Mr. Mays’ wife found him unresponsive Sunday morning.

“My dad didn’t wake up this morning.. I’m sure you’ll all hear about it. It hasn’t yet hit me but it’s about to,” said his son, Billy Mays III via his Twitter account. “He’s gone. I’m gonna be strong for him. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers everyone.”

Mr. Mays is the famous television product spokesman who became so well-known that Discovery Channel created a reality series around his work.

His death is under investigation, but authorities have said it does not appear to be suspicious. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.

According to Tampa’s Bay News 9, Mr. Mays was on US Airways Flight 1241 from Philadelphia to Tampa on Saturday when the flight took a hard landing after the front landing gear blew. No one was reported injured in the flight, but Mays did tell the station that he hit his head.

Mays’ wife, Deborah, said the family was not going to make a public statement and asked everyone to respect their privacy.

The television salesman-turned-star is the latest household-name death to hit the news after the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson in the past two weeks. Mr. Mays was less renowned than the previous three, but he was as well known as many famous entertainers for his bevy of television commercials and the reality show.

The next thing you know, you’re rounding the block, zeroing in on a neon sign containing an aquatic maiden surrounded by a distinctive green loop. Starbucks is beckoning you to over a Venti nonfat half-caff soy latte with extra whip.

So what inspired you to make the purchase? It was not the store location or the advertising that Starbucks pays for. This morning, it was that empty coffee cup you saw in the gutter.

The image of the Starbucks logo triggered your memory to think about your last cup of coffee — how it tasted when the hot liquid met your mouth and when your upper lip touched the frothy whipped topping. And on your way to work, all you can think about is that cup of coffee. You may normally walk past Starbucks, but today you went inside.

Brand logos have an incredibly high value because of their ability to make you, the consumer, instantaneously think about the bigger picture.

If a woman sees a CVS bag blowing down the street, it might remind her that she needs more Q-Tips and shampoo. And when she goes to make that purchase later, she is probably more likely to shop at CVS.

Think about an empty Cinnabon box you see at the mall. Not only are you going to be stopping at American Eagle and Express, but you will be finding your way to the food court to grab a bite of that cinnamony deliciousness. You know in the back of your head that every mall has a Cinnabon, but it is not until you see the empty container that you now want to go there.

What do the Starbucks cup, the CVS bag, and the Cinnabon box all have in common? They are trash!

Trash is driving sales all across America. It’s the company’s logo on the trash that is really driving the sales, but the fact is, it is free advertising for companies. When somebody litters or reuses a bag with a retailer’s name and logo on it, then that person is indirectly driving sales for the company.

There are so many advertisements which bombard us everyday that many times, we simply ignore the message. It seems that incremental sales growth is mostly likely to happen when consumers least expect it-when looking at trash.

Whether it is resting in a waste can or lying in the street, the logos on the trash remind us of things we may want. And once we get thinking, especially about food, many consumers make a purchase. During a difficult time for economic growth, litter-bugs may just be the secret step to growing sales.

The message was clear and to the point: “The Hershey Company does not purchase peanut butter, peanuts or peanut products from Peanut Corporation of America.”

“All Hershey and Reese’s candies are safe to consume,” Hersey Company said in a statement Saturday.

Hershey asserts that all of its brands, including the Reese’s franchise, are safe and unaffected by the recent recall related to peanut butter.

“Peanut butter for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is made in Hershey facilities under the most stringent safety and quality standards,” the company said.

The six-liter, 620 horsepower V12 599 GTB Fiorano debuted at the motor show in Geneva in 2006, spawning awes and gasps from onlookers much to the delight of designer Frank Stephenson.

The Fiorano speeds to 60 miles per hour in the time it takes other cars to warm-up; a mere 3.7 seconds.

The 3,722-pound GTB can run a quarter mile in the time it takes you to read this sentence twice. That’s 11.2 seconds by the way. The car boasts a lowly 5.7-pound per power-to-weight ratio and a powerful 448 pounds of torque at 5600 rpm, one of the lightest and most powerful in Ferrari’s history.

The Fiorano uses an aluminum build for its aerodynamic and light weight build and carries Magneto-Rheological suspension, one unmatched in handling and performance.

The main feature of the powerful Fiorano is the F1-Trac traction system, designed with the aid of the legendary Michael Schumacher, it allows an able driver to run the Fiorano’s test track in just one second less than Schumacher himself. On medium corners the superb handling shows its prowess, on sharper, faster corners, the F1 system takes over to maintain a smooth, comfortable ride.

The traction system is one of the most advanced on the market, with a dynamic stability system and one of the fastest shifting auto-clutch manuals yet, it has been dubbed the F1-SuperFast.

The car is much more advanced in every way than its predecessor, the 575M Maranello. It can race to 60 miles per hour in 0.5 seconds less and carries 80 more horsepower.

With a top speed of over 205 miles per hour and the handling of a sedan, the car is the new pride of Enzo Ferrari.

After seeing the car first-hand, its shine and smooth overtones are its first eye-catchers. It has a sportier and more luxurious outer design than any other Ferrari to date, with an interior that keeps the theme. Simply put: no Ferrari has ever looked better in red.

There isn’t another GT in the world that comes anywhere close to the Fiorano. It’s combination of handling, style and sheer, raw power make it one of the greatest cars to date. Don’t be surprised if it’s a car of the year candidate.

Priced at: $273,845 to start.

Right now, it’s lime.

The Miller Brewing Company introduced Miller Chill in June 2007. The beer has done incredibly well — sales are about to surpass first-year expectations. According to Bloomberg Media, more than 325,000 barrels were sold in the first three months, allowing it to capture one percent of the US beer market-tremendous growth for an introductory product.

Anheuser-Busch just released Bud Light Lime. They intend to drive purchases amidst a struggling economy and stagnant beer sales. Just in time for summer barbecues, Anheuser-Busch is backing Bud Light Lime with a $35 million advertising campaign, MSNBC reports.

So how should beer companies react? Here are my recommendations for several well-known brands.

Bud Light Lime: You hopefully did the research and found that people like lime. Use your leverage as a mass-distributor to get your product to where people buy beer. Then advertise your lime beverage like crazy to get people to try it. A $35 million budget is a nice start. Drive sales up to make the investment worth it and then get out before sales tank.

Miller Chill: With another mass-market competitor entering, your brand will feel the pressure. So you have to make a decision. Do you pull out of the market, take your profit, and let Bud take the share? Or do you increase advertising and take on this new summer refreshment head to head? Not an easy call. I feel that you cannot just let Bud Light have the percent share of the market you worked hard to earn. You have done well this past year and with a little creative advertising, you should go challenge your largest competitor.

Coors Light: Stay out of the “lime craze.” You cannot win. First, you are too late to enter. You cannot compete after both Miller Lite and Bud Light have entered the arena. Second, you pride yourselves on “Rocky Mountain ice cold refreshment.” When people think about limes and beer, the most common association is Corona, which is a Mexican beer. The Rocky Mountain cold does not equate well with warm, Gulf coast beaches. A Coors Lime dilutes your unique positioning proposition.

Corona: Keep doing what you are doing, maybe step up advertising a little bit, but you are the import that owns limes. Lime plus beer equals Corona. What started as a seasonal beer is now the largest import beer in the United States. These other beers will fade and you will remain on top. Keep up the good work.

Guinness: Have no fear Guinness drinkers-your beer will not be changed. If there is one thing that will unite the Protestants and Catholics of Northern Ireland, it is a mutual agreement that fruit does not belong in thick, Irish beer. Your brew will remain unchanged.