You want to hear about the deal I'm making?

I'm assuming that all of you have heard about the Chilean miners who were recently rescued after spending seven weeks trapped hundreds of kilometres underground.  If you haven't, then...  Well, see the previous sentence for a pretty accurate summary.  Also, you've been living under a rock.

The rescue mission was a beautiful thing to watch.  Men were reunited with their families, crying, laughing, and praising God.  Then came the endless press photos, which were aired for hours all day.

One of these photos depicted the miners sporting Oakley sunglasses.  This picture was splashed all over news stations all day.  The cost of the glasses in total was $6,300.  The cost of the advertising Oakley received as a result of this was a cumulative $41 million.

Was this morally reprehensible?  Nay, say I!  This is simply Western capitalism at its best.  Come on - the beauty of family reunions and saved lives mixed with shameless product placement.  What could be more American?  I have no bad feelings toward Oakley.  Good for them.  They had to wear somebody's glasses, right?  Three cheers for capitalism!

Girl With One Eye