GTA IV – The Perfect PR Storm

For the uninitiated, the title of this post happens to be the biggest story in the video gaming industry so far this year. The long-awaited release of Take-Two Interactive’s fabulously violent franchise “Grand Theft Auto IV” may not surpass Microsoft’s release of Halo 3, but many predict it will come close.The timing, reviews, and controversy…… Continue reading GTA IV – The Perfect PR Storm

PR for Lori Drew?

Tooling around the Web this weekend, I stumbled across this curious item that quoted my left coast friend and sometimes PR collaborator Howard Bragman of 15 Minutes fame.Apparently, the editorial minds at Radar thought it would be a good idea to pose a “how would you handle” scenario to the Hollywood hypemaster.Unfortunately the prospective beneficiary…… Continue reading PR for Lori Drew?

Fire the Messenger

In failure and success, fire the PR person! Well, I’m not so sure that’s how it played out, but a look at the changes in the corp. comm. depart at Nintendo of America would make one wonder.I mean who’d a thunk (other than this blogger) that Wii would become the must-have-above-all video-gaming sensation, and SONY…… Continue reading Fire the Messenger

The Blue Mist and Halo 3

At a time when the U.S. was embroiled in another unpopular war, this 11-year-old was summoned along with his fellow summer campers to a giant bonfire presided over by “The Blue Mist,” the adopted name of the camp’s owner. We suspected something big was up, but didn’t realize how big.Sure enough, the Blue Mist solemnly…… Continue reading The Blue Mist and Halo 3

Three Martini Lunch

The media fam trip is nothing new. Hotels, airlines and state tourism boards commonly build free, first-class trips for certain reporters into their PR budgets. Hollywood publicists may give even the travel biz a run for its money.Most established news organizations, however, have strict rules that forbid employees to accept freebies. Not true for a…… Continue reading Three Martini Lunch