Richard Branson Says Costumes Can Be a Boon for Business The billionaire's penchant for playing dress-up has served as an effective marketing tool.
By Geoff Weiss
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
If Halloween is the one day each year you ditch traditional office garb in favor of more whimsical attire, perhaps it's time to reconsider. Take it from Richard Branson: costuming can be good for business.
In a hilarious blog entry today, the billionaire describes his best dress-up moments over the years -- many of which have served as marketing stunts for burgeoning business ventures.
For the launch of the now-shuttered Virgin Brides -- a wedding-apparel retailer -- Branson shaved his beard and gamely donned a gown. To inaugurate various Virgin flights, he has dressed as both a pilot and a stewardess. "It doesn't take much to drag me into a dress," he writes.
Costumes can also serve as subtle jabs at competitors. When reports alleged that Virgin Atlantic was "plundering business from a rival airline," Branson arrived at a launch event dressed like a pirate -- peg leg and all.
Over the years, Branson has also moonlit as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, a cowboy and a butterfly -- while running the London Marathon, no less. Check him out in all his various getups right here.
Related: Richard Branson Announces Unlimited Vacation Policy for Virgin Staffers
