- - - - - - - - - - - -

Express ourselves

Then again, it isn't always about making money -- sometimes it's about protecting the brand from crazed postmodernists.

Shey.net features an e-mail exchange between Nike customer Jonah Peretti and Nike customer service representatives at Nike iD, an online service that lets people personalize their Nike purchases.

When Peretti ordered a pair of sneakers to be customized with the word "sweatshop," Nike promptly cancelled the order.

Via a form e-mail Peretti was informed that his order had been cancelled "for one or more of the following reasons:

1) Your Personal iD contains another party's trademark or other intellectual property.

2) Your Personal iD contains the name of an athlete or team we do not have the legal right to use.

3) Your Personal iD was left blank. Did you not want any personalization?

4) Your Personal iD contains profanity or inappropriate slang, and besides, your mother would slap us."

Peretti replied, pointing out that his order did not violate any of the criteria given.

"I chose the iD because I wanted to remember the toil and labor of the children that made my shoes. Could you please ship them to me immediately?"

Nike iD -- despite its flagrant use of inappropriate capitalization -- responded by saying that the order had been cancelled because it contained "inappropriate slang."

Peretti then pointed out that "after consulting Webster's Dictionary," he "discovered that 'sweatshop' is in fact part of standard English, and not slang."

"The word means: 'a shop or factory in which workers are employed for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions,'" he explained, "and its origin dates from 1892."

Peretti also reminded Nike iD that its Web site states that Nike-brand shoe personalization is all about "freedom to choose and freedom to express who you are."

"I was thrilled to be able to build my own shoes," wrote Peretti, "and my personal iD was offered as a small token of appreciation for the sweatshop workers poised to help me realize my vision."

Unwilling to be toyed with, Nike iD retorted, "The rules for personalization also state that 'Nike reserves the right to cancel any Personal iD up to 24 hours after it has been submitted,'" and further hinted that Peretti's request might have been denied because it contained "material that we consider inappropriate or simply do not want to place on our products."

Peretti again responded stating that he had decided to order the shoes with a different message, with one small request.

"Could you please send me a color snapshot of the ten-year-old Vietnamese girl who makes my shoes?"

His request went unanswered.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Express ourselves, Part 2

Regina Zimmerman, a convicted shoplifter, has been ordered by a judge to wear a sign identifying her as a "convicted shoplifter" every time she goes shopping (or lifting) in the next year.

According to Pennlive.com, Zimmerman, who has three previous convictions for shoplifting, stole $66 worth of grooming products from a local market.

"When you go into stores, I want those store owners to keep a special eye on you," the judge told Zimmerman after hitting on the fanciful badge idea and fining her $100. "Maybe they will keep a closer eye on you and make it more difficult for you to continue this pattern of retail thefts."

As far as we know, "convicted shoplifter" does not violate any of Nike iD's criteria for personalization.

Brilliant Careers: Sound and Vision Audio and video highlights of our Brilliant Careers profiles