Orange Coffins and Awkward Brand Extensions

Death and dying don’t often lend themselves well to laughter. In fact, they are typically distressing teammates. (The whole Israeli and Hezbollah thing included.) So, I really want to seize the chance to chuckle at an adjunct matter of mortality and failed brand extensions.

What is this orange motif anyway? Here’s an article from yesterday’s FT (Financial Times) that may shed a bit of light on the question.

Observer: Six Feet Under
Published: July 19 2006 03:00

Not every business idea thrown up by the UK-based serial entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou - whose ventures in cheap air travel, car hire and internet cafés under his "easy" brand have proved so successful - turns out to be winner.

Observer hears that plans by the youthful tycoon for a funeral service - which was dubbed "easy death" and would have seen "customers" despatched from this mortal coil in coffins coloured the group's trademark orange - have been quietly buried.

Quietly buried until it hit the press. I'm certain Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is pleased. (Actually, maybe any press - good, bad, or humorous- can be a good thing sometimes.)