Rogue PRs
More or less every time I sit down with a journalist these days, I hear about some more appalling PR conduct. The problem with the PR industry is that it’s unregulated, so anyone who can afford a website or a business card can set themselves up as a PR agency. That said, there are a […]
The battle of Heathrow
Downing Street has warned climate change protesters near Heathrow that any disruption to the running of the airport would be “unacceptable”. Great news – at long last an outbreak of civil disobedience. Clearly the action of the Camp for Climate Action, is a publicity stunt, I am optimistic that the controversy will raise a debate […]
This has to be a PR scam
Surgically alters thumbs to better use iPhone Written by James Benfly http://northdenvernews.com/content/view/922/2/ Thomas Martel, 28, of Bonnie Brae is a big guy. So he has a hard time using the features on ever-shrinking user interfaces on devices like his new iPhone. At least, he did, until he had his thumbs surgically altered in a revolutionary […]
Edinburgh Fringe news
I have a Edinburgh Fringe client that is a genuine South African Sangoma or Witch Doctor. It seems that he feels the need to ritually slaughter a live chicken on stage on the full moon next week to bring The House of the Holy Afro theatre production at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh good fortune! […]
Flea circus
I am very excited – I have just bought a flea circus. It orginated in Alaska and has arrived by courier just after three today. The fleas were trained by an Eskimo called Charlie Pastolik. Most Eskimos, who have nothing to do during the long winter nights spend months training their sledge dog fleas.
Gang Culture
The moving speech made yesterday by the grieving Barbara Reid on the second day of the inquest into the death of her son Jessie James, touched me. Jessie was a boy who clearly did not want to get caught up with the local street gang culture, and it seems that he was murdered for rejecting […]
It will be nigh on impossible for him to work in television again’Jack Malvern and Nicola Woolcock
Chris Langham will never act on British television again, publicists predicted yesterday after the actor became the latest celebrity to be tainted with downloading child pornography. Mark Borkowski, of Borkowski Public Relations, said that Langham would suffer a similar fate to Gary Glitter, the glam rock singer who was jailed for four months for possessing […]
Water Works
Being an (un)lucky resident of Gloucestershire, I have now been hit by the lack of water. Hundreds of families are without water and the unrest in certain areas of Gloucestershire has been caused by the lack of customer care from Severn Trent Water. The big corporation business has more loyalty to its shareholders than its […]
Football Fever
Yesterday’s Asian Cup Final in Jakarta and the repercussions in Iraq, provoked news correspondents from the BBC to claim that Iraq’s defeat of Saudi Arabia had temporarily united the divided country. Iraq beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 yesterday and celebratory gunfire was heard in Baghdad. Thousands of Iraqis had been following the match in Indonesia on […]
Heinz lands in the soup over sex claims
Lyndsay Moss – The Scotsman. It was a marketing man’s dream: Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup was not only one of Britain’s iconic food brands, it also improved men’s fertility. Heinz yesterday trumpeted university research which showed that eating its soup could “give guys extra oomph”. But the soup’s rise from kitchen cupboard staple to must-buy superfood […]
PR Stunts I Have Loved
The insanity around the Prince free album debate is unbelievable. The Mail On Sunday giveaway yesterday of Prince’s Planet Earth caused uproar amongst the music retail stores who claimed it devalued music on every level. I myself think this is one of the two great publicity stunts so far this year. Prince’s album sales have […]
Facebook Phenomenon
The last few days have seen the broad sheets chattering over the growth of Facebook and its ability to become one of the most astounding of the web 2 offerings. This development has been driven by an extremely clever and one can argue, compelling publicity stunt. All new web platforms face the problem of sustaining […]
Live Earth
Reading this morning’s papers, I couldn’t help but notice the lacklustre coverage for yesterday’s “Live Earth” event. It strikes me that perhaps we’ve all got big event fatigue. Two years ago I was asked to be on a panel organised by the media magazine PR Week, to judge the greatest publicity stunts of all time. […]
70s poster icon is back, so anyone for Tennis Girl?
From the Scotsman – IT WAS the poster that adorned the walls of countless adolescents at the end of the 1970s and fuelled a million male fantasies. Caught in bright sunlight, a woman tennis player, lopes off court, rather indiscretely scratching a naked buttock. Now Tennis Girl, taken by photographer Martin Elliott in 1976, is […]
George Melly
It’s a sad day today as George Melly is dead. He was one of the true entertainers and raconteurs. I met him when I was working as a fledgling publicist at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon where George would entertain the citizens of Swindon with his peculiar stage performances. One of his greatest fans was […]
Proud Sponsors of the Genocide Olympics
This arrived in my inbox this morning read the full article in Business Week. The practicalities of the commercial world. Proud Sponsors of the Genocide Olympics Business Week, June 21, 2007 http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070621_511854.htm Among the nightmares that might plague a marketing executive, bankrolling an event that some call the Genocide Olympics could well be one of […]
Bad Girl Army
She’s the biggest thing to come out of Britain since The Spice Girls. But will the wine, the man and the attitude be enough for Amy Winehouse? There is nothing conventional about Amy Winehouse. She seems to have sprung fully formed from a subterranean music dungeon – a creature of extravagant plumage, big hair, black […]
Royals to the Lions
Peter McKay in today’s Daily Mail suggests that Princes Harry and William are being advised by their media minders to go for the easy option when being interviewed. McKay thinks the Princes should not seek to control their questions and should perhaps face Jeremy Paxman or John Humphrys. In my opinion, the Royal Family get […]
Paranoid chatter
I thought I would share an email that came in today. The senders name has been dropped off for obvious reasons. S**t just hit fan with the car bombing so calling all national papers and pitching our security expert in as a spokesperson, expert etc (of the millions of things we do, we stuff like protecting companies […]
Watch This Spice
At a press conference today, it was announced that the Spice Girls will reform for a World Tour commencing this December. Everyone is super heated about just how much money this tour will generate. Simon Fuller is behind it, and one thing is certain, and that’s that he can make money even while he’s sleeping. […]