If there was any doubt left that P. Diddy has one of the crassest, most tasteless -- and brilliant -- minds in the history of marketing, this latest stunt should put it to rest.Next month, Diddy's new men's cologne "I am King" will hit stores, and the hip-hop mogul is hoping that it will resonate with the same people who voted for Barack Obama. "When you see Barack Obama, you see a strong, elegant black man and when people see my ad, it's almost like that's the trend," he told (subscription required) The Wall Street Journal. The paper adds that Diddy plans to promote the fragrance in a lunch he will hold in Los Angeles and on TV talk shows and link his new fragrance and Obama.
How wonderful. Diddy is hoping to capitalize on one of the most historic events in the history of this country to sell people 1.7 ounces of scented water for $100. Ads for the cologne feature a tuxedo-clad Diddy on the French Riviera aboard a yacht, on jet skis and on helicopters.
The commercial success of this cologne would speak volumes about the intelligence of the American consumer.
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