NKD Clothing

While many of us in Edinburgh remain unashamedly inconvenienced by this morning's road closures and diversions I couldn't help being impressed by the shiny new barricades diverting the traffic and preparing to pen the papal pilgrims. But what really caught my eye and I must confess made me giggle, was the street sellers brandishing a prolific array of Pope merchandise. This got Sarah and I talking on the drive back from the New Media Breakfast, because while I would have expected plenty of unofficial merchandise to appear in line with the Papal tour - I've just found a pretty smart metal-style Pope t-shirt for instance! - I was surprised by the volume of official merchandise on sale. A phenomena that has been well noted by commentators on the Internet.

It would appear that 'Brand Pope' is proving popular and gatherers at this afternoon's mass in Bellahouston Park could be mistaken for revellers at a rock concert as they raise aloft their official papal visit electronic candle! And while the demand for keepsakes and memorabilia doesn't come as a massive surprise, especially given the historic nature of this state visit, we're not talking about rosaries and candles here - the official store is basically selling branded souvenirs. I wonder if it demonstrates a shift in attitude towards capitalism and consumerism, which would be interesting given that the Pope is best known for his conservatism or perhaps 'Brand Pope' is just good PR!

I'd love to hear about, or better still see any Pope promotional goodies you've purchased. Maybe you're planning on using your Benedicataphone for a Pope podcast or you have a pocket pontiff on your keyring... I challenge anyone to do better than a Pope thong?!!