Michelob Ultra has signed a three-year deal with Lance Armstrong to become "the brand's new spokesperson and ambassador," making the 38-year-old, seven-time Tour de France winner one of the most prominent active athletes to endorse an alcoholic beverage, Barry Janoff reports. Financial terms were not disclosed. Michelob Ultra says the alliance is key to its strategy to position itself as the beer of choice for people who not only enjoy sports but also are into health and fitness. "I'm always making decisions that complement my active lifestyle, and this includes my beer choice when I want to enjoy a …

Bibendum, the puffy Michelin Man made of inner tubes, is the star of the French tire maker's first global ad campaign. TV, print and online executions breaking this week carry the theme "The right tire changes everything," Eleftheria Parpis reports. An animated TV spot breaking in he U.S. today features an evil gas pump that sucks up drivers' cash until Bibendum saves the day by pelting the villain with tires he pulls out of his body, driving home the point that efficient tires help consumers save money. Another execution says the tires help drivers stop 14 feet short …

Verizon Communications is melding its residential and business landline units -- Verizon Telecom and Verizon Business -- in an effort to move "marketing execution closer to customer-facing operations, while retaining the benefits of centralized management of key marketing issues." As part of the restructuring, John Stratton, who was Verizon's marketing chief companywide, will assume duties for plugging the company's mobile offerings exclusively, Rita Chang reports. A company spokesman says he does not know when Verizon will name a CMO for its non-wireless business. Industry analysts say that having a dedicated marketing chief for wireless is …

Sixty-six percent of the by NPD Group survey respondents who use Macs say they have more than three computers in the household. They also are much more likely to have digital SLR cameras, iPods, large-screen LCD TVs, and navigation devices, Chris Dannem reports. In other Apple news, the Mercury Newsreports that the company has resigned from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of its opposition to federal efforts to limit greenhouse gases. And Brad Stone and Ashlee Vance write in the New York Times that "the high-tech industry has been working itself …

I was getting mighty confused as I cruised around the Web this morning with various stories sending messages as mixed as those offered by politicians running for reelection. But Jayne O'Donnell puts it all into perspective with this lede: "Here's what the top retail prognosticators are saying: Americans will buy slightly more, slightly less or the same as they did last holiday season." O'Donnell says that forecasters are just as confused as I was. "The NRF today will predict that holiday retail sales will be down 1%, its most dire holiday forecast ever. The International Council of Shopping Centers …

The California Milk Processor Board's "Battle for Milkquarious" -- a 20-minute Web-only "rock opera" by agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners -- features the exploits of White Gold, which Dan Neil refers to as a "doofus-y guitar-strutter/pitchman" who was once "dairy-averse" but "has been transformed by the power of milk into, well, a refugee from an '80s hair band." White Gold has more than 12,000 fans on his Facebook page, he tweets, and there are five songs - including "Is It Me, or Do You Love My Hair?"-- on iTunes. It's not commerce, and it's not exactly …