"The new fire extinguisher with the smooth lines of a martini shaker is the centerpiece of a new line of Home Depot products, called Orange Works, that will be unveiled today and begin appearing in stores next fall.

"Home Depot expects the line’s first three products to generate sales of $250 million the first year — a fraction of 1% of the company’s expected $90 billion in 2007 sales. But Chief Executive Robert Nardelli says he expects the new line to bring additional traffic that will result in increased residual sales."

Brand advocates rejoice, the new fire extinguisher is called a  ‘Home Hero’. 

And in a somewhat provocative move it appears to be silver and not red.  One wonders if that was a smart move?

Read more here (Wall Street Journal online, a subscription may be required).

Brilliant, simple cobranding. Take two superpower brands that embody "fun and magic" and combine… "Wonder-Twin powers, activate! Form of a Tinkerbell Croc in lime green and pink! Shape of a Captain Jack Sparrow Croc in black and maroon!"

Crocs Press Release: "The Disney by CROCS line, which is targeted towards children and
adults, will debut with special-edition Mickey Mouse die-cut Adult
Beach and Kid’s Cayman models. These styles will be available in a
broad range of two-toned color pallets including Mickey’s signature
black and red. Other models include an array of unique designs
emphasizing the distinctive personalities of Disney’s characters
including Mickey and Friends, Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Disney
Princess, Disney Fairies, as well as Pirates of the Caribbean and
Disney*Pixar’s Toy Story and Cars."

I know my 4 year old daughter would be THRILLED to don a pair of Disney Princess Crocs!

If you are interested in reading more on Crocs, here are a couple great stories from Business 2.0 featured on CNN Money:

How a stay-at-home mom sold Crocs a $10 million idea.
(about Jibbitz, the charms you see all the "cool kids" wearing on their Crocs.

When Crocs attack, an ugly shoe tale.

By the way, did you know that in Israel, one in six people owns a pair of Crocs?

For less than $2 million you, thou blessed reader, can charter a flight aboard Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. Soar 63 miles above sea level and experience weightlessness
firsthand. After returning to Earth, you and your guest will
enjoy luxury accommodations on Necker Island and four nights of
all-inclusive festivities on Sir Richard Branson’s private island
retreat in the British Virgin Islands.

The Virgin spaceship vacation is just one of the many delights in the recently published Nieman Marcus 2006 Xmas holiday catalog. Other gifts include a personal 7ft skyscraper made of #2 pencils ($40,000), and luxury pet homes by Italian designer Marco Morosini featuring wheels and crafted of poplar with an interior
rug and coordinating wallpaper ($6,000 +).  See the rest here.

Funny enough, most of the spectacular gifts never sell.

Nieman’s report only half of the items on its fantasy list sold last year, and other retailers report similar results.

Limited Brands jewel encrusted $3 million bra for Victoria Secret failed to find any takers last year.  Sam’s club offered a custom 1968 Camaro by Chip Foose for $198,000  and a wine tasting trip to New Zealand for $48,000. Neither sold.

So why do they do it? For the free PR. The Journal reports that Nieman’s estimate the publicity from their fantasy list generates $9-$12 million of TV coverage. For Victoria Secret, the million-dollar bra "elevates the brand to the status of ultimate luxury".

So effective are these programs that a whole slew of rivals are planning similar promotions this season. Watch out for seven "wow" items from Saks including a walk-on role in an American Ballet Theatre production, and a day at the Super Bowl accompanied by a famous football player. Bloomies is auctioning  designer-themed travel packages, and even Target is getting into the game with a $10,000 Lionel train set.

Read the full story here (subscription required).

In an infamous episode of Sex in the City, Kim Cattrall’s character, Samantha, discovers a grey hair…down there. After being told that plucking each individual hair actually causes the grey to spread, she attempts to dye it. Instead of getting “the carpeting to match the drapes” so to speak, Samantha ends up looking more like she’s giving birth to a tiny clown.

Now, fast-forward to Betty Beauty owner Nancy Jarecki sitting in a Rome salon: “As I saw women leaving the salon, I couldn’t help noticing that some would linger by the door. After a few minutes, their colorist would come back with a little paper bag, hand it to them, and send them cheerfully on their way. When I inquired about this mysterious ritual, the receptionist said, “Per sotto, per farli combaciare,” meaning  “For the hair down there…to make it match.” I thought, “How genius!” 

Betty Beauty recently launched a new product specifically formulated for “the hair down there”. These pubic-hair-dying kits are being marketed with great names like: BROWNBetty, FUNBetty (in hot pink), BLONDEBetty, AUBURNBetty and BLACKBetty. Check the entire line out at www.bettybeauty.com or in select salons.

Last week, Betty Beauty’s website was on pace last week for 2 million annual visits, running well ahead of Procter & Gamble Co.’s Clairol.com and climbing toward that of L’Oreal’s website.

Colorarci ha impressionati!