When its latest line of jeans -- the Wasteless Denim Collection -- arrives in stores early next year, the pitch will be: "These jeans are made of garbage." Crushed brown and green plastic bottles will be on display nearby. Eight of those are blended into each pair. We want to build sustainability into everything we do," said Michael Kobori, the vice president of supply chain social and environmental sustainability.

Apple has the rumor machine down cold. The company knows how to generate buzz merely by keeping mum. Today Apple will make a huge announcement, and while people have been talking about it probably being the Apple Mini, who really knows for sure? Secrecy keeps Apple ahead of competitors, yes, but it's also free advertising. Said Baba Shiv, the director of Stanford Graduate School of Business's strategic executive marketing program, "What's unique about Apple is that they don't do the teasing," he says. "They let their fans do it."

Walgreens has announced the appointment of Brad Fluegel as SVP and chief strategy officer. Fluegel will be responsible for corporate strategy, business development, project management and the corporate consulting team while also working on venture capital efforts Fluegel was executive in residence at Health Evolution Partners. Before that he was EVP and chief strategy and external affairs officer of health benefits company Wellpoint.

LG's doing an "explaining-ideas-behind-concepts" video to tout the Optimus G smartphone. One video shows senior research engineer Sebastian Hochan Song explaining the inspiration and process behind the new phone's QSlide multi-tasking function.

Kroger Co. has stopped selling sprouts to stores and distribution centers because they may be carrying pathogens. "After a thorough, science-based review, we have decided to voluntarily discontinue selling fresh sprouts," Payton Pruett, Kroger's VP of food safety, said in a statement. FoodSafety.gov, an official U.S. government website, has reported outbreaks over the years of food-borne illness associated with different types of raw and lightly cooked sprouts.

Fox's "American Idol" has fallen to No. 2 on Advertising Age's annual list of shows with the highest ad rates. The average cost of a 30-second spot on the Wednesday night edition of "Idol" has fallen by a full third, to $340,825. That puts its ad price behind that of football. It may have something to do with the fact that the franchise's ratings are falling faster than Felix Baumgartner on a flying futon. Come to think of it, maybe they should do the show from a dirigible.

C.J. O'Donnell, the marketing chief charged with the rebuilding of the Lincoln brand, has been reassigned to oversee marketing of Ford's fast-expanding line of electric vehicles. The move leaves Lincoln without a marketing manager as the brand prepares to launch the first of four all-new vehicles that are meant to revive the brand.

Ford Motor Co. has opened a dedicated Lincoln Design Center in Dearborn, Mich., part of its effort to put the evanescing brand back in the running versus BMW, Lexus and even Cadillac. The new design center and studio will have 150 designers, craftspeople and engineers dedicated solely to Lincoln production and concept vehicles, Ford said. It also marks the first time in 40 years that all the disciplines required to develop a new vehicle for Ford's up-market brand, both creative and technical, will work collaboratively in one space.

A Tennessee market research and branding firm is defining the image of Enterprise Florida Inc., that state's economic development organization. Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies will "uncover Florida's business brand" and "express the identity we want the world to see as it pertains to business," said Melissa Medley, chief marketing officer for Enterprise Florida, wrote in an Oct. 12 email. Tampa's ChappellRoberts and two other Florida firms were passed over for the six-figure branding.

Denver ad agency Factory Design Labs announced Thursday that it has opened new offices in Verbier, Switzerland, and Shanghai, China, to help its U.S. clients, including The North Face and Oakley, grow their brands in China and Europe. Scott Mellin, chief executive of the agency, said that Factory Design Labs is focused on rapidly expanding worldwide to help its brand clients.