Let the Race for Steven Slater Commercials Begin

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.