Not to be outdone by Gap, News Corp’s MySpace has unveiled a new strikingly bad logo. The idea isn’t all bad. MySpace is about whatever you want it to be about. I get it. However, your logo should include, at minimum, your company’s name.

It shouldn’t be surprising that MySpace is trying *everything* they can think of to reverse their current traffic trend. But I’m not sure this is helping.

Google’s new ad format is a banner text ad that contains an expandable map, click-to-call phone number and option to get directions. No word on exactly how many users have the necessary tech to see these ads although Google says its available on any phone with a “full Internet browswer” which includes all iPhones and Android-based phones. The best part is this tech is live now in ad words. Inside AdWords has full instructions on how to get started with the new format.

No one has cracked the impossibly difficult local nut yet but big name advertisers have made their way to this new frontier. And in some cases in surprising and interesting ways. Check out Clickz’s excellent write up on a campaigns from Olay on Booyah, Gap on Loopt, Starbucks on Brightkite, USA Today on Gowalla and Pepsi on Sticybits.

Newsweek has an interview with Jeff Bezos that covers how Amazon decides which markets to enter and the future of the Kindle among other things.

“It is [our] No. 1 bestselling product. It’s the No. 1 most-wished-for product as measured by people putting it on their wish list. It’s the No. 1 most-gifted item on Amazon. And I’m not just talking in electronics—that’s true across all product categories.”

Best Buy is not standing down after inciting the “War on Christmas” crowd by wishing Muslims a “Happy Eid al-Adha” as pictured in the ad above.

The American Family Association, your favoritie anti-Semeitic, homophobic Christian advocacy group, has singled out the retailer for banning the use of “Merry Christmas” in advertising in the past.

Best Buy contends that they have and will continue to use the message “Merry Christmas” in their advertising.

Middle class American men were, in Packer’s words, little kings. And in Mad Men we get to watch these little kings at the end of their reign.

So this ridiculous Cocoa Krispies Box implies that eating sugary cereal will protect your kids from H1N1 aka Swine Flu. Obviously this is a dubious claim but the fact is, of course, that H1N1, while scary, is a only a minor threat to the well-being of America’s youths.

This fact did not deter USA Today from publishing an article resulting in Kellogg’s removing the claim from their box. Perhaps a compelling argument for self-regulation?

I’m reminded of this cartoon by xkcd which serves as proof that marketers will always find a way to irritate me via cereal boxes.