As the world's biggest stage for marketers, we'd have to give Super Bowl XLVI, generously, a B-minus. While the game was compellingly competitive right until the last play, and Madonna acquitted herself pretty well for a 53-year-old halftime-show attraction, America's brand marketers barely held up their end of the extravaganza.

For one thing, there was no genuine stand-up-and-cheer advertising moment during NBC's telecast as there was last year, in Chrysler's spot featuring Eminem and its new Chrysler 200 "Imported from Detroit," although Clint Eastwood was a worthy successor.

In fact, stand-out moments in the ads were almost non-existent; the humor that carried most of the ads didn't come close to an outbreak of hilarity; and a few spots manifested jump-the-shark syndrome, such as an NBC promo that cameoed Betty White.Continue reading...

Adobe drops Flash for phones in bow to Apple.

Airbus delays A350 plane or parts shortages.

Caterpillar buys Chinese mining-machine maker.

Google chief returns to trim bloated ship.

Groupon holds on to cash, griping merchants.

J.C. Penney taps into talent from Apple.

James Murdoch insists he wasn't told about hacking evidence at News Corp.'s News of the World.Continue reading...

Misery loves company? Maybe that's why Burger King and Quaker Oats are getting together to offer two flavors of oatmeal at the fast feeder's outlets nationwide. By adding the venerable breakfast food to its growing morning menu, Burger King is following hopefully in the footsteps of acknowledged innovators in its business including McDonalds, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and Jamba Juice.

Though the times suggest they should be doing better, both Quaker and Burger King have struggled lately. Burger King hasn't come close to matching the stellar results posted by industry leader McDonalds during the recent period of economic sluggishness in the United States, when cheap eats have been more popular than ever. Meanwhile, Quaker Oats -- at a time of strong consumer interest in intrinsically better-for-you foods, and with the marketing muscle and expertise of PepsiCo behind it -- has struggled to elevate supermarket sales, with a series of marketing campaigns over the last few years that have failed to motivate American consumers to pick up its classic, inexpensive oatmeal. "Go Humans Go!" just wasn't a potent message.Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts of the past week include PGA's "Golf Boys," mobile marketing, the Barbie and Ken breakup, and more:

#1 Viral Video Watch: The Golf Boys

#2 Faux Twitter Photo Causes PR Headache for McDonald’s

#3 Current Hoists New Logo and Hope for Keith Olbermann

#4 Consumers Respond to Mobile Marketing

#5 Viral Video Watch: Sriracha the Rooster Sauce Rap a Saucy Ode

#6 Viral Video Watch: "Whole Foods Parking Lot" Spoofs Whole Foods Lifestyle

#7 Greenpeace Breaks Up Barbie and Ken to Save the Rainforest

#8 P&G's Secret Weapon: Word-of-Mouth Marketing

#9 Converse to Artists: If the Shoe Fits...

#10 Logo Watch: Canadian Olympic Team, Monday Night Football & more

Our most-read blog posts of the past week range from McDonald's makeover to Lady Gaga's Judas video:

#1 McDonald's Launches Billion Dollar McMakeover

#2 Chobani Conquers Yogurt Market, Faces New Problem

#3 Is Sprint Really Asking Us to Spam an (Almost) 100-Year-Old Woman?

#4 The Lady Gaga Judas Video Product Placement Surprise

#5 Trump Golf Biz First To Suffer Trump Prez Biz

#6 Missed Opp: The Mystery Jacket Obama Wore To Take Out Bin Laden

#7 Coca-Cola Turns 125

#8 A New Queen for McQueen: Sarah Burton Steps Up

#9 GagaVille: Zynga Helps Lady Gaga Launch 'Born This Way' Album

#10 Branson Rebrands, Defends Virgin Australia Debut

AOL chief vows that the brand will stage a comeback.

AT&T will attempt to sway regulators over its T-Mobile deal.

Apple tops brand charts in new Millward Brown study.

Best Buy considers offering electric vehicles.

Caribou Coffee explores lunch products.

Estee Lauder looks to China.

Hertz makes new offer to buy Dollar Thrifty.  Continue reading...

What's more strange, that Robert Downey, Jr. is the voice of Mr. Peanut, or that Mr. Peanut is now flesh and blood? (above)

From the Dept. of No Self-Awareness: Man calls out ad agencies for "pointless" rebranding campaigns, calling them "the equivalent of a scam." Man himself will continue to be a professional advertising critic.

Old Spice Guy + Anchor Man Ron Jeremy = Northstar Resort at Tahoe commercial.

Yale mocks Harvard, via Facebook (references).

Art Director Study Break: "Ridiculous Vintage Men's Magazine Covers."

Following the announcement from Gucci, Oakley and Calvin Klein will also be releasing snazzy 3D glasses.

BP should probably have Tony Hayward secretly assassinated. Continue reading...

The Republican Party won big in Tuesday’s elections, capturing a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, neutralizing the Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate, seizing a handful of key governorships and state legislatures across the country and marking the ascendancy of the Tea Party. Among other industries, the shift has big implications for the branding and marketing community. 

AOL revenue drops 26% on slumping ad sales.

Apple's iPad dominated 95% of the market for tablet computers last quarter.

Bugatti launches Veyron model in India, priced at $3.6 million.

Chase partners with DreamWorks for Megamind 3D movie.

Discovery Communications notches huge gains in ad sales.Continue reading...