Co-Branding Remix: Atari Slamwich From Denny’s

I'm dating myself, but I loved Atari when I was a kid. Great games; great logo; once great brand. Later in life, like most college kids, I also ate breakfast at absurd times at various Denny's restaurants. Mediocre food; mediocre logo; mediocre brand (always open). As a result, I now associate these brands with different eras of my formative years. A couple weeks ago, these two brands announced a joint advertising campaign. The two companies promise such "remixes" of Asteroids, Centipede and Breakout as "Hashteroids," "Centipup" and "Take-Out." The question remains whether this move is simply a side effect of Denny's move to serve alcohol that it announced earlier this year?

Don't get me wrong, co-branding can also be a powerful thing. We all remember Michael Jordan and Nike. Think Coca-Cola and McDonalds. Or even Caterpillar and Jenga. When done properly, two great brands unite to generate cash (cash...