Welcome To Sellout!

By Logan E. Orlando Monday, Nov. 28, 2005

Funny names, fabulous publicity, free stuff--what's not to love about small-town America cashing in on corporate branding? Sure, by renaming themselves after pills and other products, the recent slew of burgs turned billboards may lose a little dignity, but sometimes it's only for a year, or one shameless day.

HALF.COM, ORE. In 2000 the hamlet of Halfway got cash and computers to rechristen itself for one year after this website, which later was sold to eBay for a mint.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. The grandfather of municipal pandering, Hot Springs renamed itself in 1950 on a promise the quiz show would broadcast there.

DISH, TEXAS The boob tube--loving residents of Clark struck a deal last month with DISH Network: rename the town and get a decade of free satellite TV.

VIAGRA, OKLA. Although the effect wore off after 24 hours, Agra agreed to take the drug's name in 2003 to get free concert tickets from a radio station.

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"What you do from this day forward will write, or rewrite, the story of AIDS across Africa."
MICHEL SIDIBE, UNAIDS executive director, to South African President Jacob Zuma, just before Zuma announced that the country would treat all HIV-positive babies and expand testing; South Africa has the most HIV-infected people in the world
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