Art. It can be beautiful, vile; heck, it can practically be anything. But no matter what it is, it all has one morbid thing in common. When the artist dies, the art goes up in value. The same goes for swag. An item given out at a convention one day, could become a collector’s item the next if its company goes out of business. And you’d be surprised how often the swag outlasts the company.

HD-DVD – Good god. Where do you start? The whole point, the whole big selling point of HD-DVD that made it superior to Blu-ray was you could have a movie in both DVD and HD-DVD format on the same disk. Don’t have an HD-DVD player yet? No problem! Go ahead and buy the movies now. They’ll work in your current DVD player, and when you do finally get your long awaited HD-DVD player, you’ll already have a home library ready to go! Did the studio’s do this? Nope! The number one ace they had up their sleeve and they didn’t play it. In fact, even though HD-DVD was cheaper to produce, they still sold it at the same price as Blu-Ray (and still without the backwards compatible DVD content). HD-DVD was supposed to be the technology that was easier to transition to. It had the best, self explanatory name, potential backwards compatibility, the ability to be cheaper, and they used... NONE OF IT (okay, maybe the name). HD-DVD deserved to lose the format war, and sadly not because of the people who designed it, but because of the people licensed it. As with DIVX in the late 90’s (the disc format, not the codec), HD-DVD titles and players can now be found at rock bottom prices everywhere.

Perpetual Entertainment – In the game industry there are few genres that can match the sheer mass of content necessary for a full-blown massively multiplayer online role playing game (mmorpg). Perpetual Entertainment for years had been developing “Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising”. The game’s reception was astounding, winning several “Best of Show” awards at E3 in 2006. That same year, the game also entered its closed beta phase, indicating that it was nearing completion and release. Then in late 2007, without warning, Perpetual ceased all development on “Rome Rising” claiming their desire to focus on the Star Trek MMO that they were developing as well. Then, only weeks later, they announced they were ceasing development on that project too. This might not have been as shocking if it weren’t for the fact that “Rome Rising” was all but finished, ready to enter a market where players would gladly pay $15 a month to play it. Today, “Rome Rising” t-shirts can still be found along with countless pre-order boxes still sitting on the shelves at your local Best Buy.

Pets.com – Remember the super-bowl ad? That should tell you just how much money this company was willing to spend on advertising. And what was at the center of this immense marketing campaign? A sock puppet. Besides its spot during the super-bowl, the Pets.com sock puppet was even a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Unfortunately, Pets.com was destined to fail. Far too much money was ear-marked from the start for marketing. The hype was built. The company was made public. The stock spiked. The original investors then sold out, and in doing so effectively killed the company. Pets.com never had a chance. It was a exercise in using hype to predictably affect the stock market. Clever, but a shame that a fledgling company that could have been big was killed in the process. Replicas of Pets.com’s cute, little sock puppet can still be found for sale to this day.

 
Kozmo.com – The ability to have anything delivered in under an hour with no delivery fee. Well, maybe not ANYTHING, but Kozmo.com did offer the ability to order batteries, a movie, dinner, and beer all with one call. The problem unfortunately was that Kozmo.com had it wrong. The founders, Joseph Park and Yong Kang believed that the money they saved by not needing store-fronts would more than offset the cost of delivery. This was not the case, however, as the company would shutter in only three years. That was in 2001, and to this day one can still find Kozmo.com courier bags for sale. If you can get your hands on one, they’re actually quite nice (and large).

Netscape – It’s never polite to gloat. Funny? Yes. Wise? Maybe not. But when your competition is Microsoft, it’s definitely not wise. And this is exactly what Netscape did. A veritable “Har-Har!” in Bill Gates face when Netscape’s IPO took off . Only thing was, Microsoft wasn’t even racing them... yet. At the time of Netscape’s release, Microsoft was completely buried in development of Windows 95, a huge leap in their golden goose of an operating system. When Windows 95 was finished though, Microsoft climbed out of the mud to find Netscape still laughing at them. Netscape’s market-share would be completely crushed soon after. In March of 2008, with only a 1% marketshare left, Netscape’s current owner, AOL, ceased all official support thereby sounding the final death knell for Netscape. T-Shirts, iron-on patches, and all sorts of Netscape swag are still easy to find.

Enron – If there’s one company’s name that is synonymous with fraud it’s Enron. It began in the early 1990’s when the UnitedStates government deregulated the sale of electricity. This allowed companies like Enron to explode with growth. Enron would be voted “America’s Most Innovative Company” six times in a row by Fortune Magazine. It would all hit the fan, however, when in 2001 it was revealed that the majority of Enron’s revenue was due to special purpose entities, which allowed many of Enron’s debts and losses to not be reported. Enron would file for bankruptcy, executives would go to jail, and one of the largest accounting firms in the world, Arthur Andersen, would almost be completely dissolved. Enron golf shirts can still be bought today, but the ultimate piece of Enron swag is definitely the large crooked E’s found outside their buildings; one of which sold recently for $40,000.

Webvan – “The Super Market that Delivers!” Good idea. Vons and other markets do it today. So why did it take Webvan over $800,000,000 to get the idea off the ground? The amount of money they had was ludicrous, and because of that they felt no need to be careful with it. Overextending itself, Webvan would collapse in just a few short years. Webvan did leave, however, of the most curious swag items of all, grocery bags. Webvan paper grocery bags can still be found to this day, and for those who keep these types of bags around (we all know someone who does), they’re not only useful, but an item of curiosity.

 
The swag of failed companies represent promotional items turned relics; they stand as a testament to what can go wrong even with the most powerful and well funded of companies. Some people keep these items of swag as a laugh, others as a conversation piece. But the wisest of those collectors keep them as a reminder, a warning to not make the same mistakes and create their own example of the swag outlasting the company.

 

Have you ever come home from a big event with gads of free swag and not know what to do with it all? Well, the internet infamous, iJustine of TastyBlogSnack, came up with a few clever ideas with her recently received booty from SXSW.

And really, is there anything better than a swag bath? Well, maybe if the swag was Cartier but who’s being picky?!

Grammy award winning producer and rapper, Kanye West has recently joined forces with Prodege LLC., to launch SearchKayneWest -- a Google & Ask.com powered search engine that gives users a chance to win Swag Bucks. The digital currency is redeemable for limited edition Kanye West merchandise, hi-tech items and other valuable goods at their online Swag Store.

The official free search toolbar is easy to download and customizable to make browsing faster and easier. How it works is simple: search the web as you would do on Google and the first person to search after the selected time will win a Swag Buck. If you did the winning search, instead of getting search results you will receive a screen with a Swag Buck notifying you that you have won. I registered and earned a buck in less than five minutes. Booyah!

Prodege, LLC has created branded search engines for celebrities including Akon, Lil Wayne and Beyonce. Additionally, the company provides individuals and organizations the ability raise funds through their branded sites.

Getting paid to search? I leave you with the illustrious words of Missy Elliot, “Ching-ching, gettin’ paid over here!”

It’s that time of year again, award season for the rich and glamorous. With all the accolades comes a favorite pastime for the stars – hoarding of gift bags from companies looking for high-profile exposure. Every year, the quiet Main Street of Park City, Utah, magically transforms into a corporate logo showcase as companies rent out storefronts to create “hospitality lounges” from which to “gift” celebrities.

In recent years, Park City Utah’s Sundance Film Festival has turned into an avalanche of swag-bags as retailers and designers hope that one of the pretty people dons their latest wares in a snap-shot headed for the star-studded glossies at grocery store near you. And who wouldn’t want to see a Mary-Kate Olson wearing a new Beyonce House of Dereon jacket, endorsing their brand and boosting sales for the company? It’s a boon-doggie baby!

While the writers are still on strike, the swag-bags have taken a more demure position at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Those actors wanting to support the writers and not appear too greedy have been less gregarious with their swag-bag snatching. Some visitors simply checked out the goods and left empty-handed. However, plenty of others have walked away with bags akimbo and posed for publicity pictures.

Rick Warner of Bloomberg News reports in his article, Sundancers awash in sexy swag, plenty of well-known actors and actresses have been spotted strolling through the gift suites on Main Street. Stars visiting LIVEstyle’s film lounge, where the freebies included hats, scarves and sandals from Anne Klein, included Woody Harrelson, Ben Kingsley, Jack Black, Alan Rickman and Amy Adams. The Phoenix, high-end art gallery turned swag-grab-scene, entertained guests including Kirsten Dunst and Armand Assante with organic canvas bags from Ecogear, hand-crafted dresses from Colorado designer Autumn Teneyl and SongPods, vibrating metal ovals with reputed healing powers made by medicine woman Amy Lee.

Entertainment News Blogs reports that founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford, has taken up the war on swag, giving his staffers a mandate to do all they could to promote the festival’s role as a celebration of filmmakers and their work. Incidentally, the Sundance Institute produced 25,000 buttons bearing the message, “Focus on Film.”

But who can resist free stuff?

Jeremy Walker, whose New York public-relations firm representing six films at Sundance, sent a letter called “Swagifesto,” to his festival clients comparing swag with drugs. ''We've watched swag, like cocaine, turn nice, smart, humble, creative people into monsters,'' the letter says. ''Like cocaine, swag produces a giddy high of self-importance and supreme confidence. As with cocaine, once tasted, the consumer of swag instantly wants more.''

Let's be real, these days the swag is wagging the dog and it doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. Pass the bags!!!

It sure pays off to be dead! Posthumous merchandise is big business. Back in October 2007, Forbes published their annual “Top-Earning Dead Celebrities” with this year’s list of celebs topping off at $232 million proving once again that marketers are making a killing off the dead.

Apparently, the universal Law of Attraction still applies to the dead. How do they do it? Million dollar empires are built upon products emblazoned with the iconic images of the famed dead. Slapping the name of the dearly departed on all things from mugs to tees is a big revenue generator; that is, assuming you have acquired the rights to said property.

Corbis, a creative resource for advertising, marketing and media professionals owned by Bill Gates, acquired a Beverly Hills firm back in 2005 that held the rights to the images of 50 notables, including Andy Warhol, Albert Einstein and Steve McQueen. Corbis offers their services to sell all sorts or merchandise including toys, racing gear and clothing. Another marketing empire, CMG Worldwide, international leader in intellectual property rights management, boasts a diverse and lucrative client roster including Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Malcom X, Babe Ruth and Bettie Page.

In honor of our illustrious deceased, I dedicate the following:

Ironic Merchandise of the Dead

Elvis Presley ~ Elvis Pez Gift Set Don't Be Cruel, Eat a pez.

James Brown ~ Celebrity Rubber Duck Toy Because James Brown wanted to bathe with all of us in perpetuity.

Marie Antoinette ~ Head lollipop I have seen all, I have heard all, I have forgotten all. Lick my head.

Che Guevara ~ Wall Clock Viva el teimpo!

Rosa Parks ~ Cookie Jar “I shall not be moved,” except when you want to put chocolate chip cookies in my head.