The Real Deal
Sorry for the blog silence over the past few days but I’ve been deeply immersed in mud, sweat and tears at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. What a colossus it has become – physically and culturally. It’s such an amazing, stand alone event, but one which to some is probably just another summer music festival. If you’re […]
The Big Question: Is Glastonbury Too Big, and is it still Europe's most important music festival?
By Ian Burrell 20th June 2007 Just how big is Glastonbury? Glastonbury 2007, which begins on Friday, is expected to have an attendance of 177,500, making it the biggest since the festival started in 1970. Organisers sold 137,500 tickets in one hour and 45 minutes on 1 April. The first festival, the brain child of […]
The Late Bernard Manning
Bernard Manning is dead. And somewhere in London there is a full size wax effigy of Mr Manning that I commissioned in 1992. Jonathan Margolis’ obituary in today’s Independent was staggering. I particularly liked his comment that “Bernard Manning was in a sense the last “legitimate” racist in Britain. Legitimate because the gags which caused […]
"Green" Stories
I note that my blog about the recycling of stories and stunts got some response;one in particular caught my eye, from a Heather Yaxley. Her comments go to prove my point that nothing is original anymore, because somewhere way back in time, someone else had the idea. It’s all been done before. I wasn’t suggesting […]
It's what the fans want – what they really, really want.
Fergus Sheppard, The Scotsman. The Spice Girls, the five-member act which crusaded to pop superstardom on the theme of “girl power” in the 1990s, spawning a host of copycats along the way, was last night set for a reunion. Rumours have been sweeping the showbiz world for weeks, fuelled by snaps of band members meeting […]
Sir Alan Sugar – you're fired
In boardroom terms it was a hostile takeover. Katie Hopkins, the poison-tongued “alpha female” contestant on The Apprentice, fired Sir Alan Sugar last night and walked out on the £100,000 job. After months of acidic put-downs, Ms Hopkins, a 31-year-old brands consultant, had manoeuvred her way past 14 rivals to reach the grand final of […]
Who’s bringing back the love?
I was sent a note about this blog today http://bringtheloveback.com/about/ The author seems to have made the film and makes the following statement. “I would like to know which advertisers are already bringing back the love? What I am looking for are examples of campaigns, strategies, maybe even brands or products that show that the […]
The Stunts Come Round Again
When I originally compiled the book “Improperganda: Art of the Publicity Stunt”, my research astounded me as I realized that a lot of what I had done over the past years in PR wasn’t original. Similar things had been done before in some way, shape or form. It was a case of innocent misunderstanding because […]
Shock Apprentice Winner
Son of a multi-millionaire beats the bookies to become the next £100,000 Apprentice by Fergus Sheppard. He may be from a privileged background a million miles away from former street trader Sir Alan Sugar – but public schoolboy Simon Ambrose yesterday became the surprise winner of BBC1’s business reality show The Apprentice. Ambrose, 27, triumphed over […]
The Fear Of Missing Out Means The Press Is Like a Feral Beast.
Sam Coates, Political Correspondent The Times. Tony Blair yesterday revealed his despair of the British media, which he believes has corroded the relationship between politicians and voters and which regularly demolishes the reputations of public figures for commercial advantage. In his last major speech as Prime Minister, 14 days before he leaves office, he said […]
The Wad Couple
GERRY has told Laura he thinks she could make at least £10,000 through book and magazine deals when she leaves BB. We asked publicist Mark Borkowski for his views. He reckons Ziggy and Chanelle can rake in the loot, but he warns: “It’s still quite hard to tell as this year’s bunch seem a little […]
Carters Fair
“Carter’s”, a beautiful original Victorian steam fair, seems to have solved the problem of the ubiquitous fair ground hoodie. The fair opened at the weekend in Hayes, Essex to be graced by gangs of up to twenty hoodies who generally unnerved the middle agers and their kids. To combat this loitering with or without intent, […]
Amy Keeps Marriage Vows Mortal and Simple
Cape Times Tonight by Ed Caesar. June 8, 2007 London – Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes it most certainly is not. When the singer Amy Winehouse, 23, and the “music video assistant” Blake Fielder-Civil, 25, exchanged vows in Miami, in the company of a few friends, the event was that rarest of things in the […]
Racist In The House
For all of you who didn’t know why Emily was removed from the Big Brother house early this morning, here is a transcript of the offending conversation. It’s interesting how quickly Channel 4 is reacting to try to manage the fire storm. In the light of what happened to Shilpa Shetty, I’m sure Channel 4 […]
Thousands Sign Up as Organ Donors
Over 50,000 people have downloaded an organ donor registration form since Friday night’s hoax tv broadcast in which three people competed for a dying woman’s kidney. Some 1.2 million people watched the broadcast on public channel BNN, which had been condemned by politicians, doctors and commentators around the globe. The woman was revealed at the […]
A Modern Love Story: When Amy wed Blake
Fairy-tale romances used to involve blushing brides and charming princes. Today’s ideal is messier but, as Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil have shown, still potent The Independent. 02 June 2007 Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes it most certainly is not. When the singer Amy Winehouse, 23, and the “music video assistant” Blake Fielder-Civil, 25, exchanged […]
TV kidney Donor Show revealed as hoax to provoke debate on organ shortages.
Programme’s terminally ill patient was an actor. Dutch stunt praised by media commentators . The Guardian Saturday June 2, 2007 It was decried as the show that would break the reality TV format’s back. The makers of the Dutch De Grote Donorshow (The Big Donor Show) promised a one-off programme in which a terminally ill […]
Essex Man, this is your biggest challenge
PROFILE: Andy Coulson: David Cameron believes he has pulled off another dazzling coup in appointing Andy Coulson, the street-smart former editor of the News of the World, as the Tories’ director of communications. Sceptics wonder if it is a stunt that will backfire like Cameron’s bicycle. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1875732.ece
Little Brother's Big Kidney
I was approached late yesterday afternoon by a contestant on this year’s Big Brother – civilians that is, not celebrities. I cannot even remember which series this is; it has been going for so long. After all the race row shenanigans, I hope the new series has a change of zest; its reputation is finely […]
Golden CEO Tickets
In today’s competitive society, where anyone can get their fifteen minutes of fame, everyone has their price. Large bags of cash to buy opinion are likely to turn “gamekeepers into poachers” as we see today in the case of Alan Milburn. Of course PepsiCo UK would want to get Alan Milburn, the former health secretary, […]