Polaroid wants to conjure up those golden analog days of vast sales and instant gratification with a hand-size printer it's introducing this fall that connects wirelessly to phones and by cable to cameras, will cost about $150, and produces color snapshots in about 30 seconds. The images are the size of a credit card. The new printers are so lightweight that a Polaroid executive demonstrating them recently had three tucked unnoticeably into various pockets of his trim jacket, whipping them out as if he were Harpo Marx. The prints, which are borderless, have a semigloss finish and an adhesive …

Wrapping up the final wave of Ford dealer meetings in Las Vegas-- where the automaker has been launching its marketing campaign, "Ford. Drive One"--CEO Alan Mulally Thursday showed dealers the face of the new Ford Taurus sedan. Dealers behind closed doors gave it a standing ovation, according to Jim Farley, Ford's group VP for marketing and communications. The Taurus has long been a favorite of Mulally, but it is unclear when it will hit the market. The multimillion-dollar ad campaign, which is to include a variety of print and multimedia messages, will seek to show consumers why Ford cars and …

The Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit has cannon-balled into the consciousness of people who do not know a flip turn from Flipper since it was introduced in February, and swimmers wearing it have sped to 22 of the 23 world records. A coach who has worked with several Olympic gold medalists who are sponsored by Speedo describes the suit as "drugs on a hanger." "It's exceeded our expectations," says Stu Isaac, a senior VP for sales and marketing at Speedo. Some have suggested that the corset-like fit of the LZR suit not only streamlines the body but also engages the …

With department store sales declining dramatically, retailers may have to sharply mark down their exclusive lines of clothes and home goods--such as the American Living line at J.C. Penney, Simply Vera Vera Wang at Kohl's, and Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's--which could hurt the image of both the brands and the stores. What's more, retailers can't share the pain with suppliers, as they do with national brands that offer allowances for markdowns. Retailers often commit to large minimum orders to get the best prices on their in-house products--and can wind up with far more inventory than they need. …

In a bid to reach the pop culture-influenced teen demographic, Procter & Gamble's TAG brand is teaming with Island Def Jam Music Group on a hip-hop label that will be led by Island Urban president Jermaine Dupri. The label launch is also part of TAG's initiative to cultivate relationships with the urban community through programs that give opportunities to aspiring MCs. Neither IDJ nor P&G will comment on speculation that TAG artists will be supported with up to, but not limited to, $10 million in marketing dollars--an unprecedented figure for any contemporary new artist. "My goal is to find …

From 1964 to 1974 and then from 1984 to the present, Italian tire company Pirelli has lifted the girlie calendar from its grimy origins on pegboards at the back of a garage to the level where famous models, actresses and other lovelies shot by the world's most famous fashion photographers are sent to a select group of luminaries. At one time or another, Prince Charles and the late John Lennon have been among the recipients. Every few years, venerable art-book publisher Rizzoli compiles the calendars into ever-bigger volumes. The latest edition, "The Complete Pirelli Calendars," weighs 10.5 pounds and …