Who Are You Hanging Around With?
I recently put in some quality time at the St. Louis airport. There wasn’t much to do, and only a big gloppy plate of nachos to eat, but I was with some colleagues and it could have been worse.
While wandering around, I snapped this picture, and wondered who at Brooks Brothers thought it was a good idea to open a branch in the waiting area of an airport. How does it enhance their old-school, classic, tailored image to hang around the likes of Hudson News? Is the sheep in that classic logo meant to be hanging over a trash can? Do they sell many bespoke suits to the annoyed, harried people waiting for planes?
It reminds me of Krispy Kreme’s big expansion northward into New England, when they placed donut displays in every rest stop in Connecticut. So much for the special nature of the premium donut: when seen among the awful food of the parkway gas station, all of the beauty is lost. I haven’t eaten a KK since I first saw them among the Slim Jims and air fresheners.
Honestly, it is always surprising that companies think these kinds of placements are a good idea. It’s disappointing to see a classic spoiled.
Great observations Aaron. Love the way you notice the juxtaposition. You know what happens…in a big company. The brand people would understand exactly what you mean, but the real estate and retail operator people are under pressure to deliver growth. Brand people have no veto, the CEO probably has the same pressure as the retail people, and so the story goes.
Ha, nice shot Aaron, especially the garbage can. The horrible, mottled gray carpet also doesn’t seem a favorable reflection on the Brooks Brothers brand, although, as a regular patron of many fine Goodwills in suburban New York, I can hardly comment.
Hey, I see you plug “The Product Manager’s Handbook” in your bibliography. Maybe a post sometime on why you liked it?