• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, September 5, 2008

You can blame TV for today's rise in revenue for the optical industry. "Palin has created quite a stir ... with her designer glasses," blares a headline in USA Today.

We are told the frames worn by the Republican vice presidential candidate are designed by Kazuo Kawasaki, a Japanese industrial designer. The Sarah Palin frame, with lenses, can run up to $700.

The Republican National Convention pulled 50% more viewers on Wednesday night versus the same day for Democratic National Convention the week before. All this spells marketing possibilities - missed and gained - for product placement executives.

Forget that that the market dropped almost 400 points yesterday -- there are rimless spectacles to buy!

A mother of five with a real identity makes for interesting television, especially as the world knows virtually nothing about her. How could you not watch? Too bad she didn't drive up to the podium in a Chevy Tahoe. General Motors would be out of its sales funk by now.

I'm sure those Greek columns on the set on Invesco Field in Denver at the Democratic Convention last week are a hot item now, with marble and tile distributors doing a soaring business.

We have all seen John McCain wearing an Arizona Diamondback hat (as well as "Navy" logo cap). A devoted Chicago White Sox fan, Barack Obama has not only donned that club's hat but the jersey as well.

Last week, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talked about her "Sisterhood of Travelling Pantsuits" in reference to the recent movie "The Sisterhood of Travelling Pants 2."  

Of course, all TV networks get their share of product placement from logos than sit handsomely in the direct line of fire from many key camera positions. So, everyone gets into the act -- and best of all, there's no product placement or media buying fees to consider.

There are no myopic points of view to consider in this democratic process .