AutoZone has tapped Doner as creative AOR on its estimated $60 million account after a review in which Interpublic's DraftFCB, Chicago, and Omnicom's TracyLocke were finalists. Linderman Media Group handled the review. The review was unusual because of conflicting reports involving intellectual property. The company said it did not want agencies to pitch competitors for two years. The agencies in the review may or may not have agreed to those terms. David DeMuth, co-CEO-president of Doner, said the agency agreed and said marketers are not increasingly demanding that agencies give up ownership of ideas.

Most people don't know much about Linux. The company, whose OS architecture is the basis for Android, has been just a name at best. That will change now that the company has launched Ubunti "Natty Narwhal," its first desktop release targeted squarely at normal people. Columnist Katherine Noyes says the company's new direction means it needs marketing. "That Linux has come this far without the benefit of a massive promotional budget such as what Microsoft and Apple products enjoy is a testament to the excellent quality of its product," she writes. "If it's to go further, however--beyond its stellar success …

As part of a revision of its marketing for Nivea For Men in the UK, FMCG giant Beiersdorf is moving to digital. The program for the skin-care brand includes a nine-month campaign for Nivea For Men's sponsorship of the England football team to promote its "Preparation is everything" mantra. It is Nivea For Men's first social media push and first web-only TV series. It also is designed to let consumers shape content. Brand manager Linsi Key said the traditional media methods it has used in the past, such as TV and print, won't help it deliver its brand objectives.

Jalopnik has it out for Lotus. This is a fun read, and involves Brian May (thus the astrophysics reference), so enjoy. Liberace is now, apparently, running Lotus.

For decades, cake mix ads have featured moms and children but Duncan Hines is taking a new approach -- and there are no kids in sight. A new commercial features a chocolate cherry torte, "cake pops" and Mexican chocolate cupcakes made with cayenne pepper. The spot, created by BBDO New York, is to appear May 16. Recipes for items featured in the commercial are highlighted on the brand's Facebook page and Web site, as well as on mobile content accessible by scanning a mobile bar code, or QR code, featured in television and print ads.

After the departure of Cammie Dunaway, EVP sales and marketing, last fall, Nintendo has picked a replacement. Scott Moffitt, previously an SVP and general manager with Henkel Consumer Goods, will take the position, reporting to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.

A new TV campaign for Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado makes fun of ad claims by major brands. The four 15-second ads feature the voice of Breckenridge brewmaster and general manager Todd Usry and head brewer Bob Harrington. They tout the brand's Summerbright Ale and Avalanche Ale with humorous lines that make fun of the way major brands tout new ways of packaging their products. One says "Cold is not a flavor"; another says Avalanche Ale has "gravity activated pouring," which means, "When you tip it, beer goes straight into your mouth. When you tip it back, the beer stops flowing."

The third-largest U.S. fast food chain, Wendy's/Arby's said it is making "substantial progress" on the sale of the Arby's brand in spite of shareholder Nelson Peltz. The company said it has narrowed buyers to several bidders. Peltz was influential in the companies merging in 2008, but cutting them asunder would let company leadership expand Wendy's beyond its 6,500 stores.

Today, Red Baron begins an online war against delivery pizza in webisodes features "Deal or No Deal"'s Howie Mandel. Created by St. Louis agency Cannonball, the campaign declares that Red Baron pan pizza, sold by Schwan Food Company, is the "real deal." The Red Baron campaign is "in part a response" to the recent economic jitters created by rising gasoline prices, said Dan Hammer, senior vice president for marketing at Schwan Consumer Brands in Bloomington, Minn.

Jell-O is launching a social media push, "Mood Monitor," this summer on Twitter. The effort involves random mailings of coupons to people who type the emoticon for "frown," : (. They must then respond with a :D, which the company terms a "pudding face." The company is going to do the program only if the general mood on Twitter is bad, and will monitor the platform to find that moment. Kraft's director of marketing for Jell-O, Cindy Chen, said that when the national average of smiley faces reaches 51%, the company will give Jell-O pudding incentives via coupons to …