Marketers such as Procter & Gamble are trying to expand growth in the oral care arena by hitching on to two big consumer trends: health and vanity. They are offering myriad "adjunct" products that include pre- and post-brushing rinses, a whitening "booster" gel that's squeezed on top of ordinary toothpaste and a new "weekly use" paste that mimics the tooth polishing that dentists provide. P&G's Crest Weekly Clean, which hits store shelves this month, is a once-a-week "intensive cleaning paste" to "complement" regular brushing. P&G touts its silica ingredient as a polisher that's "similar to what dentists use and …

Australian company Village Roadshow plans to bring its Gold Class luxury cinemas to Southern California, kicking the luxury-theater concept up a notch -- not to mention by $20 or so. Three Gold Class theaters coming to Pasadena, Costa Mesa and Ontario next year will charge as much as $35 per ticket in exchange for upscale amenities such as online seating selection, valet parking and a concierge desk at check-in. "We're redefining our business as a hospitality business," says Robert G. Kirby, CEO of the entertainment conglomerate. Kirby says Gold Class was designed a decade ago to enable regular schmoes …

H.J. Heinz's hottest brand these days is a syrupy soy sauce called ABC that has tripled in size since the condiment maker acquired it in 1998. It is now the world's second-largest soy sauce -- next to Japanese brand Kikkoman -- and is also a recognized name in emerging markets, a category that accounts for 15% of Heinz's business. The Asian label, which also includes a few side products like beverage syrup and chili sauce, saw a 44% increase in sales over last year. ABC's success illustrates why Heinz is now outpacing rivals like Kraft, Kellogg, and Campbell Soup …

As Hurricane Gustav neared New Orleans, General Motors activated emergency plans for OnStar, its on-board navigation and safety system, and increased staff at its three call centers, where 500 people were taking calls from fleeing drivers. Advisers counseled evacuees on routes, hotels and other emergency preparations. In addition to computerized maps and information on hotel vacancies, the service offers information on locations of Red Cross shelters. Because of the emergency, OnStar offered its higher service-level package to all customers free of charge. GM also offered drivers 30 minutes' free airtime to take calls in their cars. The crisis …