Ed Hardy gear can be found on everyone from Britney Spears to Hulk Hogan to Paris Hilton to the brand's newest "hot" ambassador, Jon Gosselin, who apparently reps the brand's sailor-tattoo punk aesthetic, for what says "rebel" more than a man who rose to fame as the father of eight children on a reality show for TLC?

Gosselin is the Ed Hardy brand's biggest celeb endorser right now, and the company was classy enough to showcase this by putting up the cover of US Weekly with a picture of a crying Kate Gosselin and the words "Kate's Private Hell," so that when one clicks on the picture, they are greeted with a clip from the magazine that shows Jon wearing Ed Hardy clothing and talking about how much he's changed. Ooh, that rebellious "I won't get a real tattoo, but I'll wear it on my shirt" spirit! Get me some of that, will you!?

The company is so taken with Gosselin that he is reportedly now in Paris to meet with the creative director, Christian Audigier, in order to discuss a possible clothing line for his 23-year-old girlfriend, Hailey Glassman. Charming! It's awesome how much time one has to fly to Paris to discuss flip-flop lines with tiger faces and flames all over them when one suddenly doesn't have 8 children to deal with anymore, isn't it? Rebel, rebel!

Perhaps it is just my personal experience, but whenever I see someone in Ed Hardy gear, I groan. To me, it represents the destruction of the purpose of tattoos in the first place; it's a temporary way to display what is meant to be a permanent art form. It's also just stupid looking most of the time: Jon Gosselin is 32 years old. Why is he walking around with tigers on the back of his jeans? Yes, I've heard Ed Hardy stuff is comfortable. I heard the same excuses about Juicy sweatpants back in the day, but it didn't stop me from frowning when I saw women walking around with the word "Juicy" written on their butts.

As I said, I am not a fashionable person, so my opinion on such matters is probably meaningless. But style aside, there is something really shady about holding Jon Gosselin up as some ambassador of cool or rebellion. It makes it seem as though he's ditched that ol' ball-and-chain wife and kids thing and embraced his inner psuedo-biker dude, which is a bunch of stereotypical bs and only serves to promote my argument that any company that prides itself on catering to douchebags deserves any douchebag label it gets.

Jon Gosselin Takes Girlfriend To France And He's Working On A Business Deal For Her [Radar Online]
[Ed Hardy]

The New York Times reports that Axe will sponsor a club called Dune in Southampton, New York, for the entire summer season, temporarily changing the name to "Axe Lounge." Though there have been brand-sponsored party locales before, like the Esquire Apartment or the Polaroid Beach House in Malibu, this will be one of the first times a brand has taken over a nightclub for an entire season.

"Axe is all about the mating game, and the best place for a mating game is at a nightclub," said Michael Heller, the founder and chief executive of Talent Resources, which is working with Axe. The club will feature the Axe logo on the D.J. booth, menu, and valet tickets. There will also be an Axe products in the bathrooms and an Axe-themed drink (because who wouldn't want a deodorant-themed alcoholic beverage?) Axe is paying Dune's owners, but will not share any of the club's profits.

Susan Linn, the director of The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, said of the project:

An Axe nightclub is emblematic of the troubling phenomenon of the current 360-degree marketing strategy to immerse us in brands and branding every waking moment and to blur the lines between marketing and every other aspect of our lives.

The consumer advocacy group has complained about Axe's sexist advertising in the past, which as Linn reminds us, exposes the hypocrisy of their parent company Unilever. The company also owns Dove, and released ads promoting healthy body image for girls as they were degrading women in Axe's advertising.

Mike Dwyer, the marketing director for Axe, said that the purpose of the nightclub is to "drive relevancy and image credentials, and really get the brand right, squarely in front of where the guys are." But, most guys go where the ladies are when clubbing, and unfortunately we can get the Axe experience at pretty much every club in the country.

Axe Body Products Puts Its Brand on the Hamptons Club Scene [The New York Times]

Earlier: Can We Just Stop This Craptacular Body Wash Madness Please?
Women Criticize Ads Directed At Women
Dove Vs. Axe: Is Unilever Hipocritical