Just a minor conviction, nothing to it really

Martha Stewart is out of her shackles and ready to remake herself.

The campaign is similar to one launched by shoemaker Steve Madden Ltd. when the company's founder finished a prison stint for stock fraud this spring. Ads for the company carried such phrases as, "There's been one pair of shoes that's been impossible to fill. Steve returns spring 2005."

Branding experts said the campaigns are an indication that, as long as the offense is not violent or sexual, convictions need no longer crush high-profile corporate careers. "I think doing everything just right is not as important a message these days," said Allen Adamson, New York managing director for brand-consulting firm Landor Associates. "It's not as salient a message as doing everything with style and panache."

Experts said the blitz is also clear evidence that any effort to separate Martha Stewart the person from Martha Stewart the company is emphatically over. "This is not just another chapter in the Martha Stewart story," Adamson said "This is a total relaunch."