Some dude, some lady, and some other dude cut some ribbon.
This, sadly, is what amounts to news to most watch companies. Don’t get me wrong: I love Hublot. When/if I’m rich I’ll buy a Big Bang. But look at that: Usain Bolt cutting a ribbon with two other people. That’s not news, that’s some strange sense that Hublot can become as famous as Usain Bolt by associating his ribbon cutting skills with the brand.
I’ve been harping on this for years: brands need to stand on their benefits to the educated consumer. CE brands have already distanced themselves from celebrity endorsements for a good reason: eventually that celebrity will be associated with some sort of sex and drug scandal involving gerbils, meth, and Katy Perry. It’s inevitable. Why pin your brand on some dude who can run fast when the real valuable players in your company are the watchmakers who make miracles every day?
Geeks love watches. Sell watches to geeks. Lots of people understand this (most notably Bremont) and I assure you that the average oligarch doesn’t care about Usain Bolt. He cares about buying a watch to impress some gazelle-like model in Trieste.
So, in the end, we’re treated with another exciting watch company press release: Some dude who does something does something. It’s enough to make me want to resort to eBay brands.
