Nearly a year after publication (and just in time for this summer’s paperback debut!) OBD appears to have made it to Washington. Thanks to OGC, the eagle-eyed reader who forwarded this passage from President Obama’s recent commencement address at Arizona State University:

“We’ve become accustomed to our economic dominance in the world, forgetting that it wasn’t reckless deals and get-rich-quick schemes that got us there; but hard work and smart ideas - quality products and wise investments. So we started taking shortcuts. We started living on credit, instead of building up savings. We saw businesses focus more on rebranding and repackaging than innovating and developing new ideas and products that improve our lives.”

Now, if only the press would snap a shot of Obama with a copy of the book. That would make for some high-profile product placement…

A few recent examples of OBD (thanks to the readers who sent these in):

Fake buzz for the iPhone in Poland

Sample quote: “We couldn’t have expected the same kind of fever as in the United States given that Apple’s products aren’t that well-known in Poland…”

Diagnosis: Sheesh. Another case of faking popularity to rebrand reality, much like flogs and WOMM.

Image is everything in Beijing

Sample quote: “The ruse even extended to getting the weather forecast right so as to simulate the same smog as on the night, and adding camera shake to simulate filming from a helicopter.”

Diagnosis: China takes the gold. Primetime lip-syncing, CGI fireworks, and police officers scolded for not smiling enough—and that’s just the Olympics. Socially, politically, you name it: China is the posterboy of OBD.

Comcast packs the courthouse

Sample quote: “Comcast admits to paying non-Comcast employees to hold spaces!”

Diagnosis: Despicable. Branders love saying, “The brand is in the mind of the consumer”—that is, unless consumers speak their minds against the brand. Then it’s time to pervert the public discourse by paying for mindless, mercinary “consumers.”

Following the Colbert Report interview (and this past Tuesday’s encore presentation) a number of people have asked me about the oddball products discussed during the show. (You may recall the Kool-Aid/Reebok sneakers,  Playdoh cologne, NASCAR romance novel, and others.) While I wish I had them all on display in my office, the bulk of the products was graciously loaned to me by TippingSpring, a New York branding agency with an annual brand-extension survey. Working with Brandweek, TippingSprung polls thousands of marketers to determine the year’s best (PetSmart PetsHotel) and worst (Precious Moments caskets) brand extensions. And because once a year isn’t enough, they also run a great blog on brand extensions - The Brand Elastic. (Among my favorites.) Many thanks to Martyn Tipping and Robert Sprung for extending a hand!

Meanwhile, another tip of the hat to the folks at Zappos. Thanks to Sharon R. and others in the Customer Loyalty department, those lemon-yellow Kool-Aid sneakers made it NY in time for the show. In case you haven’t traveled by air recently, Zappos is the online shoe retailer advertised at the bottom of countless TSA security tubs around the country (a subject discussed here a few weeks ago).

Finally, even if you disagree with comedian Bill Hicks, the bit below is funny stuff. The opening line: “If anyone here is in advertising or marketing, kill yourself.” It gets worse from there. Enjoy. (Thanks to Mark, a regular reader, for forwarding the link.)

Bill Hicks on Marketing

$999.99 - that’s the price of an iPhone screensaver that displays an image of a gem with the message, “I am rich.” Yep: A cool grand for what CNET is calling a “useless” application. Crazy, right? As many as eight people didn’t think so, downloading the “I am rich” program in its first 24 hours online (and prompting the LA Times to declare, “a new status symbol has emerged”). Since then, Apple has removed the program from the App Store without explanation.

Yeah, sorry for the cliched title, but time is of the essence… Just spotted the Colbert interview on Digg. Give it a digg and send it up the ladder!

Colbert Report - Obsessive Branding Disorder
http://digg.com/comedy/Colbert_Report_Obsessive_Branding_Disorder

Lucas Conley on The Colbert Report

Despite promoting the segment under the caption “Gouge Lucas,” Colbert was more surprised than sarcastic when we actually sat down to talk yesterday. Meanwhile, I had a blast. Take a look and let me know what you think!

Tonight’s the night, folks - tune in at 11:30 PM Eastern for Colbert v. Conley: Branding Smackdown. Might be fun… then again, it might be a funeral. Wish me luck!

I’ll post again in the next day or two to respond and reflect.

Not sure I understand why an NFL version of Pepsi will come “with a kick of lemon,” but that’s the plan this August, when the company plans to relaunch Pepsi Twist (RIP, 2000-2006) as “Pepsi Kickoff” with the help of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Begs the question - were football fans really drinking enough Pepsi Twist to spur the rebranding to Pepsi Kickoff? Guess it makes about as much sense as Booty Sweat or Latke-flavored soda!

Interesting list of past and current Pepsi varietals here…

Copyright Lucas Conley 2008

Booty Sweat. Yep: that’s the name of a new energy drink set to hit the market this summer from Paramount Pictures. You read that right. Not Coke or Pepsi… Paramount. Originally conceived as a joke beverage in the upcoming Jack Black-Ben Stiller-Robert Downey Jr. flick, Tropic Thunder, Booty Sweat is not the first product to make the leap from the silver screen to the supermarket (despite Paramount’s claims). The “Delicious and bump up struttin’ energy drink that will pump up a brotha’s ass right-pronto,” follows various products from The Simpsons Movie, Cloverfield’s Slusho, and the original Wonka Bar, from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. According to a story in Adage.com, Boston America Corp. will produce several hundred-thousand cases of the cherry-flavored drink for the film’s release later this summer.