2012

It seems fitting to me Dave Brubeck died on the way to his cardiologist, on his way to have that great heart of his checked out. It was that great heart that hit its final downbeat today, the day before Dave's 92nd birthday. As the news continues to sink in and I continue think about the incredible person that was Dave Brubeck, I keep going back to that heart. His powerful heart that beat for nearly 92 solid years after his parents welcomed him in Concord, California.

So, am I the only one who didn't pay much attention to the stunt when the guy broke the sound barrier?  I guess 8 million people watched it live, but when I saw the story on the web, I thought, "Ho hum."  It's not that it wasn't a feat, and must have been incredibly frightening and cool at the same time, but I was hardly overwhelmed with excitement.  And, here's the kicker, I didn't even read the writing all over the guy's suit.  There.  I said it.  I didn't even notice it.  Sponosors' logos on sportswear have become ubiquitous.  Like graffiti, they make people's eyes glaze over.  

And yet, marketing people are all abuzz about the marketing genius of Red Bull Stratos further blurring the lines of differentiation between advertising, cause marketing and blatant self-promotion. 

Was this a brilliant was to sell more product?  Probably.  As a non-user of energy drinks in general, my loss is no big deal to them.  Besides, I'm hardly in the demo.  

But from another point of view, I can't think of much that would make me less likely to ever consider the purchase of a Red Bull can.  I find this stunt environmentally offensive.  The author of the post says, "The beauty of Red Bull Stratos is that it's not just a sensational stunt, but a business move that could translate into estimated sales of tens of millions of dollars, according to Ben Sturner, founder and CEO of Leverage Agency, a New York City-based sports, entertainment and media marketing company."  Ick.