The Whoring of Hope

Brand Obama has filtered it way into piggyback marketing according to this piece from The Guardian.

"Readers of the Daily Express, however, will have noticed their front page made no reference to the new President. It was taken up instead with a full-page advertisement for a Fiat 500 which, it turned out, happened to share its first birthday with the date of Obama's inauguration."

And of course Pepsi has jumped on with their newest logo. Remember the old Pepsi "SEX" logo?

I'm not really surprised about these sorts of things but as blatant as they are it lacks a real sense of innovation in the world of marketing. Recycling appropriated themes to boost products seems an odd reversal and bastardization of postmodernism.

I recall when Bausch and Lomb had their troubles with the ReNu contact lens cleaning solution, as a friend on the advertising account loving referred to it as eye poison, in the wake of an all night spin campaign to hit every major publication the next morning.

I mean really, are people that shallow? Given the current economic climate I suppose any tactic to hustle a brand is needed but this, to me, marks a particularly creepy blend politics and product recognition. Perhaps, we will see a trend in negative product advertising, like a product draped in an orange Gitmo jumpsuit by the competitor or a waterboarding tampon commercial only without the water.

I'll go so far as to say when Prozac jumps on the 21st century Depression buzz we will truly know, we as a culture, are fucked.

UPDATEJust caught a local TV spot for Unclaimed Freight promoting the Barack Obedding Sale.