entertainment

The Selfie Stick: A Consumer PR Dream Because taking a picture is now easier than ever with a selfie stick, the practice has become a hobby for virtually every Millennial who is "in the know." Being able to snap and share almost instantly to a social media profile is making the selfie stick a staple in the wardrobe, almost as important as a purse or a wallet. The selfie stick is cheap, putting it well within the range of even the poorest Starbucks barista/student. It is also very easy to use, requiring almost no previous technical expertise. It is basically... Read More >

The more positive press an athlete receives, the more likely he is to be offered endorsement deals. What does that translate to? Well at the extreme high end you have Michael Jordan who has not even participated in his sport of choice for several years and in 2014 earned an estimated $45 million in endorsement deals. But, let’s look at some of the variables in the equation and what athletes need to be aware of if they are looking to be more marketable. How big is the fan base for your sport? Obviously, the bigger your fan base in places... Read More >

Villy Custom is putting together a Beach Weekend Package, which will be given away on air at the end of May on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Each vendor receives two seats in the green room on taping day, which is the day before the show airs. Cost is $45K paid to Villy Custom, in addition your client would need to give away a product to every member of Ellen's audience. Ellen is very particular about the brands she gives out, because she wants to maintain a certain brand image. Therefore she wants to use companies that will align with her... Read More >

A single commercial being run on this year's Super Bowl would cost roughly $4.5 million for just 30 short seconds of airtime. In 2014, it was only $4 million for a 30 second ad. The Super Bowl is known for reaching millions upon millions of viewers across the globe. This year specifically has a couple new surprises and definitely changes that the other years didn't have. The battle for which company has the best commercial is always competitive, especially since advertisers try to capitalize off the time of the year when people actually sit down and look forward to watching the... Read More >

If you live in or around New York City, then you know the entire city has been abuzz for the last few days with the first official visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to NYC.  The excitement generated by the two was evident as New Yorkers endured the gloomy weather to get a glimpse of Prince William and Catherine as they made their way through a packed itinerary. On the list was taking in a basketball game, the Brooklyn Nets versus the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclay Center on Monday night, which drew a lot of attention both from... Read More >

The Pitching Staff announced the formation of TPS: Film Unit designed to work exclusively with independent filmmakers.  The new division will be led by Pitching Staff founder and CEO Jules Feiler, a former SVP with NY-based 5WPR. “While films have always been a strong part of our business, we determined that a dedicated division would be of great benefit in serving our client base,” said Feiler. “We have worked with Jules Feiler and his team for a few years,” said documentary filmmaker and CEO of MAJ Productions, Lenny Feinberg, “I am always pleasantly surprised by the quality and amount of... Read More >

With the removal of Clippers owner Donald Sterling, both the NBA and fans coast-to-coast were waiting to hear from “other owners.” That group has been the constant focus for the “rest of the story” during the entire debacle about an owner making racist comments, which were recorded in private and then broadcast to the world. As the story broke and then as it played out and snowballed, media continually reported that it would be pressure from other owners that would eventually push Sterling out of the NBA causing a Crisis PR situation. But, for the most part, there was little... Read More >

One of the least used methods of excellent PR lies in the application of well-placed praise of others in your field. You see it in awards shows when stars of stage, screen, and music applaud each other. And, you see it in business when brands offer tacit approval or outright praise of others in connected – if not competitive – fields. George R.R. Martin, the author of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series which is the inspiration for HBO's Game of Thrones is riding high right now. The award winning author and TV writer, is at the pinnacle... Read More >

In the quaint and peaceful days of … a couple years ago … Super Bowl advertisers actually waited until the, um, game to reveal their super selections. Not so much, anymore. In the days leading up to the Big Game, revealing early can mean tons of free publicity. Brands have taken notice, and many have jumped on the early release bandwagon. A few top-line thoughts from the CEO of 5W PR: Budweiser's Puppy Love Yet again, the horses are back. But this time they “adopt” a cute little dog. The animals spend the rest of the commercial bonding. The “awww”... Read More >

In a world so filled with negative news that detracts from the season, it's nice to be associated with and to see entrepreneurs with a vision that's truly sustainable, giving, and viable. Just such an initiative came to us via the most unusual route, Runway Baby* is not exactly your everyday startup. Luxurious fashion, giving outreach, ultimately super green, this is one of the good ones if you're a communicator and/or believer. Ana Cristiana, a single mom from Romania who's lived in Miami for some years, is a friend of my partner's who had a most unusual business proposition to... Read More >