In an effort to unveil its new look, Manning, Selvage & Lee launched a campaign sending thin, red boxes to about 3,000 public relations and media relations firms or agencies, creating a mysterious roll-out campaign that created some controversy.
The boxes came in three waves: The first box had the words "Appreciate Change" professionally stenciled on the top part; the second said "Demand Change," and the third, "The Power of Change."
The first box also had un-popped kernels on one side of the box, and popped ones on the other. MS&L didn't reveal its identity until the very last box, which included a packet of information from the firm.
Gaudet says last February MS&L split off from a lobbying firm it merged with in the 1980s. Therefore, the firm needed redefining.
"We wanted to define who MS&L is and what our firm stands for," says Brian Gaudet, vice-president of MS&L. "We had to do something dramatic."
Dramatics is exactly what Capitol Hill experienced when some press secretaries received the boxes. Calling the whole campaign, "Popcorn-Gate," Roll Call poked fun that the boxes were sent from popcorn lobbyists, maybe even the late Orville Redenbacher.
But there was no popcorn lobbying going on, just pure creativity Gaudet says. And the fact that Capitol Hill secretaries are involved is no coincidence.
"Press secretaries are the most ignored part of public relations," Gaudet says. "Nobody lobbies press secretaries, so we decided it was important to include them."
Chris McCannell, spokesman for Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md), agrees. Hill press secretaries are ignored and he was flattered to receive information from MS&L.
"They got you hooked," he says. "If they sent just a packet of information, we'd throw it away. This got our attention."
Although press secretary Audrey Hudson for Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) also thinks that her profession is ignored by lobbyists, she says the whole stunt was "a waste of my time."
"It was different, but its not like a Senator or Congressman can hire an outside PR group," she says. " I didn't understand why they were sending it."
That wasn't the point, however, Gaudet says. The fact that press secretaries usually leave the Hill after a few years and move, makes them a good target for PR firms.
"It's a strange bird that spends their whole life as a press secretary." He says. "We wanted to get their attention early, because someday they'll leave and be seeking firms or agencies. "
The grand prize went to Tonya Neff, spokeswoman for Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pa), who guessed it was MS&L the entire time. The free popcorn and movie tickets she received from the firm when Gaudet visited the office certainly got her attention.
"I knew it was MS&L because a week before they sent me a flyer with the same color scheme as the boxes," she says. "The campaign was very compelling. It made you question, 'who's this from?' and it worked." (MS&L, Brian Gaudet, 202/261-2862; Chris McCannell, 202/225-4131; Audrey Hudson, 202/224-5852; Tonya Neff, 202/225-2411).