Car Companies and Bad Branding

The death knell for branding has come in the form of exclusive car companies selling their image to just about anything.  Everything from mundane Hummer shot glasses to arguably ridiculous NASCAR meat snacks.  When Ferrari first threw its name on a laptop, it was a novelty and spurred many bad jokes about owning an exotic car, but just when it was wearing off other companies jumped on board.

The most infamous case, as highlighted by the fantastic British car show Top Gear, was Bugatti’s £1500 cologne.  These other worst 10 products compiled by Jalopnik give cologne a run for their money.  The slumping auto market has always been fast to catch onto gimmicks, but when it comes to branding, consumer products should be off limits.  The addition of the brand name is a completely transparent marketing ploy that degrades not only the reputation of the car company, but the legitimacy of the product.

[via AdWeek]