This calls to mind the concept of The Street in Neal Stevenson's Snowcrash:
"That's why the damn place is so overdeveloped. Put in a sign or a building on the Street and the hundred million richest, hippest, best-connected people on earth will see it every day of their lives."
Put in a sign or a building on the Street and the hundred million richest, hippest, best-connected people on earth will see it every day of their lives.
This happens in real life.
AT&T, Verizon, Nokia, Garmin, and other brands put up flashy "flagship" stores on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago knowing there's no way they can ever sell enough gadgets to pay the rent. Those are nothing more than three dimensional billboards for the brand in a district where billboards are prohibited. It's not even a secret.
"That's why the damn place is so overdeveloped. Put in a sign or a building on the Street and the hundred million richest, hippest, best-connected people on earth will see it every day of their lives."