Pony Fans on YouTube and (Red) Hot Tees

Welcome back!

Our assignment was to find some wacky/clever/interesting PR campaigns being implemented right now. Prof. Flournoy left us to our own devices, and these are the first two campaigns that caught my eye...

First, I think SMU Athletics has come up with a rather ingenious idea. Because student attendance is often lacking at our sporting events (a rant for another day), the marketing department is appealing to things college students do pay attention to…thirty seconds of fame…free food…YouTube…They started a contest for SMU students: make a 30-second video and post it on YouTube. The submitted videos will be shown during basketball games on the big screen, and the winner will receive a free dinner with the new men’s basketball coach, Matt Doherty. Student entries should include the “Bringin’ Moody Back” theme…another tie in to popular music that athletics is using to appeal to college students. Free shirts and towels with this slogan are given to students every game. It’s free…it’s funny…I can’t wait to see some of these submissions. I think appealing to this target audience through YouTube is pretty clever…and a great way to boost game attendance and school spirit. If only they came up with ideas like this for the even more underappreciated women’s team!

GAP has joined with Bono, Bobby Shriver and the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. GAP’s website has stories and videos explaining this venture…it’s a whole lot more than a new t-shirt line. GAP is donating 50% of its profits from this line back to the Global Fund. This is a good way for a popular brand and some celebrities to really bring attention to a large-scale, real-world epidemic. The shirts are neat…but this campaign for a genuine cause is what “Inspi(red)” me to consider shopping at the overpriced GAP again…Check out the site http://www.gap.com.

From what I can tell, these two campaigns will be pretty successful. SMU Athletics will have to keep this contest on the brains of students, as procrastination and drunken forgetfulness seem to be hallmarks of our demographic, but I think amateur filmmakers, actors and spirited pony fans will be coming out of the woodwork for this one!

Maybe I don’t watch enough television or read the right ads, but I think the more GAP associates this new clothing line with fighting AIDS, the more successful it will be. Most people won’t take the time to scour the website and read the articles, and commercials/ads including (but not limited to) the trendy GAP models need to be supplemented with some more ink on AIDS in Africa (can we get Angelina Jolie in on this too?). This will boost the GAP image and perhaps encourage people like me who were done paying more for less at GAP to pay more for those in trouble in Africa. Stressing the humanitarian aspect over the trendiness or sexiness of the tees might be advantageous…

That’s all for now…Thanks for reading!

-Kara

First-Timer

Hi!

I'm Kara, a junior at SMU. This is my first attempt at blogging...so bear with me for the first few entries. I have a passion for writing and interpersonal communication (not to mention baseball), and I am taking this Advanced Communications class as a step in the direction towards a PR career one day...I'd ultimately LOVE to do sports PR.

I'm excited to see the impact blogging will have on the communications industry; it seems PR professionals are utilizing blogs already to disseminate communication breakthroughs and new PR approaches, publicize events, promote clients and causes, and any number of crafty ventures.

I'm here to learn...so I'd really appreciate feedback on my upcoming PR pieces. I'm ready to get on the blog boat and share my PRspective...come back and visit!

-Kara

PS: Leave your email/blog address so I can respond to your comments!