pseudo-event at its finest

Image and caption in black taken from the Winnipeg Free Press

Joan Rettie, 77, participates in a Flash Mob to raise awareness for 1Hope Winnipeg. The event took place at Portage Place Shopping Centre over the lunch hour Tuesday and featured local hip-hop artists Sadie and Bubba B. Hundreds of people flocked to centre court to watch and, in some cases, join in.

Who says hip hop is just for the younger generation?  I do not see one young

person taking part in this event (based on the picture), which is fabulous!  I would have loved to see this.  And by the way, Joan Rettie looks like she can bust a move!  She seems like someone who would tear up the dance floor at a wedding.  And the guy in the suit seems to be really getting into it as well!

security blanket in PR

A couple posts back, I posted a clip from a mini-webisode series on the Grey's Anatomy website.  I've decided to post all six as they become available over the weeks.  Week 2 is actually very timely. 

This past week in our PR class, we practiced giving a 5-7 second message in front of a camera.  And for those of you who think it's easy to make a message that short, think again!  It's also very nerve-racking to be in front of the camera and remember what you have to say without a paper.  Needless to say, I used my paper as a security blanket. I still need some practice.

This week's Grey's Anatomy webisode is about finding the right person to make an important interview.  Doctor Hunt has a bit of trouble getting his message across, lucky for him he was able to stop and start again, and had cue cards.  If only we could use cue cards in real life situations where no one would notice, except us.

I wonder how many of us would have got fired from their duties on Monday, like Dr. Hunt did haha!

New Disney campaign makes me smile

Disney Parks launched a new campaign last month called "Let the Memories Begin".  Guests who visited the parks can upload their videos and photos from their trips to Disney.  The photos and videos will then be used in television ads, print, and online. 

I really like this campaign.  It connects everyday people, the guests, with the parks.  It helps to show how excited people of all ages can get when they find out they are going to experience a Disney park.  I never went as a child, but got the chance to go about three years ago.  And even though I was in my 20s, I was still extremely excited and had a blast. 

So the point is that you don't have to make a campaign flashy and expensive to be effective.  My first experience with this campaign was the commercial that I saw.  Every time I see it, it always make me smile because it's real people showing their real emotions.  I think it's very cute and effective. 

Grey's Anatomy & PR?

I enjoy certain TV shows that I watch every week. One of those shows is Grey's Anatomy. I have it on my Facebook feed because I had it as one of my favourite TV shows and then when things changed on Facebook, the group was added to my profile.

Anyways, I saw this new webisode series that started this week and will run for 6 consecutive weeks.

The reason I am posting it is because it's all about PR! A little background for those of you who don't watch. On the season finale last year, there was an irate husband of a woman who died in the hospital a few episodes back who opened fire in the hospital.  Let me tell you, it was an intense season finale!

Anyways, the hospital is dealing with the backlash and loss of credibility for the hospital. Though this is all fictitious, it is highly possible in everyday events, as we've seen through the media.

I watched the first webisode and it sort of highlights what we are going to be learning in the near future; media interviews. Dr. Webber (the doctor in this webisode) does not feel he needs any PR help and says "no comment" (GASP!) many times. The PR lady tries to help him by saying there needs to be a message sent out to the public.

I just thought it was a timely webisode series for all my PR classmates!

  

P.S - the video didn't work for me right away, so try a couple times if it doesn't

Grover impersonates Old Spice

I thought this was too cute!

Because I care to send the very best...

I have a love for greetings cards.  It's a sickness really.  I can stand in the card aisle for way too long choosing a card for someone.  But I take my card picking seriously.  I have to find the exact right card that reflects the person I am giving it to.  My friends and family know of my sickness, and in result, appreciate the cards I give them.  My one friend hates receiving cards because she feels they are useless.  But from me?  She appreciates them because she knows the time I put into picking it out.  Some may call it crazy or obsessive.  Me? I call it normal.

That brings me to the point of this blog.  I was at Superstore on the weekend in the card aisle (of course) choosing three! birthday cards for my friends, which I can tell you took a little long.  Anyways, I came upon a section celebrating Hallmark's 100 years in the business.  They brought back some really old greeting cards that once were out (I'm talking 1940s old).  They just looked so different from the cards we have today.  Some were over-the-top, some were kinda creepily designed, but they were all absolutely fantastic.  They even had a little description on the back explaining the year the card came out and the reason behind the design.

I went to the Hallmark 100 years website and it is really neat.  It shows you some retro cards and a timeline from the past 100 years of Hallmark.  I tried to embed the slideshow of the cards through the years, but it was too big and I couldn't adjust the size.  So I definitely suggest that you visit the site.

http://www.hallmark100years.com/Cards-Reflect-Our-Culture

I leave you with one of the cards that I chose for my friend.  I find it hilariously cheesy and perfect.

PS - it even played Hawaiian music!