Are they really purple?

I resisted commenting on the purple cow publicity stunt all day. But after counting the incoming mail and the media links, I decided it was worth weighing in. Link: nbc6.net - News - Cows Painted Pink, Purple Used As Living Billboards.

No, I'm not behind this.

The casino that did it (the same folks that bought the grilled cheese on eBay that isn't really the Virgin Mary's face (what would it look like if it really was her face? Not sure)) has an aggressive approach of gaining media attention with clever stunts.

Hey, if it's funny and the cows don't get beheaded, why not?

But it's not Purple Cow marketing. Why? Because you want your product to get talked about, not Paris Hilton or the grilled cheese sandwich.

My guess is that if they do it often enough and cheekily enough and crazily enough, they will actually build themselves into a mecca of kitsch. And thus the kitsch becomes the product, the same way a visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa isn't about the Tower, it's about saying you went--"Hey! That looks just like the picture!"