San Francisco with free ice-cream.

Bloomberg pushes for a wider TV audience.

Cadbury's Naomi Campbell ad ruled not racist.

Cartier joins Burberry, Louis Vuitton and other luxury brands by launching Youku video channel in China.

Cisco turnaround takes longer than expected.

Coca-Cola accuses Goldman Sachs of manipulating prices.Continue reading...

Behold the world's first "amphibious ice cream van," now cruising the Thames for anyone in London and in need of a (novel) cool treat. Check out the "making of" below.Continue reading...

Skadoosh! That's the catchphrase of Po, the panda played by Jack Black in the upcoming sequel of Kung Fu Panda. To promote the new film, Dreamworks Animation and The Visionaire Group have set up a fun interactive YouTube channel.

The video above features Jack Black, in person, practicing his line "Skadoosh" for the new movie. He has an idea, walks off screen, followed by a "Click for epicness" link that stays up. Go ahead, click it...Continue reading...