It's the 17th in BMW's "Art Car" series. Cliff Kuang writes that Koons' design was inspired by the looked of sonic booms light explosions, and Christmas lights.

Holly Sanders Ware reports that Apple could announce the details of its mobile ad platform when it previews its latest operating system for the iPhone later today in Cupertino.

Interestingly, Jonathan Tepperman had a report in Newsweek a couple of weeks ago that found that some heritage luxury brands that "stayed true to their roots" have thrived during the recession. Among them, Louis Vuitton (see item above), which saw sales double last year. It's not that the luxury landscape isn't changing. "With the crisis, bling bling is passé," says Bernard Arnault, the chairman of Vuitton parent company LVMH. And buyers are "moving away from conspicuous consumption, fat logos, and lively colors," according to HSBC analyst Erwan Rambourg. But established luxury brands with products that stand …

The New Affluents are demanding a new and different kind of relationship from the brands they purchase, writes consultant Ted Arnold. It's not about being expensive. "Luxury" brands, per se, are no longer important to them, or even relevant," according to the 2009 Mendelsohn Affluent Survey. Neither is "overall social status." What these elites want is brand interaction -- a dialogue -- based on integrity, authenticity and performance. "And that means that the days of controlled, top-down brand marketing are over," Arnold writes, "especially for this sector." You probably won't be surprised by many of the …

A flashy ad display wrapped around a Disney World monorail train has purist tourists up in arms, reports Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel. The advertising is part of Disney's early marketing campaign for the movie "Tron: Legacy," and features the image of a motorcycle on the front cab with a yellow trail of light extending the length of the train. It's the first time Disney World has wrapped a monorail with advertising that promotes something other than its theme parks. "What's next, billboards on Cinderella's Castle?" asks one commenter on the company-run theme-park blog. …

Has low-cost Spirit airline travelled to a destination that other carriers may dare not go? That's the assessment of at least one industry observer, frequentfliers.com's Tim Winship. The carrier yesterday became the first U.S. airline to charge for stowing bags in overhead bins, Matt Helms reports. Bags that fit under the seat will still be free. Spirit says the costs -- ranging from $20 to $45 -- will reduce the number of bags people carry on, will speed up boarding and deplaning, and will mostly be offset by its lower fares. "Bring less, pay less. It's simple," …

Barry Janoff focuses on Tiger Woods' comments about his relationships with the brands he's touted over the years during a 30-minute press conference at The Masters in Augusta, Ga., yesterday. Accenture, AT&T and PepsiCo's Gatorade cut ties with Woods; Nike and Ea Sports remain actively in his camp. Other marketing partners include P&G's Gillette, Tag Heuer, Upper Deck, NetJets and TLC Vision. "Do I understand why they dropped me? Of course," Woods said. "I made a lot of mistakes on my part. I totally understand why they would do that." Woods said that he and his …