It Can Pay to Be a Bad A**

Breaking the rules can pay off royally.

Think of how art would have suffered if Leonardo Da Vinci hadn't pilfered cadavers from the morgue. History is chock-full of such examples.

Most entrepreneurs still adhere to do's and don'ts. But those who rebel are feeling good about being bad.

Company: Big Ass Fans

Rule It Broke: Keep your marketing PC

Why It Likes Being Bad: $37 million per year and growing

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Thou Shalt Not

In the advertising industry, being politically incorrect is possible but not recommended. French Connection got away with its FCUK T-shirts, but Benetton had to apologize for its campaign featuring inmates on death row.

An un-PC campaign might get you noticed, but it will likely polarize a majority of your demographic, says Steve Woodruff, president of branding consultancy, Impactiviti.

"You get really close to putting a gun to your head when you cross the lines of sensitivity," he says.

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