branding

Your Name Here

cityfile · 11/02/09 11:45AM

The GM Building may not be the GM Building for much longer. Naming rights are up for grabs now that the automaker has gone bankrupt. And it's quite an opportunity: "This is the first time since 1968, when General Motors completed construction of the 50-story tower at 767 Fifth Avenue, that the rights to dub perhaps the single most coveted skyscraper in the country—on Fifth Avenue, above the Apple cube, across from the Plaza and Central Park, in the center of what is arguably the country's, if not the world's, most glamorous shopping district—are available." Let's all hope that existing tenant Apple swoops in and lands the deal. Otherwise, the building named after a bankrupt automaker could go back to looking like this, which wouldn't be an improvement at all, now would it? [NYO]

Ferrari Sets Its Sights on Luxury Real Estate

cityfile · 10/30/09 10:34AM

If you loved the idea of a Hermès-branded helicopter, you're going to be thrilled to hear that Ferrari is now in talks to stamp its name of a line of luxury homes. If the deal goes through, you'd have to move to Abu Dhabi to actually be able to move into a house with a prancing horse statue on the roof. But that may not be such a bad thing considering you'd be close to the long-delayed Ferrari indoor amusement park that, when finished, will boast the world's fastest roller coaster. [Maktoob via WSJ]

Branding Belies Bravery

Hamilton Nolan · 10/15/09 01:08PM

Procter & Gamble is bravely helping women in Singapore overcome the cultural taboo associated with menstruation. Its marketing campaign empowers women to understand that periods are nothing to be ashamed of. That's why they named their product "Whisper." [WSJ]

Code Theft Allegations Can't Stop iPhone Bubble

Ryan Tate · 09/08/09 12:12PM

Foursquare has raised its first venture capital investment, and it couldn't have been easy: There are persistent rumors the social networking company stole its code from Google. Plus, it wanted to invest the money in a domain name. Ooof.

Harvard Gets Desperate

cityfile · 08/06/09 03:28PM

Good news, Harvard graduates! Your esteemed university has handed over its vaunted name to Wearwolf Group, a garment maker that plans to "take advantage of a taste for seersucker, khakis, loafers and other 'preppy' attire" with a line of clothing called "Harvard Yard." According to Wearwolf, which has done work for other prestigious brands in the past like Jos. A. Bank, trousers will start at $195, shirts will retail for $160 and up, and sportcoats will go for $495, and they will all "reflect Harvard's quality, heritage and excellence." Even better: It shouldn't be long before the university is able to begin serving hot meals to students once again. [Bloomberg via Dealbreaker]

The Ronsons Have Some Sneakers To Sell You

cityfile · 08/05/09 12:18PM

How many members of the Ronson clan are now in the business of selling sneakers? If you guessed more than one, congrats—you win. Gucci has tapped Mark Ronson to design a line of kicks called "Gucci Ronsons," which will debut when a bunch of "sneakers-only pop-up shops" open up this fall.

At Least You Have Beer In a Box

Hamilton Nolan · 07/29/09 11:00AM

Are you a sad football-watching drunk who wants nothing more than to guzzle cheap American beer and pass out in front of the flickering televised sporting contest, momentarily forgetting your copious problems? No, you're the future of beer marketing!