“Careful Lipschitz .. you’ll over stretch!”

When it comes to brand extensions (especially absurd brand extensions!) I don’t think there’s many industries that can topple the fashion industry.  DKNY coffee, FCUK Alcopops, Armani hotels … yes the’ve come … and often gone.  Gucci was even selling sledges, skipping ropes and diving flippers a few years back … I kid you not  

One brand that fascinates me is Ralph Lauren.  Born Ralph Lipschitz to Jewish immigrants in the US; changed his name to Ralph Lauren (okay we can’t blame the guy for this …); then, somewhat amazingly, branded and packaged the aristocratic English lifestyle and then succeeded in errr … selling it back to the English!  Blimey.  Genius.  And I’m sure the snaps of William, Harry and the rest of the merry royal band with ‘Polo’s a blazing’ arent exactly giving Mr Lauren a heart attack!  

Well, anyway, on to the point I meant to address two paragraphs a go.  I came across this little number the other day …  

… and wasn’t sure.  It clearly links in with the whole ‘elitist sporting thing’, but of course we know there’s no Ralph Lauren branded golf factory out in Lipschiitzville breaking at the seams.  The irony of having a Polo player on a golf ball also takes some beating!  I can’t say I’m thoroughly certified within the whole golf micro-cultural movement right now … but is this really appealing?  Is it really going to make your pony deprived Top Flite XL rival want to bury himself in a bunker? … throw the game jumping into a lake? Perhaps they could enable Tiger Woods to get a minus handicap?  Or maybe they’re just meant for pretentious home curators with empty shelving space? Does anyone really care? (C’mon someone give me my “first comment” … I’ll run a £/$100 debit straight through PayPal for ya!)