So this is, perhaps, a cold cup of coffee on a Monday morning. But like removing a band aid, sometimes you just have to grip it and rip it.
My in-box has been bursting with "seen on the red carpet", and the latest Omega brand ambassador who won a medal, or an astronaut visiting the hospitality tent - and it begs the question -
who the f*&ck cares?
When I was a young man of a certain age, I was obsessed with the Rolex GMT Master - because Thomas Magnum wore one on Magnum PI. Whether or not this was an intentional product placement or not, it made a big impact. And it was effective because it was not overt. And it bears mentioning that Magnum PI was a fictional character ; )
It has been proven by some tiny little brands that hundreds of thousands of dollars do not need to be dispatched to the pockets of famous athletes and entertainers to ensure the longevity of their brand or the desirability of their watches.
Who is the celebrity ambassador for Patek Philippe? Panerai? Vacheron Constantin?
Exactly.
And what of other big-boy brands? Audemars Piguet had Lebron James as a paid ambassador at one point, but clearly nothing lasts forever as he was photographed wearing a Rolex recently.
Hublot was partnered with Manchester United, then they weren't, now they are again - at a cost of mere millions.
And Omega took pains to inform me this morning that a famous fashion designer visited their hospitality tent - needless to say, I wasn't invited - and neither were you for that matter, so why should you care?
The list goes on and on. And if anyone was honestly looking at the balance sheet for a real understanding on the return of investment gained out of these partnerships, there might be some very uncomfortable questions to be answered.
Which then brings it back to you, gentle reader. Panerai might have gotten a jump-start from Sylvester Stallone wandering into their boutique way back when, but what is now driving it is the desire people have for their watches. The same for Patek and others who aren't chugging the PR Kool-Aid.
So before you get all worked-up to go and plop down your American Express Unobtainium card to "Be Like Mike" and buy a watch based on a celebrity partnership, just ask yourself:
My in-box has been bursting with "seen on the red carpet", and the latest Omega brand ambassador who won a medal, or an astronaut visiting the hospitality tent - and it begs the question -
who the f*&ck cares?
 |
| Shameless borrowed from the world-wide info web |
It has been proven by some tiny little brands that hundreds of thousands of dollars do not need to be dispatched to the pockets of famous athletes and entertainers to ensure the longevity of their brand or the desirability of their watches.
Who is the celebrity ambassador for Patek Philippe? Panerai? Vacheron Constantin?
Exactly.
And what of other big-boy brands? Audemars Piguet had Lebron James as a paid ambassador at one point, but clearly nothing lasts forever as he was photographed wearing a Rolex recently.
Hublot was partnered with Manchester United, then they weren't, now they are again - at a cost of mere millions.
And Omega took pains to inform me this morning that a famous fashion designer visited their hospitality tent - needless to say, I wasn't invited - and neither were you for that matter, so why should you care?
The list goes on and on. And if anyone was honestly looking at the balance sheet for a real understanding on the return of investment gained out of these partnerships, there might be some very uncomfortable questions to be answered.
Which then brings it back to you, gentle reader. Panerai might have gotten a jump-start from Sylvester Stallone wandering into their boutique way back when, but what is now driving it is the desire people have for their watches. The same for Patek and others who aren't chugging the PR Kool-Aid.
 |
| Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info web |
Are you excited about the watch, or about the person who is paid to wear the watch? And more importantly, as a consumer is it your responsibility to help fund the vainglorious marketing foibles of a PR office completely devoid of creative ideas?
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