* What Next ? Motorola Trousers ?

Talking of phones, Levi's - the people who make jeans, have launched a mobile phone now. This seemed odd to me when I first heard about it. Not specifically because of the Levi's connection - I find the Prada phone a bit weird too - but because it seems strange to desire a piece of technology more because of the brand tie-in.

The Levi's phone comes with buttons, not zips

Obviously your phone has the manufacturer's name emblazoned across it but when the name is little more than an ad (the Levi's phone is actually made by the French company ModeLabs) should you be paying for the phone at all? Shouldn't they be paying you?
Marketing types who know more about this sort of thing than I do will be scoffing at my innocence. I realise that this kind of thing is hardly new. Of course people will pay a premium to associate themselves with certain brands, the fools.
So let's leave the marketers to it and talk about the phone.
It's available in September and will cost around £340 for the handset alone. It comes in brown copper (pictured), black or silver. The specs look ok, though nothing special: MP3 player, 2 mega pixel camera, SD memory card slot and so on.

It reminds me of a cigarette lighter with a camera in it

Oh, and the case has rivets in it, for that rugged denim-esque feel, and a big Levi's logo on the back.
What do you think? Is it a cheap advertising gimmick or a cool brand accessory?