Cha-Ching: Michelle Obama Loves J. Crew, and Vice Versa

Before the election, Michelle Obama went on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Amid the Sarah Palin “clothes-gate” scandal, Leno asked about the origins of Michelle’s yellow ensemble. “Actually, this is a J. Crew ensemble,” she replied. “You can get some good stuff online.”

J. Crew could not have asked for better promotion, and now they’re cashing in. Just look at the Google results for “michelle obama”:

Simple, effective, topical, and piggybacking on America’s hottest brand (the Obamas), it’s the Holy Grail of paid search ads.

In this tough economic time, even online retail (previously an area of meteoric growth) is taking a major hit. But connecting your brand with America’s hottest couple — the Obamas — is sure to pay off. Numerous studies have reinforced the importance of branding during recessions. As soon as young women have some extra money to spend, they are likely to head to J. Crew, rather than its competitors. After all, the future First Lady shops there.