De-placing the product.

Product placement has a long and venal venerable history.

There is also an opposite movement, one in which a corporation, an organization or a political party attempts to distance itself from an individual or from an event because of concerns that such association will damage their *brand* or image.

Boycotting products is a strategy used by a number of groups across the ideological spectrum to exploit this vulnerability.

This appears to be an unusual step, given the clash of *values* in conflict.

A clothing company is offering money to Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and his fellow “Jersey Shore” cast members — so they’ll stop wearing the brand on the show.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. says in a news release posted Tuesday that it’s concerned that having Sorrentino seen in its clothing could cause “significant damage” to the company’s image.

Abercrombie says a connection to The Situation goes against the “aspirational nature” of its brand and may be “distressing” to customers. The Ohio-based retailer says it has offered a “substantial payment” to Sorrentino and producers of the MTV show so he’ll wear something else.

"Aspirational nature"? Mmm. Perhaps "aspiration" is what a Republican wanna-be political operative is expressing, by deploying this unusual - though not surprising - tactic.

Politicians have long used popular songs and the artists who produced them to enhance their image - until they get a nasty cease-and-desist letter from their lawyers.

Perhaps it's time for ordinary and decent Canadian citizens to sue the Conservatives for attaching their party logo to Canada. It is distressing to the majority of Canadians that our country is held in contempt and derision in the US, in Europe, in Africa and now in South America because of actions taken by Stevie Spiteful, Cashmere Tony, Jason Kenney and other Con jobs.

Or we can follow Michaela Keyserlingk's example and use the Contempt Party logo in the context of all their shameful, corrupt and authoritarian actions.