Felony Arrests As Marketing Gimmick?

July 29, 2002 3:00 PM

Felony Arrests As Marketing Gimmick? AdAge columnist Scott Donaton perceives the recent spate of celebrities committing crimes as a new marketing scheme. Although the column is tongue-in-cheek, it raises a good point: could all these shenanigans just be a new way to gain street cred and ink more lucrative endorsement deals? Case in point: Allen Iverson-branded Reebok products flew off the shelves after his arrest, though today a judge threw out most of the charges In the meantime, squeaky clean Kobe has trouble building street cred.
posted by me3dia (6 comments total)

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."
--H.L. Mencken
posted by signal at 3:33 PM on July 29, 2002

Hugh Grant's career got out of its slump after the incident with the prostitute, iirc.

Winona doesn't really seem to be going anywhere though.
posted by ODiV at 5:14 PM on July 29, 2002

Winona doesn't really seem to be going anywhere though.

Oh, come on! Her role in Mr. Deeds was a master turn!

Anyway, I think OJ paved the way for this sort of thing. He showed that, with enough legal backing, you could get away with murder and keep on working. (Granted, he's not exactly the role model he once was, but his name is still everywhere.)
posted by Voice of God at 5:28 PM on July 29, 2002

Somebody is making money off Winona's troubles.
posted by muckster at 5:51 PM on July 29, 2002

it's hard not to like a guy who's gifted on the basketball court and fluent in italian.
posted by brigita at 10:11 PM on July 29, 2002

Well, who do you think of when you hear the phrase "slow white Bronco"? OJ Simpson, or John Elway? shamelessly stolen, source forgotten. my bad.
posted by swell at 12:20 AM on July 30, 2002