Alicia Boler-Davis is moving up fast at GM. The engineer, an18-year GM veteran, and the first African American female plant manager there, this year became VP of U.S. Customer Experience and then Global Quality Chief. She has now been charged with designing a system to make General Motors win on the customer service front -- and not versus just automakers, but for all industries. She says one way to get there is to ensure GM customers understand how their vehicles work from nuts to bolts and buttons to advanced infotainment systems. Check out the video interview at the jump. Read the whole story...

There was an online ad from General Mills for Fiber One brownies that was built around a pot reference. And there's a spot by Kraft Foods' Athenos brand, which featured a Greek grandmother accusing her granddaughter of dressing like a prostitute. Unilever's new ad for its Ragu brand shows a kid strolling into his parents bedroom and his sudden shock (they don't show the parents). The ad premiered during the Olympics. Will it sell pasta sauce? Read the whole story...

Athletic retailer Foot Locker is launching a national multi-media campaign and is bringing a group of NBA stars along for the ride. Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, James Harden, Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook are among the players who will be featured in the humorous effort. It is the first campaign under the new "Approved" umbrella marketing push from lead agency BBDO. Read the whole story...

Michael Phelps used to be with General Mills' Wheaties, switched to Kellogg, and is now once again on a Wheaties box. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh could not be split apart by beach volleyball opponents but rival cereal makers have done exactly that. The "Fierce Five" will appear on an upcoming Corn Flakes package, but history shows that does not prevent a fall from grace. A look at cereal marketing that may bowl you over. Read the whole story...

Contributor John Biggs says the tablet revolution is becoming de-evolution, as market forces drive price and quality down the toilet. "Remember netbooks?" he asks. "Exactly." Tablets were also the future, he says, but like the once-vaunted netbook, tablets will fall victim to manufacturers' weakness for squeezing profit out of a moribund product line. So much for premium products like iPad. "With the launch of the $199 Kindle Fire, and more recently the Nexus 7, the floodgates will soon open, driving down prices, quality, and value.,,as manufacturers realize they have to hit that magical $199 price point, the quality will fall even further as more corners are cut." Read the whole story...

The Mirage Hotel & Casino has tapped Los Angeles-based independent David&Goliath as AOR. The agency won creative duties for the Las Vegas resort after a review involving five undisclosed agencies. David&Goliath replaces B&P Advertising, Las Vegas. The assignment is effective immediately and new work is expected to launch in the third quarter. Measured media ad spending in 2011 was just over $2 million, per Nielsen. That amount does not include spending on the Internet or b-to-b advertising. David&Goliath, which has handled Kia for years, recently won business from NFL Media and, last week, launched its first campaign, "It's serious fun" for the brand. Read the whole story...