Side-stepping the opinions of Brand, or any other person for that matter. The nice thing about bitcoin is it doesn't matter who likes it, supports it, promotes it, etc... Bitcoin is a function of utility, and it becomes more secure, and valuable with more people using it. If Brand promotes bitcoin, it would be no different than him promoting Mercedes, except the upside potential affects bitcoin users, not a corporation.
If Brands million+ fans decide to hop on board with bitcoin, does it matter who the spokesman is? It's part of gaining mass adoption, and it's necessary if you want things like bitcoin to succeed. And when I say succeed, I mean, become wildly successful. Right now most of the conversation is centered around technically inclined people, and outright nerds (I being the latter). That doesn't cut it among the masses. Take Linux for example. Great software, horrible marketing.
+1
its not all about promoting it, its also about getting it to be useful. most mindsets are about promoting people to just buy bitcoin for the sake of raising the price. i prefer the promoting side where it gets USED by the people after they have bought in.. i know it only takes at the moment nearly 12 million people to deposit £$1000 ever in their life, to lift the market cap to a £$1000 per bitcoin price. but then what.. will these 12 million people be able to buy a coffee at starbucks instantly.. will a forgeign worker be able to send money home to his grandparents and they understand it enough and know a sleek method of converting bitcoins back to pay their own rent and electric bills?? or better yet, convince their landlord to accept bitcoin direct?
promoting bitcoins through songs and media is not enough, there has to be some footwork done. like getting these third world banks to no longer rely on a centralised database designed by microsoft access and modified operating systems to secure the digital numbers it holds.. but to get them to use the block chain and learn how they dont have to rely on corporations or charities to aid running their banks.
now back to the russell brand subject.. name me 3 other people that are internationally recognised as being:
involved with activist stuff EG not afraid to attend protests
involved in politics EG speaking up for stuff happening relating to G-20, the third-world, warzones, etc
what comes out of their mouth is atleast more honest then any government leader would dare say on TV