Fame is a Four-Letter Word

On February 16th, in a rare public appearance at the New York Public Library, great German director Werner Herzog announced that "The Anna Nicole Smith show is a monumental failure of civilization." It was eight days after the death of a woman who was famous for becoming famous, and the media frenzy was at fever pitch.

What does it mean when major cable news networks are providing non-stop live coverage of the unfortunate death of a woman better known for her bust size than anything else? In today's media-saturated culture where a perfectly unremarkable person can become an insta-star via YouTube, Anna Nicole's life (and death) represents the ugly mutation of the American Dream. She embodied self-invention, with her various forays into anatomical manipulation and publicity-drawing relationships. She also embodied the sad limitations of our culture's mindless pursuit of fame and fortune.

Trying to put a finger on the American Dream seems to be top of mind for a lot of people these days. We're waxing nostalgic about the days when hard work and perseverence meant something (Will Smith's "The Pursuit of Happyness") while simultaneously despairing over the hollowness of material wealth (MTV's "My Super Sweet 16"). The great Cadillac tagline tells us, "Life. Liberty. And the Pursuit." The pursuit of what? Like the MasterCard Priceless campaign, it's a fill-in-the-blank proposition that makes us stop and think about what it's all for. Hopefully, it's something more than a Cadillac sedan or a snarky obituary on Gawker.

Political Hunger

The lefty ice cream makers Ben & Jerry recently launched a new flavor called "Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream." Described on their website as, "the sweet taste of libery in your mouth," the new ice cream is one of the first mainstream examples of overtly political branding. The Vermont guys appeared on Colbert's show to introduce the ice cream and talk about how half the federal budget currently goes to the Pentagon, at the expense of much-needed social programs.

In today's MySpace culture of wearing our personal beliefs and preferences on our sleeves, brands will find it increasingly difficult not to have a point of view on the critical issues of our time. Divisive topics ranging from the Iraq war, global warming, Intelligent Design, and gay rights are going to influence consumer choices more and more. It has already happened in the eco arena, where owning a Toyota Prius has become the equivalent of a very public membership to the Sierra Club.

As consumers become more emboldened about their political views, brands that are unafraid to make statements will take the lead. Like the Mac vs. PC ads by Apple, we've entered an era where the brand choices we make say more about us than what school we went to or what city we're from. It's just a matter of time before political analysts will be able to predict the outcomes of elections based on the sales of sodas and ice cream.