Julie Roehm, the ousted Wal-Mart marketing executive, quietly filed a lawsuit last month charging the retailer with making "false and malicious statements to the media." Roehm also alleges that Wal-Mart has not lived up to its end of the compensation deal she agreed to when she joined the company a year ago. Roehm's compensation package, according to the documents, included base pay of $325,000, a signing bonus of $250,000, annual incentive-based payments and restricted stock worth up to $300,000. The lawsuit was filed in state court in Michigan, where the former Chrysler executive keeps a residence, but …

It's back to the future for Budweiser, as the brewer returns to humorous ads--with at least one featuring bikini-clad babes--for its flagship brand. Among the ads being considered to run on Super Bowl night is a spot that shows some smart-aleck crabs making off with a cooler of Budweiser from a group of unsuspecting bikini-clad women. Another spot shows two astronauts trying to share a Bud in space. Recently, Bud has focused on ads promoting the quality of its brew, leaving the funny spots to its sibling brand, Bud Light, which is targeted at a younger …

An on-pack logo bearing the imprimatur "Best Life Approved" will appear on a slew of Unilever, General Mills and Barilla brands. It is part of the marketing juggernaut for a new book by Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer, Bob Greene, titled "Best Life Diet." The logo is intended to identify products that meet Greene's criteria for healthy foods, which include whole grains, lean fats, low-sodium products and portion control. During a recent broadcast of her show, Oprah bestowed her Midas touch on several brands, including Slim-Fast and Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers, and demonstrated her favorite snack: Turkey on Wasa …

Sara Lee Corp. is building a 150,000-square-foot Kitchens of Sara Lee and is increasing its research staff by 50% to improve the flow of innovative new products. When completed in 2009, Sara Lee's R&D campus near corporate headquarters in Downers Grove, Ill., will centralize its research at a single location. Sara Lee, which doesn't break out its research and development spending in financial statements, has had a reputation of skimping on research spending. The move is key to keeping Sara Lee competitive, analysts say, in a marketplace where companies are carving out high- and low-end niches. Sara …

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who at 22 already has endorsement contracts worth an estimated $150 million, will make cameo appearances on national TV commercials for the new Windows Vista operating system. Spots for the consumer version of the software will begin airing Jan. 30. James is the first NBA player that Microsoft has used to promote its products--but Vista may not be the last Microsoft project for the basketball star. "We're talking about what future projects we might do with him," says Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos. James and Microsoft previously worked together during the player's summer …

With sales of Miller Lite falling as its competitors' rise, Miller Brewing Co. is yanking the "Men of the Square Table" ad campaign that hit the airwaves last spring. The ads feature celebrities such as actor Burt Reynolds, football star Jerome Bettis and wrestler Triple H meeting in a glass cube to settle questions about manly behavior, such as whether it's permissible to put fruit in beer. The spots drew laughs and hundreds of thousands of entries to an online "Manlawpedia," but Miller Lite's sales fell by low-single digits last year, while rivals Bud Light and Coors Light …

Building on the success of its first probiotic product--Activia--Dannon Co. is launching three new functional food items. All three will get heavy TV support, sampling and a dedicated Web site. DanActive dairy drink launches nationally this month, positioned as a boost for the immune system. At the same time, Activia Light yogurt extends the Activia brand with a fat-free, low-calorie version of the flagship brand. Meanwhile, Danimals kid yogurt and yogurt-based drinks relaunches this month with probiotic culture Lactobacillus GG (LGG) and a new recipe that eliminates high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring and flavoring. Sales of …

Nike's once-popular Air Force 1 sneakers and Timberland's yellow work boots are among the chunky, clunky sneaker and boots brands that are falling out of favor with the trend-setting urban crowd. The thick-soled styles were once part of the urban uniform, paired with baggy, low-slung jeans. "The big, heavy look is out of fashion," says Jerry Key, manager of Dr. Jays in Harlem. "Today, the lighter the shoe looks, the better." For girls, that means ballet flats or sleek boots, in which skinny jeans and leggings can be tucked. For guys, there are thin-sole sneakers like Adidas or …

Mercedes-Benz is partnering with the Portland, Maine-based Resort Sports Network to present "Destination Real Estate," a 30-minute show that features multimillion-dollar second homes that are up for sale. Each episode will profile between six and 10 properties in ritzy locales. Included in each episode is a video tour of the home. The profiles are tailored to the specific market in which they will be broadcast. For example, the shows that air in Vail will open with a feature about Vail before they segue into other properties from around the country. Mercedes will run a series of 30-second spots, …

Japan Tobacco Ltd., the world's No. 3 tobacco maker, has launched a "Smoking Manners" campaign in an effort to help its consumers avoid being tagged as social pariahs. Japan Tobacco is hoping to keep smoking acceptable in as many places as possible. The ads, which started on a limited scale in 2004, have recently rolled out on a wider basis, including new television spots promoting portable ashtrays. The campaign urges smokers to stop doing the kinds of things that could reduce them to social-outcast status, from dropping cigarette butts in public places to blowing smoke in other …