Corporations

McDonald's and MTV Networks have partnered, in a bid by the fast-food giant "to reach young people without running advertisements." Instead of ads, a new "30-minute monthly programme called MTV Advance Warning" will "feature new musical talent combined with McDonald's advertising imagery." The program will run in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia. The move comes as officials in the U.S.

"In recent weeks, senior politicians from Germany's two biggest parties resigned following disclosures that they received tens of thousands of euros from corporate benefactors," even though "the payments were legal." Throughout Europe, companies are increasingly doing "aggressive lobbying in the absence of rules to rein them in." Public outrage has led watchdogs like the Corporate Europe Observatory to push for disclosure laws, though "many compa

South Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy is working with the new Corporate Love Council, "to eliminate the public's hostility toward corporations and bolster confidence in enterprises this year." Minister Lee Hee-beom explained, "Anti-corporate sentiment of Korean citizens has reached an alarming level." The Corporate Love Council "was launched by civic groups and business organizations." Its top initiatives are "economy education for youths and educators and the revision of economy tex

Declaring "a new milestone for the commercialization of blogs," AdAge.com reports that Sony Consumer Electronics e-Solutions Group is paying $25,000 a month to be the exclusive sponsor of LifeHacker, a new weblog published by Gawker Media "about the software of personal gadgetry." Gawker blog readers are considered "prime influencers" or "connectors" on technology issues.