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I love Bowie too. But the credit card, the ISP, the whatever... I don't care about any of that. That's typical for people that are brands to make a quick buc

I love Bowie too. But the credit card, the ISP, the whatever... I don't care about any of that. That's typical for people that are brands to make a quick buck, like Branson putting his "Virgin" name on a cellphone company, Trump putting his name on steaks, or Kim Kardashian putting her name on a perfume. It's all basically the George Foreman Grill -- a company leases the name from the famous person to promote something they have little to do with.

boulos 7y ago
The article actually calls out that this wasn't the case for the ISP at least: > As Ars Technica's interview with BowieNet co-founder Ron Roy confirms, Bowie didn't just lend the enterprise his brand but was "tremendously involved from day one." As Roy tells it, Bowie kept BowieNet fresh "by exploring new technologies to keep fans engaged and excited. He always preached [that] it's about the experience, the new."
- nostromo 7y ago
  Which is part and parcel with these companies. They do some consulting, but in general the only thing they're selling is their brand. And everyone involved is incentivized not to be fully transparent about this when giving media interviews.
- NikolaNovak 7y ago
  It's certainly possible - but the wording in article is exactly the same as Perfume or Clothes designers say about celebrity branded products: Oh, Jennifer [Aniston|Lopez|Garner] had HUGE impact and was VERY clear on her vision from day one. She's been very specific and hands-on to ensure that we bring fresh new scents & ideas never seen before, and really push the boundaries of what the market has experienced. etc etc etc. It's part & parcel - in order for your name/brand to have any value to the manufacturer/producer, it has to at least appear, plausibly, that you actively contributed. Some celebrities buy into their own spiel too... (and some, to be fair, actually find they have talent and/or invest actual effort into it, that may not even have to be secretly undone by the actual experts :P )
  - mft_ 7y ago
    Bowie lived around the corner from the data centre and could often be seen popping in, of an evening, to swap out a defective drive or two. (Possibly.)
knolax 7y ago
Your comment prompted me google George Foreman and I'm surprised to find that he was actually a celebrity (boxer) and not the founder of the company as I assumed.

boulos 7y ago

The article actually calls out that this wasn't the case for the ISP at least: > As Ars Technica's interview with BowieNet co-founder Ron Roy confirms, Bowie didn't just lend the enterprise his brand but was "tremendously involved from day one." As Roy tells it, Bowie kept BowieNet fresh "by exploring new technologies to keep fans engaged and excited. He always preached [that] it's about the experience, the new."

nostromo 7y ago
Which is part and parcel with these companies. They do some consulting, but in general the only thing they're selling is their brand. And everyone involved is incentivized not to be fully transparent about this when giving media interviews.
NikolaNovak 7y ago
It's certainly possible - but the wording in article is exactly the same as Perfume or Clothes designers say about celebrity branded products: Oh, Jennifer [Aniston|Lopez|Garner] had HUGE impact and was VERY clear on her vision from day one. She's been very specific and hands-on to ensure that we bring fresh new scents & ideas never seen before, and really push the boundaries of what the market has experienced. etc etc etc. It's part & parcel - in order for your name/brand to have any value to the manufacturer/producer, it has to at least appear, plausibly, that you actively contributed. Some celebrities buy into their own spiel too... (and some, to be fair, actually find they have talent and/or invest actual effort into it, that may not even have to be secretly undone by the actual experts :P )
- mft_ 7y ago
  Bowie lived around the corner from the data centre and could often be seen popping in, of an evening, to swap out a defective drive or two. (Possibly.)

knolax 7y ago

Your comment prompted me google George Foreman and I'm surprised to find that he was actually a celebrity (boxer) and not the founder of the company as I assumed.