The week that was in branding begins with India, where Sirji 3G is offering itself as a solution to the nation's population control problem. When the power goes out, don't boink, play 3G games!

Oh, baby... Pampers ad runs alongside 300+ sex positions app.

Seized counterfeit goods are being donated to homeless in the UK.Continue reading...

Android growth slows in the US as iPhone picks up, according to Nielsen.

Disney raises eyebrows with fireworks exemption.

Glenn Beck signs off from Fox News, which announces summer replacements.

Kate Middleton puts fashion-watchers on notice with North American tour.

NBA lockout proceeds as sides fail to reach agreement.

Porsche returns to Le Mans.

Stephen Colbert receives Federal Election Commision approval to form a super PAC. 

Twitter comes under FTC scrutiny.

Victoria Beckham launches mid-range clothing line.

WikiLeaks spoofs MasterCard in mock "priceless" commercial.

We know Stephen Colbert enjoys blurring the lines of product placement, product endorsement and product ridicule on his program, especially when it comes to Apple.

Now the waggish comedian is officially partnering with The Audi of America Yacht Club. Ahoy, matey!Continue reading...

The remake of Arthur (subbing in Russell Brand for Dudley Moore) vies for the top spot this weekend, and we'll have coverage of the film's product placements on Monday. For now, how many brands (other than the film's star) can you spot in the film's trailer?

Now a look at some other product placement news of the week that did not contain the term "Morgan Spurlock."Continue reading...

Foursquare this week reported staggering growth in 2010. With 6 million registered users, it grew 3,400% last year for some 381,576,305 check-ins. 

The location-based brand's largest check-in stunt to date was the Jon Stewart-Stephen Colbert "Rally To Restore Sanity" in Washington, which received 30,525 check-ins.

Also notable last year: 50,000 Americans checking in on Election Day from 23,500 polling places, and its first outer space check-in, from the International Space Station, on October 22.

The places generating the biggest number of check-ins in 2010 related to food — in one creative marketing tie-in, 224 people named Wendy checked into Wendy's restaurants — followed by offices, shops, gyms and concert venues.Continue reading...

Well, that was fast. Yesterday, NASA announced a new toxic (arsenic-based) lifeform; Purell's response, above. More fun with Brand Bites, after the jump.Continue reading...

Stephen Colbert finally got around to lampooning the clunky product placement in the soap opera Days of Our Lives that we pointed out a couple weeks ago. In true Colbert fashion, it's hilarious.

Colbert, a master of the craft, puts the "pro" in Product and the "cement" in Placement. For the sardonic comedian knows that the true secret of the tree of knowledge is that eating the forbidden fruit means more free fruit.Continue reading...

Last week Stephen Colbert did a long joke about misinformation on the Internets. Apple, as you can see in the screen-grab above, scored a nice fat product placement out of the segment. Watch it after the jump.Continue reading...