The End of the Al and Tipper Gore Career Brand

As a kid growing up in the 70s, a lot of the pop culture I embraced revolved around famous people who were married and worked together. I watched Sonny & Cher, sang the number one hit song by Captain & Tennille incessantly, watched every I Love Lucy re-run I could sandwich in between homework, and wowed at the husband and wife team of Bela and Marta Karolyi as I watched Nadia Comaneci score those perfect tens.

I didn’t realize it, but these couples were not just icons to me; they were powerful career brands. At the time, Desi needed Lucy, Sonny needed Cher, and I’m pretty sure Captain wouldn’t have lasted long without Tennille. I started noticing that politicians and their wives seemed to also always be linked in the media and even though the presidents were the most talked about on television or in the news, there was always footage of them with their wives campaigning for them or supporting a cause and they were truly part of the presidential brand.

So when I heard the news about Al and Tipper Gore splitting up after 40 years of marriage, it reminded me of their career brand and how Tipper’s activism influenced the Al Gore brand and vice-versa. It’s hard to think of one without the other. But just like Lucy and Desi and Sonny and Cher split and went on to establish their own independent career brands, I suppose in time Al and Tipper will do the same. Oh well; at least Captain and Tennille (and Bela and Marta’s) love are still keeping them and their career brands together.

What do you think about husbands and wives as business partners? Is it marital bliss or relationship suicide?