A 20-something's Perspective

Recently I've had discussions with a lot of different PR professionals about how they conduct media relations, and it has boiled down to one question.

Is it okay to pitch media without talking to your client first?

I'm curious to hear from PR professionals and journalists. Is it okay to put the cart before the horse?


Here are the pros and cons as I see them:

Pros

• Opportunity to look like a hero
• Better chance of being timely
  
• No unreasonable client expectations going into the pitch

• If the client can't come through your reputation is damaged
• If the client can't come through their reputation is damaged
• Client may not approve of the pitch topic
• Unreasonable client expectations may result
  

Many people will tell you this year’s Super Bowl (or as Twitter has deemed it #BrandBowl) was a disappointment. The Who sucked and so did a lot of the ads. In fact, many of the ads have been labeled sexist, misogynistic and emasculating.

While I tend to agree, I would also argue that some people need to lighten up. Here are a few of the ads I enjoyed. What were your favorites? Which ones rubbed you the wrong way?

Google: Search On


Intel: Lunchroom Boast


Snickers: You're Not You When You're Hungry


Chrysler: Dodge Charger


Kia: Big Game


Mullen and Radian6 teamed monitored the Twittersphere to uncover the public's vote for best ads. Doritos, Google and Focus on the Family have the top three spots. If you'd like to see where the other ads rank visit http://brandbowl2010.com/.

I'm a little behind on my Google Reader, so I just caught this post from AgencySpy.

If we're being honest, the majority of PSAs aren't that good. They're low budget and often times that leads to low creativity. The following PSA is the exception to this rule. I challenge you to watch it without a shred of feeling.

This one's for you, Dad. Please. Buckle up.