By RabbitEars
As a reader of Channel Guide‘s blog, it’s obvious that you appreciate the finer things in life, so I know you must regularly be asking yourself, like so many others nowadays, “How can I further flush away my savings?” Fortunately, Bravo has an answer for you!
The network is continuing its brand beyond the TV screen and into the consumer world via wine, fashion, food, flowers and even knives. A number of major retail and merchandising partnerships were announced yesterday.
Fashion By Bravo: Offers exclusive fashions featured in-series to Bravo fans. Beginning with the upcoming series The Fashion Show, which debuts May 7, Bravo has partnered with Brooklyn Equities (I can’t tell if this is a fashion house or a brokerage) to create its own fashion line. The winning look from each week’s designer on the series will be available for online purchase at bravotv.com immediately after it is revealed on air. Additionally, Bravo has partnered with upscale handbag designer Kooba to create exclusive bags to be integrated into the new, Gossip Girl-esque reality series NYC Prep, debuting in June. Cast members (whom I have already grown to despise just based on press releases) will have specially designed bags, making them even more obnoxious. The bags will also be available for purchase.
Top Chef: The Quickfire Cookbook: The second installment of the Top Chef cookbooks (the first, published last year, was a bestseller and is already on its fourth printing) will focus on the skills involved in the Quickfire challenges, and include behind-the-scenes interviews with producers, “chef-testants” from past seasons and more.
Top Chef Knives: Throw away those Ginsus! The Top Chef brand extends further, now into the realm of sharpened objects. Master Cutlery, the largest importer of knives in the U.S., will offer Top Chef Master Cutlery Knives starting this summer on Bravo’s website. There will likely be in-store distribution at a later date, in case you are considering hara-kiri due to Top Chef overload.
Top Chef Wine: Bravo and Terlato Wines International, a marketer of luxury wines, will be offering a Top Chef co-branded wine later this year.
Top Chef Online Cooking Class: If you don’t yet have indigestion from Top Chef brand dilution, you might want to sign up for the upcoming subscription-based online cooking class called Top Chef VT. Interactive content, multimedia lessons, recipes, exclusive content, cooking classes taught by the “chef-testants” and more can be accessed.
Top Chef Flowers: Continuing to show about as much restraint in choosing branding opportunities as Krusty the Clown, Top Chef will also be represented in flower arrangement form beginning this August. Bouquets will be available at florists throughout the U.S. and Canada, and will come with recipes and unique containers featuring a mix of flowers, fruit and vegetables. Say it with tomatoes!
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Credit: Bravo
The Fashion Show: Mitchell Haaseth/Bravo
