The Pep Boys automotive aftermarket chain is touting its in-store automotive service as well as its retail aftermarket parts business in its largest campaign to date. The campaign, via Zimmerman Advertising, features founders Manny, Moe & Jack as miniature bobble toys who nod in unison when car owners extol the virtues of buying auto parts and doing it yourself or bringing their cars in to one of the Pep Boys stores for service. The television, radio, print and Internet and grassroots campaign The effort, on channels like CNN, Spike TV and ESPN includes a new website and uses …

Lexus is hoping to bring younger consumers into the luxury marque by promoting its 5th hybrid around a global-warming debate series. The initial "Darker Side of Green" debate was this spring in New York, and had comic Sarah Silverman moderating a debate between a global warming skeptic and an alternative-energy advocate. The expanded program, promoting the CT 200h hybrid sedan, will continue the theme, with celebrity moderators and legitimate antagonists. The company says, for example, that Andy Samberg, Jamie Kennedy, Tracey Morgan, and Mark McGrath will moderate upcoming debates, which also have Lexus vehicles on site. The events …

Expanding its original content push, Yahoo Tuesday formally launched "The Upshot," its latest news blog that's been running in beta as "The Newsroom" since April. Upshot's eight staffers high profile writers recruited from political and media sites including Editor Andrew Golis, previously of Talking Points Memo, and Deputy Editor Chris Lehmann, from CQ, the Washington Post and New York Magazine, and Michael Calderone, formerly of Politico. Golis lays out the blog's mission statement here.

Just three days after being named president and CEO of Walmart U.S., Bill Simon has announced that John Fleming, chief merchandising officer, is leaving the company. Fleming, who has been with Walmart 10 years, was previously the chief marketing officer, best known for bringing on the highly controversial Julie Roehm. Just weeks after her firing in December, 2006—a black eye that stayed with Walmart for months--Fleming was shifted over to merchandising, and replaced in the CMO role by Stephen Quinn, who remains in that role, and reports to Simon.

A group including former New York Daily News Publisher Fred Drasner is mounting a bid to acquire Newsweek magazine, reports Reuters. The Washington Post Co. put the newsweekly on the block, and Reuters says Drasner is part of a team that also includes former Dow Jones News executive Paul Ingrassia and Alan Webber, founder of Fast Company magazine, which has made a bid to acquire it.

Under fire for wireless reception problems caused by the wraparound antenna on the iPhone 4, Apple conceded Friday that all of its phones mistakenly inflate their signal strength. The company said the method it uses to determine how many bars to display was incorrect. In many cases it will show two more bars than it should for a given signal level, such as four bars instead of two, leading users to believe reception is stronger than actually it is. "Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal …

Nissan has signed with Apple's advertising platform, iAd, to promote its its zero-emission Nissan Leaf electric car. Nissan is also the only automotive brand to date to use the platform. Reps say the iAds will help Nissan continue to reach the early adopters and will also target the 15,000 or so customers who have already placed reservations for the car, which will be available beginning in December with full mass-market availability by 2012.--Karl Greenberg

Ford, which has been title sponsor of the Ironman competition since 2005 is reupping this year to promote its Edge crossover. The sponsorship puts the Edge in advertising, online Webisodes, on-site displays, demonstrations and race integrations. There are seven qualifying Ironman events in the U.S.followed by the "Ford Ironman World Championship" in Hawaii. There are also five Half-Ironman programs. Jim Peters, manager of Ford Brand Content and Alliances, says the connection to Ironman will help publicize Ford's in-car tech like MyFord Touch driver connect technology. Ford says its involvement with Ironman pays off -- between 2006 and …

Seeking to bolster its wireless research practice, comScore said Thursday it had acquired the products division of Nexius, which provides analytics on wireless network performance, capacity and configuration. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition would broaden comScore's offerings aimed at mobile operators, providing data meant to help wireless providers build more efficient networks and improve customer service. The wireless analytics capability added through the Nexius deal could be integrated with separate comScore tools to help media clients expanding into mobile. "The explosive growth of mobile data services is driving growth and profitability in …

The Burgerville QSR chain is using a branded YouTube channel, Burgerville TV, to combine its fresh, local, sustainable food brand message with support of grassroots community efforts that contribute to the accessibility of sustainable food. The new branded channel is hosted by president/CEO Jeff Harvey, who introduces the brand-posted videos offered.  In an introductory "Meet the president/CEO" video, Harvey talks about Burgerville's philosophy and explains that Burgerville TV will let customers in on the behind-the-scenes practices and decisions that go into its menu offerings. Citing the brand's close relationships with the communities it serves and research from …