I heard about Bret Treasure and his comments on real world brands failing in Second Life from Paul Knag whose blog I'm subscribed to and whom I've met a couple of times at the NYC Podcasting Meetup.   I liked Paul's post on The Official Guide to Second Life that echos Bret.

"…. its too late now (for another real life brand SL launch) to capture any traditional media buzz, and too early to actually provide ROI. Treasure further suggests the failure of traditional brands to capture in world attention has to do with their failure to clearly understand and embrace the fanciful spirit of the in-world experience. Bret writes:"

In other words:

"…The people in Second Life are having an immersive experience. One of those self-expression things. They are not in Second Life hankering for the real world."

"….its harder for real life brands to be successful in Second Life. People in Second Life are not hankering for the real world, and corporate brands, almost by definition, don't want to experiment with their identity. "

And here's an example from Bret Treasure's blog:

"The failure of real life companies to spark interest in their venues is partly flawed strategies and partly the nature of the medium. Let me make the point visually. Here is a pair of shoes that Adidas are marketing in Second Life.

And here’s the in-world competition:

Ladies! Cast your vote!

……..The opportunity (is) for businesses is to tap into the creativity of Second Life and take that into the real world, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

In other words - real world brands in Second Life are boring.