Lady Gaga's "Telephone"

I was admittedly a late comer compared to some others, but she had me at "Bad Romance" and I have been in deep ever since.

Lady Gaga has revitalized creativity in the music industry, heck in any industry for that matter. And her latest video and hit single with Beyonce firmly cements her as a pop culture icon and takes her and her craft to a level never reached before.

Think the vocals of Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand in "Enough is Enough" combined with the entertainment of Michael Jackson in "Thriller" combined with the costumes of Cher in "Half Breed".

"Telephone" is a WOW, right after "Bad Romance" wowed us.

But beyond the great pop music, the incredible video production, and the elaborate costumes/accessories is clearly a marketing machine in force. Makes Madonna look like a freshman.

First of all there are once again all the product placements. Virgin Mobile scores big, particularly given the title of the song. But there are many others too, including Polaroid for whom Lady Gaga is now the creative director for a line of co-branded products the team is developing. Did you catch Wonder Bread?

And then secondly is the marketing for Gaga herself. Amazing. The woman writes, creates, and markets herself like no other. LIKE NO OTHER. She has become a brand with her own unique brand offerings. She has even branded her fans as "Little Monsters", coined from the album title "Fame Monster". Gaga also recently collaborated with Cyndi Lauper for a MAC Cosmetics charity project.

Even if you are not a fan, you absolutely have to respect her for her marketing abilities.

Take a look at "Telephone" with Beyonce here: http://www.ladygaga.com/telephone/#
(props to Beyonce, by the way, for her own brand of music and creativity)

Am I a rabid fan? YES, and a rabid marketer!

What's your experience? Jim.