Business Diary: The BBC sends Lloyds into a spin

Something of a howler from the BBC in its efforts to promote last night's documentary on the credit crisis, The Love of Money. Keen to highlight the revelation in the programme that two banks came within hours of collapse last year, the Beeb put out a press release wrongly suggesting that one of them was Lloyds TSB. It had to publish a very swift correction.

A bag of goodies in name alone

Times are hard in the retail industry and the British Retail Consortium's annual dinner at the swanky Grosvenor House Hotel had to reflect that. So it was that the goodie bag handed out to guests at the industry's blue riband event had been put together by someone with skilful budgeting skills. Poundland supplied a Hallowe'en mask, while 99p Stores (you can see their marketing strategy) offered a bikini. Who knows what keynote speaker Lord Mandelson made of his gifts.

A campaign that is bound to clean up

A big thank-you to Clinical Solutions, which has sent us a little gift to promote its guide for businesses on how to combat swine flu. We're not sure what the small business is suggesting about our standards of cleanliness here, but rest assured, the handwash will be put to good use.

Uniqlo launches talent contest for fresh faces

Fancy starring in an advertising campaign? Uniqlo, the clothing chain, is looking for real people to front its next set of adverts – in particular, its marketing agency is casting for a young professional female, and is offering a £10,000 payment to the successful candidate. You just need to be "25-39 years old (or older if still looks Fresh)". They're not kidding, so if that sounds like you, get in touch.

Dial this number for romance

Mills & Boon isn't the sort of publisher one associates with cutting-edge technology, but that may be unfair. It is just about to start giving away its back catalogue on e-book, with the texts downloadable by mobile phone.

Number of the day: 2,000

The number of journalists at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh – significantly outnumbering the 1,200 delegates.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk