A Brand Too Far?

So they're thinking of renaming the Olympic Stadium the Ann Summers Stadium once 2012's Games are over. Not sure whether to laugh or cry!

Naming a sports stadium after a sex toy company. That's a first. Laughable to us but a marketing masterstroke for Ann Summers. Being a Newcastle United fan, I console myself that there'll now be a stadium with a ghastlier name than our former 'Sportsdirect.com@St James' Park Stadium'!

As I've said in earlier entries, I'm interested in advertising. I once read Naomi Klein's No Logo, a scathing attack on globalisation and corporate culture. In it she wrote how even people are becoming branded by having company logos etc. tattooed on themselves in return for scholarships or whatever. Extreme, yes, but what people do with their own body is their business.

That said, 'Ann Summers Stadium' is a step too far even for me. Change is good, there's no disputing that. But do we follow the money so much now that we'll just throw all integrity or self-respect outta the window?

After the impressively monumental fiasco with the tickets for the 2012 Games, I can see them in the meeting room: 

Okay, we've made a hash of the tickets, yes, but it's not too late to put things right if we can just come up with a good name for the stadium. Now, I had a call from Ann Summers and they suggested calling it the "Ann Summers Stadium". We've already stuffed up the tickets thingy, so I say "What the hell!" and just go with it anyway and make a big pile of money. In all fairness, it does have a kinda ring to it. So can I get a show of hands on 'Ann Summers Stadium'?... Ann Summers it is. You may go about your business.

And Britain, your cringing time starts... Now! Or laughter if you support Newcastle! Muahahahahaha!