The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that two television ads for the birth-control pill Yaz go too far in suggesting the drug can help overcome PMS and acne. While the FDA previously approved the use of Yaz for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and some cases of acne , a warning letter says the TV ads could be viewed as suggesting the drug also remedied premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and broader conditions of acne. The FDA cites the failure of an ad called "Not Going to Take It," which has already been taken off the air, to sufficiently …

Even before we've pulled in all the plants in from the patio, the good, old-fashioned soup war between Campbell and General Mills Progresso brand is getting close to the boiling point. Elaine Wong, who has been watching developments like a master chef eying her line, reports that Progresso's full-page ad in yesterday's New York Times refutes Campbell's assertion that its soups are made with all-natural ingredients while Progresso's contain monosodium glutamate (MSG). The headline, in large red letters, reads: "Campbell's has 95 soups made with MSG." Progresso also announced that it has removed the food additive from 26 …

Ending a more than 50-year tradition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says that it will begin to accept movie advertising during the Oscar broadcast this year. Originally, the academy worried that viewers could conclude that the voting for the awards was being influenced by the studios that bought the ads. George Belch, a marketing professor at San Diego State University, perhaps points out the obvious in saying the telecast is "a perfect advertising venue for films." The academy generates more than $65 million a year in TV license fee revenue from ABC and foreign channels for …

Analysts are saying this announcement could have a positive impact on the market today. IBM's TV advertising in recent years has been enticing ... if somewhat vague about exactly what it is they sell besides bromides for managers looking to do something different. Details are available at this site , however.

The immediate fallout of the credit crisis on the high-end luxury market will be more hesitant store expansion, says the Journal. That isn't stopping the Neiman Marcus Christmas "Book" from offering such goodies as a limited-edition 2009 BMW Individual 7 Series Sedan for $160,000. The AP reports on MSNBC that the retailer has made surprisingly few concessions to the financial crisis running from Wall Street to Main Street. In fact, if you want to do your bit for the environment by cantering to upscale malls in horse country instead of driving, you can buy …

Coldwell Banker has evidently found a way to herd the cats otherwise known as home sellers: on Friday it's launching a 10-day event that will reduce prices on homes for sale by up to 10% in most major U.S. markets. Half of Coldwell's 3,000 offices across the U.S. will participate in the event; home sellers retain final say on the price. Michael Fischer, SVP/marketing at Coldwell, held marketing positions at Nissan and Toyota before coming to Coldwell in February.

The subhed to a New York magazine story about a guy who cuts and pastes subway-advertising posters to create political art says it all: "One man's vandalism is another's political art. Just ask Poster Boy, the Matisse of subway-ad mash-ups." Of course, they've been saying something like that since the days of TAKI 183's singular graffito. Poster Boy, on the other hand, mixes and matches elements for different ads. The Iron Man logo in one ad, for example, was transformed into "IRAN=NAM." A NYPD recruitment-drive poster was transmogrified to read: "MY NYPD KILLED SEAN BELL." Subway …

Documents and emails released this week in a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Boston suggest that Pfizer's marketers urged the suppression of medical studies that reached unfavorable conclusions about the effectiveness of Neurontin, which the FDA originally approved as an anti-seizure treatment for epilepsy and in 2002 for one kind of pain related to shingles. The papers suggest that Pfizer's marketers influenced the drug's scientific record to boost sales at least until 2003 by declining to release or altering the conclusions of studies that found no beneficial effect from Neurontin for various off-label conditions.

The Journal also reports that companies making over-the-counter cold and cough medicines have agreed to stop marketing the products for children younger than four, as part of an effort to reduce accidental overdoses.