We always knew agency pros would go to great lengths to get ink for their clients. We just weren't sure how far. PR NEWS surveyed a few industry veterans to gauge their
dedication - in measures of self-deprecation. It seems, indeed, that every day is Halloween in PR land. Some choice responses:
Lab Experiment. I cooked up a mad scientist press kit inviting reporters to attend a software company "experiment" in which the client would integrate a whole bunch of
stuff made by different manufacturers onto one office network - back in the days when that was a big deal. The invitation included a "lab book" written as if it belonged to Dr.
Frankenstein. Also inside the box was a little chemistry set with some general bubble-and-fizz type things. The last two test tubes you mixed together created this wonderful
nontoxic green slime. I got the recipe from the Fernbank Science Center here in Atlanta and my wife and I spent a weekend cooking the crap on our kitchen stove - enough for about
50 chemistry sets. Coverage of the event was pretty good, but for months we had reporters calling asking for more slime.
-David Morrison, VP, Hayslett Sorrel PR, Atlanta
Operation Dessert Storm. We orchestrated the construction of a life-size replica of an Army Humvee all-terrain vehicle made out of cake. Decorated in camouflage icing,
the cake was unveiled in Times Square, adjacent to the Armed Forces Recruiting Station, in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
-Dennis J. Cesa, SVP/Group Manager, Public Affairs Group, Cohn & Wolfe, New York Ruff. One of our clients is in the HR automation space, and
their tag line is "Don't hire a dog" (i.e., someone who performs well in the recruiting process, but turns out to be a bad hire). We thought it would be a good publicity idea to
have a dog mascot at the first large trade show they attended, as we were relying heavily on the "Bad Dog" theme. We didn't have enough time to find a stand-in, so I volunteered
to wear a St. Bernard suit. I even got into a mock fight with BrassRings Systems' "Joboo" mascot. I am now referred to as "Dog Boy" by my client.
-Greg Holt, Client Service Manager, Michael James & Co., Inc., Pittsburgh
New Digs. Last fall, I was editing the prototype of American Profile, a new magazine for community newspapers, for our client, Publishing Group of America. The
cover story, about a traveling circus, was finished except for quotes from performers (which the writer was unable to obtain as the circus was constantly on the move). The
Saturday before deadline, I was trying on dresses at Dillards when a clown and pie plate spinner finally called my cell phone. I conducted the interviews on the dressing room
floor, taking notes on scrap paper I found in my purse. I can only imagine what the person in the dressing room next to me must have thought, let alone the salesperson. I bought
the dress I was wearing during the hour-long interview as well as two others.
-Aileen R. Katcher, Partner, Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Communications, Brentwood, Tenn.
Creating Buzz. I dressed as one of two bumblebees to create buzz on the "Today Show" set for Lanacane Anti-Itch Creme and the new Lanacane Sting Forecast available
online. We were able to get the banner (which featured the Web address) and ourselves on TV several times. It was a lot of fun, although we had to walk back to the car during the
morning rush hour and a lot of people stared at our stingers.
-Alyson O'Mahoney, Robin Leedy & Associates, Inc., New York