Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, remembered for his attacks on Tory sleaze in the 1990s, has been having a two year affair with a political secretary. The heady aphrodisiac of power can even make John Prescott look quite sweet investing him with eyes no puppy dog could despise and an eager wagging willingness to cheat…
Legend has it that the doyen of studio publicity, Russell Birdwell, came up with the bright idea to use the film trades to sell celebrity real estate. Errol Flynn in 1954, used Variety and advertised his hilltop, ten acre estate, complete with caretaker, tennis court, “gorgeous pool,” projection room and pony ring. This was the…
McDonald’s Takes Online Gamble The fast-food chain’s tie with a girls’ website could play into the hands of health pressure groups. …..according to Mark Borkowski, head of PR firm Borkowski, online activity is key to the promotional strategies used by firms such as McDonald’s to boost their image in tough times. http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/article/555855//
Without great PR advice, history teaches us that there are many ways to destroy a successful career in the film biz. The most common is shooting inappropriate remarks from the hip. The mighty Tom Mix was a top cowboy of American silent films, known for his daring stunts, and equally famous for his elaborate cowboy…
The Borkowski poet in residence succumbs to the power of celebrity advertising on hearing that Catherine Zeta-Jones has topped a list of the highest-paid product endorsing celebrities – Penelope Cruz also made the list after earning £2.2 million to promote L’Oreal hair products. I want to eat crisps and suddenly become a football god and…
Day 11 When war was declared in 1915 the American nation looked to the entertainment industry to set an example. Unfortunately Broadway became a hideaway for draft dodgers. The Government sent in agents to hound out the slackers. One act that sort PR advice on what should be done to generate popular appeal during this…
Jade Goody failed to complete this year’s London Marathon. Before beginning the race she admitted she had hardly trained for the event. She said her training diet had consisted of Chinese takeaways, curries and beer. Stop running Jade, stop running. Your curry’s ready and you look exhausted. You’ve done ten minutes already and it’s started…
DAY 9 and 10 My final weekend in New York is spent trying to get stories out of some of the old carnival fiends down at Coney Island. I find them terribly reticent to talk about the glorious past. They seem totally paranoid about making conversation with someone who isn’t marked by a tattoo or…
Day 8 Joe Flynn seems to have been one of the most fertile press agents around the turn of the century. He spun the Salome vogue, the phoniest craze of all to hit the stage. It was all based around the then provocative Salome dance. When New York went Salome-mad the rest of the nation…
after Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley “The Queen, who is 80 today, is the best thing about the monarchy: constant, reassuring and one of the most accomplished politicians of our age. But the institution is finished and Elizabeth could well be all that’s keeping it alive.” Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian, 21st April 2006 I met…