Even though Woods' endorsement contract for GM's Buick brand ended in 2008, Woods had been allowed to keep several vehicles, including the Cadillac SUV and reportedly a Buick Enclave crossover, for his personal use. But the agreement that allowed the world's richest professional golfer access to those new vehicles ended Dec. 31, said Buick spokeswoman Dayna Hart. The agreement was in place before the crash.

The response to Levi Strauss put it at 83 on the customer satisfaction meter, up 6.4 percent from 78 a year ago. That's just below Levi's all-time high of 84 in 1994 — and the first time the brand has held that much appeal for the 100,000 people polled annually about their buying habits in the 15 years since then. The satisfaction index is pegged to a baseline of 100.

The classic denim brand has been lifted, in part, by its optimistic, youthful, pioneering "Go Forth" marketing message, said spokeswoman Erica Archambault. "It is a reminder that Levi's are jeans of people who work hard, are self-reliant and independent." Also clicking with shoppers, Archambault said, are "innovative" finishes, such as Levi's "rips and repairs, destructed look."

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Like Levi Strauss, Liz Claiborne received its best customer reviews since 1994, advancing 3.8 percent to score an 82 (versus 84 in the first-ever index). Affordable offerings in Liz Claiborne's Kate Spade and Juicy Couture collections, as well as the addition of Isaac Mizrahi to design Liz Claiborne New York, led consumers to "see more value" in the company's apparel, Fornell said.

Beauty Contact Inc., a Dubai-based cosmetic company and holder of the fragrance licence, said yesterday it will launch the Cadillac line in stores this fall to mark the brand's 100th anniversary.

"Cadillac, the new fragrance for men is part of the recent Cadillac renaissance: Hot new products and redesigns that capture the mantra of life, liberty and the pursuit," said Alwyn Stephen, a Beauty Contact director.

"Our fragrance is a relevant extension of the Cadillac lifestyle."

The line includes a spray, aftershave lotion, deodorant stick, hair and body wash. Some products will come in translucent glass bottles with sleek metal caps. The retail price for a 100 millilitre bottle of the eau de toilette fragrance will be $73.

Beyonce reclaimed her bootylicious curves (and then some!) to play soul singer Etta James in the upcoming film Cadillac Records. "I gained almost 15 pounds to play the role," Beyoncé, 27, says in the November issue of In Style. "It was way easier - and tastier - than having to lose so much weight for Dreamgirls."

Her legendary role didn't only affect her figure, but it also rubbed off on her music. "Lyrically, it's deeper than what I've done before," the singer, who recently debuted two singles, says of her album due Nov. 18. "I wasn't mature enough or old enough, or in touch with myself enough, to do this type of album before. I didn't have the guts."

Decades before Lexus or Acura, Cadillac was the gold standard for American presidents, movie stars and titans of industry. But the 102-year-old brand fell on hard times in the 1980s and 1990s. The rollout of the Escalade three years ago enabled it to make a stylish splash in the world of $50,000-plus luxury SUVs. Ads by Chemistri in Troy, Mich., use Led Zeppelin to give a rock 'n' roll edge to the brand. But it was the unexpected embrace of Cadillac by pop culture icons that gave it the kind of buzz money can't buy.