Comments on: Cheetos Lip Balm & More Bizarre Brand Extensions

By: hflipper

hflipper — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:39:03 +0000

I have a pair of Caterpillar sandals. Yes, Caterpillar… of bulldozer fame. (These are women’s open-toe sandals, by the way. Not really likely to be worn while operating a bulldozer. But they’re super cute!)

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:33:35 +0000

The S&W bikes aren’t that far off-base. I remember when I could buy Kawasaki or Harley-Davidson mountain bikes, and if you Google “VW bicycle” or “Porsche bicycle” you might be surprised with what you find.

By: El Santo

El Santo — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:54:19 +0000

I’ll be honest with you … I’m kinda digging the Smith & Wesson bikes. It’s the same attraction to wanting to get a Ford Crown Victoria: respect.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:08:00 +0000

@al

Really? Eddie Bauer Ford Explorers are strange to you? Lots of car maker have tried brand cross overs…for example:

Coach + Lexus LS400
Cartier + Lincoln Town Car
Harley Davidson + Ford F-150
Hermes + Bugatti Veyron (my personal favorite)
Warner Brothers + Chevy Venture

By: Pauly Singh

Pauly Singh — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Mario,
These are perfect examples of what Al Ries and Jack Trout have been begging for executives to read about in their countless books (most recently “In Search of the Obvious”, even the book titles show their frustration) for over 30 years!

Brand extensions almost always dilute the value of the main brand and cheapen it to its loyal followers.

Porsches can no longer be considered exclusively 2-door coupe/convertible sporty cars with incredible handling, ever since they added the Cayenne SUV and Panamera 4-door coupes.

Coke is no longer Coca-Cola. It’s Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke Caffiene-Free, Vanilla Coke, Diet Vanilla Coke, Cherry Coke, Diet Cherry Coke, etc.

By: Zach

Zach — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:54:00 +0000

I worked at a bookstore until a few months ago, and can confirm that NASCAR romance novels are indeed still on shelves a selling well enough.

By: marty

marty — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:07:00 +0000

I think they worst offender of bizarre brand extensions is John Deere. Everything can carry that name!

By: becks

becks — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Gatorade made bubble gum in the late 80s. I never cared much for the drink, but I remember enjoying the tart flavor of the gum.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:01:00 +0000

On a related topic, how about an article on odd store combos. For example, there is a store in Geneva that sells only carpet and wine. There’s also a Thai restaurant in Interlaken that rents scooters and mini-cars.

By: Monica

Monica — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:04:00 +0000

It’s weird when you go to the store and see the line of Aquafina bath products. I guess it’s not that crazy since they normally manufacture water.