And Speaking of Crosses...

A federal judge ruled last month that Johnson & Johnson had no claim over the American Red Cross ("ARC") and its use of the red plus on junky merchandise.

The company and ARC have shared use of the symbol since the late 1800s, each using it within a reasonably clear-cut mandate: J & J put it on commercial products, like its Band- Aids, and the ARC plastered it on ambulances and M.A.S.H. units

In 2004, the ARC crossed the line.

It licensed the red plus to companies that put it on humidifiers, hand sanitizer gel, nail clippers, toothbrushes, and other crappy merchandise that is sold at discount retailers.

Obviously, some enterprising exec at the charity decided a finer interpretation of the hundred year-old contract was in order, and convinced the board that license revenue was worth more than reputation and self-respect.

I can just see it now...American Red Cross-branded Xbox 360 controllers, unicycles, and scented candles.  There's no apparent limit, let alone quality criteria, for how far the charity is willing to go.  ARC sandwich meat.  Red Cross floor polish. 

This is a program that's totally out of control.  The ARC has no idea what it's doing. 

You’d think it might have asked for some help in this regard from its corporate partner.  Instead, it just went along, blithely accepting deals from all of the chotchky vendors who throw them at EVERY brand name in search of bottom-feeder profits. 

So J & J sued the ARC, and has now lost twice in court.  Legally, the charity is allowed to pursue brand suicide.

Am I a dim bulb, or is the ARC licensing strategy simply idiotic? 

If it purposely wanted to shave the edge of the intent of its contract with J & J, at least it could have come up with a rigorous screening process, and slapped its little red plus on really substantive, high-quality merchandise that directly and unequivocally supported its mission. 

Instead, it choose to brand nail clippers. 

Somebody should save these people from themselves.  Now that the courts say that J & J can't do it, maybe someone on its board will wake up and take action.

Make that two ruined crosses in the news.

Comments

[BIG Kahuna]

It's really sad but I'm looking forward to buying a pair of healthy nail clippers now. Without that cross on the box I've been unable to clip my nails for over 30 years. You can imagine their length by now.

But now that there is a red cross on the box I can breathe a sigh of relief...whew

[CV Harquail]

The ARC's branding is out of control-- so it's interesting that their new CEO is a former marketing prof from Havard. I wrote a post on branding opportunities at the ARC, back in April, as a *joke*. Now, it looks less funny, and more prescient.
http://authenticorganizations.com/harquail/2008/04/10/rebranding-opportunities-for-the-american-red-cross/