One of the most brilliant PR moves I've seen in a long time is being played out by fashion designer Marc Ecko, who revealed himself as the winning bidder for Saturday's online auction for Barry Bonds' record breaking home run ball #756. Ecko paid $752,467.00 for a ball many experts predicted would sell for $500,000.00. So why you may ask would I say this is a brilliant move?

Because after purchasing the ball, Ecko announed he was taking votes on whether to give the ball to the Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk or blast it into space. He said he plans to announce the final tally after voting ends Sept. 25.

In the meantime, Ecko has appeared on "The Today Show" and several other media outlets urging fans to visit his website and cast their vote. He's likely going to receive media exposure valued at well over $1M for himself and his Ecko brand in the meantime.

Think about it this way. We see advertisers pay $2.5M for a spot during the Super Bowl. I'd argue that this $752K investment and his ongoing PR blitz will win mindshare with the public in a way a Super Bowl spot could never achieve. Most of us had never heard of Marc Ecko yesterday but by the end of the week, millions of us will know who he is via this publicity stunt. He'll also forever be memorialized in the history books as the guy who purchased Bonds' record breaking home run ball.

Genius.