How's this as a metaphor for the dorm-room Internet mogul hiring his grandpa: 12-year-old auto shopping and research site AutoTrader.com has bought 84-year old competitor Kelley Blue Book. The deal also gives AutoTrader Kelley Blue Book's sister companies CDMdata and CDM Dealer Services. The Atlanta-based company won't disclose financial details of the deal that makes Kelley Blue Book a subsidiary of AutoTrader.com. The acquired company will stay in Irvine, Calif. Kelley Blue Book President and CEO Paul Johnson was optimistic that the deal would help KBB grow "In the vehicle valuation and consumer car shopping spaces." 
AutoTrader.com …

Omnicom’s PHD unit has raided GroupM’s Andrew McLean as its new U.S. CEO, replacing Scott Hagedorn, who is moving over to Omnicom’s digital data analytics firm Annalect as its chief. McLean was chief business development officer at GroupM Worldwide, and a member of its global executive committee.

Just in case you missed out on Neiman Marcus' $75,000 holiday-edition Camaro convertibles last week, there's still time to treat someone you love to overpriced luxury this year: Victoria's Secret says model Adriana Lima will model this year's Bombshell Fantasy Bra, valued at $2 million. The custom boulder-holder contains 60 carats of diamonds and 82 carats of sapphires and topazes, all set in 18 karat white gold. While the bra technically doesn't make its debut until Nov.30, when Lima will sashay down the runway during The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, catalogs are arriving in mailboxes now, and Victoria's Secret …

Google’s AdMob has introduced video ads for the Android platform nearly a year after doing so for the iPhone. The new full-screen video units be available only for the most popular Android apps and will appear when an a program is launched or within apps. Since launching video ads for the iPhone in November 2009, AdMob said it has run more than 120 campaigns for advertisers including Universal Pictures, Best Buy and Seattle’s Best Coffee.  “Extending rich media interstitial ad units to Android creates an exciting opportunity for mobile advertisers to reach a much wider audience across platforms and …

Diageo's Jose Cuervo tequila is promoting the national finals of its CuervoGames with tongue-in-cheek PR outreach to former New York governor Eliot Spitzer and Major League Baseball officials. On Oct. 22, following the news that the Harvard Club had rejected Spitzer's application for membership (he graduated Harvard Law in 1984), Cuervo sent out a press release/open invitation to Spitzer to be Cuervo's guest at the CuervoGames, to take place Oct. 30 in Las Vegas. This morning, Cuervo followed up with another release/open letter—this time asking MLB officials to reschedule game 3 of the World Series, scheduled for Oct. …

Please. It really seemed just a matter of time. Television networks ABC, CBS and NBC will block Google TV viewers from its shows, according to Google. The Washington Post reports Google confirmed ongoing negotiations with the companies to deliver Web versions of their shows. Is it time for federal regulators to step in and oversee the the growing market for Internet television?

While Gen Y consumers are considerably more engaged in societal issues than those in older generations, they are 15% to 25% less likely to base their actual purchasing decisions on issues they deem important, according to research from attitudinal targeting company Resonate Networks. Instead, those 18 to 34 are most likely to buy products that reflect and convey their personal achievement and success to others. Compared to those 35 and older, Gen Y's are more likely to base purchases on product attributes that include innovation, esthetics, popularity and prestige, the research shows. In fact, they are five times …

With consumers still reluctant to use credit cards, Sears hopes to increase consumer borrowing by rolling out a new payment option, called the Sears Monthly Payment Plan. The plan will let consumers who are leery of unexpected finance charges make purchases with a fixed, low annual percentage rate, and payments that extend over 48 months. Sears, which also offers customers layaway options as well as its Sears branded card, says it wanted to offer credit-shy customers more financing options. "The monthly payment plan is a smart shopping solution that makes it more affordable for customers to pay for …

To promote its new app for the iPhone and Android devices, meetMoi is sponsoring an event the first week of November that will pair 500 men and women in New York using the MeetMoi NOW app based on their preferences and location. When MeetMoi's system finds a match of compatible profiles, and the two people agree to meet, it will suggest the location of a nearby participating bar for them to meet and even buy a round of drinks. MeetMoi says it never discloses someone's exact location, just when someone is nearby. Nothing like GPS-based romance. Perhaps in …

Single-malt Scotch brand Glenfiddich is launching a multi-million dollar advertising and marketing campaign. The campaign, focused around a visual creative and the tag “One Day You Will” combines out of home, print and targeted online media buys with a series of events in key U.S. markets. The creative, via London-based Leagas Delaney centers on photography of scenarios meant to inspire awe around themes of exploration and achievement. The new positioning will include a series of out of home billboards in New York’s Times Square, as well as in central locations in Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago.  Print ads …