Well, that didn't take long.

A TV commercial referencing the world's most famous flight attendant will run in the New York City market starting on Monday. The New York Times' Stuart Elliott reports that the New York Sports Clubs chain has jumped on Steven Slater's slide to fame.

The fitness clubs' new commercial won't feature Slater, who's out on bail following Monday's dramatic resignation from JetBlue, but will allude to the cabin rage incident with the tagline, "Flight attendants, be fit when you hit the slide."

Other brand marketers are debating how (and whether) to tap into Slater, who's riding out his 15 minutes of fame.

Chris Raih, founder and managing director of Los Angeles-based creative agency Zambezi, has discussed Slater with his colleagues. He yesterday told the Hollywood Reporter, "I don't think any brand will be fast enough to capitalize on this moment." Let's hope he didn't put money on that.

Slater, meanwhile, may cash in his 15 minutes-of-fame chips in an unexpected direction: the fashion industry, with his ex-wife telling the New York Post that he's an aspiring designer. From the JFK runway to Project Runway? Depends whether he's found guilty of criminal mischief, which carries a maximum seven-year sentence.

At this point, even obvious jokes about Martha Stewart and ankle bracelets for pets would be – well, pretty lame.

That’s because the Doyenne of Domesticity has put the past far enough behind her that her brand now can license even dog leashes without wags making six-year-old connections to her securities-fraud conviction and eventual home imprisonment.

Nowadays, in fact, the Martha Stewart brand is enjoying a boom unlike anything since the early days, when the Connecticut “housewife” and mother turned a knack for catering into a billion-dollar business appealing to the harried hordes more than two decades ago.

Her brand’s ever-expanding array of products includes the Martha Stewart Pets line of beds, collars, leashes and doggie dishes, sold exclusively at PetSmart. Home Depot proudly merchandises and sells Martha Stewart-branded paint, furniture and related items. Macy’s and Michaels also boast signature lines from Martha Stewart.

Even a messy breakup with Kmart last fall isn't slowing Stewart or her brand.Continue reading...

It is over. LeBron James will be playing for the Miami Heat. It's a decision that has made the NBA star many enemies, including some in New York who, over the weekend, booed James as he attended fellow NBA star Carmelo Anthony's wedding.

Now, the manner with which LeBron went along with the orchestration of "the decision" announcement as a circus sideshow has resulted in many asking if he severely damaged his brand, from the professional ("The Brand That Crossed The Line") to our "LeBron James Diminishes Brand Power" to the not-so-professional ("Is the Lebron James Brand Sh*t now?").

But the LeBron brand is as strong as ever, it has just morphed. Think of this as King James Version 2.0.Continue reading...

The NBA's hottest free agent is no longer free: LeBron James announced his decision last night to join the Miami Heat after the New York Knicks signed Amar’e Stoudemire.

Miami is hardly the launchpad New York could have been for James, according to Interbrand's analysis, as it does not "enable brand stretch or provide an outlet for LeBron to continue building his brand to the extent that other markets provide." James, however, isn't looking to be the next Michael Jordan (Magic Johnson, maybe) and doesn't want to carry a team (and city's) hopes on his shoulders alone. MSG head James Dolan commented before Johnson's decision, "It takes courage to play where the lights shine the brightest."

Besides the Cleveland Cavaliers, the other brand loser last night? ESPN, writes the New York Times' Richard Sandomir, who calls its live special a "debacle." Watch AP's take after the jump.Continue reading...

Well-tressed rocker Bret Michaels' new People magazine cover states, "I'm lucky to be alive." Procter & Gamble, meanwhile, is recovering from its own crisis: will one of the stars of the ‘world’s first reality hair star' contest for Pantene recover in time for the contest conclusion on May 25th?

P&G and the Poison frontman have been co-orchestrating a rebrand of Pantene, along with the whiff of possibility that Michaels would become the shampoo’s frontman as well, or at least sideman. Contestants have been vying for the opportunity to wash their hair on live TV alongside Pantene pitchwoman, Stacy London, star of TLC's What Not to Wear.

The winner will accompany Stacy to a Poison concert and be part of Michaels' entourage for the night. Included in the package are backstage passes, a ride on the rocker’s private tour bus, and first-class airfare. P&G is now betting on Michaels’ full recovery in time to shoot the commercial and participate in the event portion of the prize.Continue reading...

Is declaring one's (hetero)sexuality the latest twist in personal branding? Is "coming out" the new "comeback"?

People magazine's May 5th issue features a declaration by country singer Chely Wright—who last made waves with her #1 1999 hit, Single White Female, above—that, yep, she's gay.

The timing of her announcement coincides with this week's release of her memoir, Like Me, as well as her first album in five years, Lifted Off the Ground. She'll also appear on NBC's Today Show tomorrow to discuss her personal journey.

Beyond the collective "Chely Who?" response this has generated, it's also being seen as a cynical marketing ploy.Continue reading...

Singer Mary J. Blige has built her name on taking pain and transforming it into triumph.

Her new fragrance with Carol’s Daughter, My Life, is named for her 1994 recording of the same name that represented a personal turning point after a history of childhood abuse and drugs. “I was crying out for help, because I was going through so much,” she told WWD.

The perfume will launch solely on HSN on July 31 and retail for $46. Billed as the first fragrance to be launched "exclusively through a multichannel retailer," My Life will be introduced to consumers via a unique multi-platform campaign.Continue reading...

Yes, we know: When you’re a multi-billionaire financier and arguably the keenest financial mind of your generation, every week is kind of your week. Particularly when you’ve got the ear of the president of the United States.

But this really is Warren Buffett week, more than usual. For one thing, the Oracle of Omaha has got the U.S. Congress considering whether to give his Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway fund a break on hedge-fund regulation as they grapple with straightening out the financial sector.

And this weekend, Buffett is hosting his investor love-in (dubbed "Woodstock for capitalists") for the company’s annual meeting.

Almost lost amid all of this is the fact that Buffett has decided to do something helpful and selfless for the children of America. A long-awaited cartoon series (that's the promo, above) featuring financial lessons from Buffett will debut this weekend.Continue reading...