Hasbro’s Gender Neutral Potato Head
Woke parents are applauding Hasbro’s announcement that it will create a gender neutral Mr Potato Head, simply called, Potato Head, as cultural conservatives everywhere are whining about the latest example of political correctness gone mad. Meanwhile, people are suddenly talking about a toy that, like so many Micronauts and Chatty Cathies, could easily have been […]
Jay Z and LVMH: The Communications Perspective
A look at the communications and reputation management rationale behind the major champagne deal confirms it as smart business for both parties:Today the news broke that French luxury giant LVMH has purchased 50% of Jay Z’s Armand de Brignac ‘Ace of Spades’ champagne. The deal has generated global business news headlines and has been applauded as […]
The sedative effects of PR speak
I love technobabble in space movies. One of my favourite scenes from Apollo 13 is when Tom Hanks recreates the infamous, ‘Houston, we have a problem’ moment, which I remember hearing on the radio as a child. What follows is a barrage of technical language and spaceship jargon that only an engineer at Space X […]
As we clap for Captain Tom, remember him for the hero he was
Captain Sir Tom Moore—whose fundraising efforts raised an incredible £33 million for the effort against COVID-19—has died at the venerable age of 100. Though his legacy is undisputed—he is a war hero whose optimism and lust for life inspired the nation—the story nonetheless has an ambivalent resonance, not least because Captain Tom’s legacy will be […]
To get its head around Reddit, Wall Street will have to stop calling it ‘dumb money’
In the past week, individual traders have shown that they too can use a tactic from the hedge funds’ arsenal, and put on the ‘short squeeze’—on Wall Street itself.But if this is going to be more than a story about David v. Goliath—the big, tech-savvy investment giants v. the sparky, individual traders of the internet—Wall […]
Pfaff at Pfizer
Pfizer just unveiled a new corporate identity, completing a lengthy process. Thousands participated in focus groups, hundreds of possible designs were considered, and multiple agencies and brand consultancies gave their ideas. The company wants to communicate that it’s no longer just a pill. The new design is meant to represent the new technology they offer, […]
A few tips for the government’s COVID comms
Public confidence in the government’s coronavirus response is at an all-time low—and for good reason. The cabinet’s communications have been piecemeal, difficult to follow, and subject to last-minute revision.The latest assurances that the military will be called in are no real improvement—Ben Wallace’s announcement was more parade, without any substance.The disastrous consequences of this lacklustre […]
BrewDog’s PR Coup
This week, BrewDog made the visionary decision to offer (and to announce that it was offering) its 50 or so closed pub locations to help with a roll out of the Coronavirus vaccine.Whereas other business leaders have met the latest announcement with more grovelling for support, this response is truly epic. It makes the best of a […]
Depp in deep
Johnny Depp took one hell of a gamble – and he’s lost out. In fact, everyone involved has lost. Now, in the aftermath, we have the immovable object of the words ‘wife beater’ experiencing the pressure of an irresistible force – Depp’s super-fans. That international fanbase worked to protect their icon – ensuring that #JusticeForJohnnyDepp […]
Latest Thames Stunt shows that PR is floating down the toilet
In turbulent times decision makers in any industry – be it CEOs, politicians, film directors or football managers- will fall back on tactics which served them well in the past, even if that past is growing distant and the tactic dating doublequick. The mechanism behind this decision is simple: the greater the desperation, the less […]
Shaun Bailey’s cake
Shaun Bailey is in an interesting position. Standing for Mayor against an incumbent he is months out and 22 points behind in the polls with finances no doubt stretched to breaking point by the extended race. With no money or momentum – it’s now or never.Under this pressure, we get a glimpse of the true […]
Boris Johnson and headhunting hornets
Is this a coronavirus fever dream or is Boris Johnson once again stumbling into a PR battle with Marcus ‘Leader of the Opposition’ Rashford?Johnson has just rejected Rashford’s campaign for school meals over half-term on the grounds that: “We’re in a different position now with schools back open to all pupils… It’s not for schools […]
The Government’s latest communications snafu is appalling because it is revealing
Hot on the heels of the Chancellor patronisingly asking artists across the country to retrain in order to survive Covid – not taking the time to think that many struggling actors already hold part-time jobs.Just last week Fatima, the ballerina (actually a stock photo from the internet of a dancer from Atlanta) is told that […]
Burger King and the cultural appropriation of a working class town
Burger King got rave reviews for its latest ad-campaign where it sponsored Stevenage FC in order to launch a challenge on FIFA. Hoping that the digital image of Sergio Ramos holding a cup above his head would grab attention, customers and headlines. Sports bible etc., predictably, loved it.Under even the barest scrutiny it fell apart […]
Extinction Rebellion – hubris and dissent
Extinction Rebellion have accomplished an incredible thing. They have driven the discussion of environment collapse right into the mainstream. But just as political struggles all need to have passion in the streets and finesse in smoke filled rooms, XR blazed across the headlines to make the space for producers to create the recent Attenborough documentary. […]
Sasha Swire and the end of the Inner Circle
I’ve been mulling the furore around Sasha Swire’s Diary of an MP’s Wife and it’s got me thinking about the mechanics which lead, firstly, to hangers-on attempting to heave their entire social circle under the bus for their 15 minutes, and secondly, to figures in power allowing this to happen through their own arrogance and […]
Reputation management in the age of Abdicated Princes & Netflix
With the news that Meghan Markle and Harry Windsor are going to set up their own studio which will be making overtly political documentaries, it is worth considering the lessons that can be drawn from their closest contemporaries – the Obamas. Barack and Michelle have both done brilliant things in their post-Presidency, learning the appropriate […]
David Icke and the True Measure of Influence
At a glance, this is terrifying. We talk and talk about purpose and authenticity but the ugly truth is that, with the right platform, a little style and some gumption, the conspiracy brigade is attracting a bigger audience than ever.It’s got me thinking about levels of influence. David Icke is a figure of fun but […]
Burger King and Ogilvy make gamers Twitch
Screw the backlash. This is brilliant. With the advent of every new media comes the gold rush; the scramble for the advertising, comms and marketing industries to find a sweet spot in which commercial content can gain, or at least hijack an organic audience before the platform undergoes a Facebook style-hypercommercialisation. I’ve been a fan […]
Junk food peddlers have some of the biggest mouths in the media industry
Ben & Jerry’s have always had activism at their heart but they need to be careful not to overreach and turn into BrewDog.A lot of our PR fables seem to be confectionary-based these days, but as I’ve said before, junk food peddlers have some of the biggest mouths in the media industry.The ice cream barons […]