November 7, 2011
Laughing with the Clinton Foundation
The Clinton Foundation recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary. In honor of this occasion, they created an original video to highlight their incredible work. And, let me underscore the word original. I first heard about the video at one of our recent blog editorial meeting when it came up that the Foundation had partnered with Funny or Die on a hilarious, celebrity skit aimed to bring attention to the organization and celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Immediately following the meeting, I watched the video. I have to say that it was indeed hilarious. (I’ve watched it at least five more times and it’s still pretty funny.) The video features Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, Kristen Wiig, Matt Damon, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen and Jack Black brainstorming ideas to get the word out about the Clinton Foundation and their important work. (There are also a couple of more celebs but I’ll leave that as a surprise.) As you can imagine, brilliant ideas ensued including getting to the bottom of who keeps eating Sean Penn’s lunch and the urgent need for a softball team, aptly named the Clinton Clubbers.
Filed under: Communications
Tags: Branding, celebrities, Clinton Foundation, Funny or Die
December 15, 2010
Your Celebrity Spokesperson: a Survival Guide for Non Profits
Back in August, Ad Age’s Jay Silverman posted a comprehensive survival guide for getting “the most out of that expensive talent.” He gave his readers some important tips for working with celebrities, like they aren’t there to win their next Oscar, to never assume (anything), and to choose your battles.
But what if your celeb spokesperson is not getting paid the big bucks, but is instead doing the campaign pro-bono for the love of the cause? Do these same rules apply?
Yes, and more.
Over the years we’ve worked on a number of different campaigns featuring celebrities, so here are a few other learnings that I hope will fall into the “we did it so you don’t have to” camp.
You have to work around their time. One of the most important things to get into our heads is that as a non-paying client, we are not a first priority. Your celeb talent may very well be your cause’s biggest champion, but unexpected things happen. And many times those things can trump your production schedule. Make sure you hire a production team who has worked with celebs before and is nimble enough to roll with whatever’s thrown their way. It also doesn’t hurt to have a plan B or C – i.e. have a script that requires no celebs or a flexible schedule to accommodate different shoot times/dates. Just in case.
Show up with your A game. We should strive to do that on every production, but it’s especially important when the celeb’s time is so precious. Typically you’ll get an hour, two hours max to capture everything. Make sure you know what is needed and be ready to go when the celeb arrives – scripts, teleprompter, cue cards, etc. Some actors are a natural at adlibbing, but some just wants to do the script and get going. Know ahead of time which kind of actor you’re working with, and be sure you can live with whatever’s most comfortable for him.
Be gracious. This is a no-brainer, but saying thank you goes a long way. Show your sincere appreciation and you’ll be surprise how much more you can get from the talent, both in terms of quality and quantity of acting.
Lastly and perhaps the most important tip of all is to get your paperwork – any required talent contracts, releases and riders – signed when the celeb is on set. This may seem like a minor point but once they leave, it’s a much bigger hassle to get them or their reps to focus on you again. Just trust me on this one.
Filed under: Campaigns, Communications
Tags: celebrities
December 1, 2010
Lady Gaga is Dead
Do I have your attention? 
Starting today, big celebrity names including Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Kim Kardashian, and Serena Williams will stage their “digital deaths” as part of the Buy Life effort to raise money and awareness around World Aids Day. They’ll go silent on Twitter and Facebook until $1MM is raised on behalf of Alicia Keys’ charity, Keep a Child Alive.
I’m really excited about this campaign, not only because of the star power, but because of its innovative use of social media and mobile technology. We’re always trying to get celebrities to tweet on behalf of our campaigns, but Buy Life takes it to another level, and withholds the celebrity presence. The “digital deaths” are announced with dramatic images of celebrities lying in coffins as well as “last tweet and testaments” (here’s Ryan Seacrest signing off on YouTube). These tactics will surely drum up buzz among the celebs’ millions of fans, who will in turn be encouraged to buy back the celebs’ digital lives.
Of course, the true purpose of the campaign is not just to get Kim Kardashian or Ryan Seacrest tweeting again. Upon a closer look, Buy Life’s star-studded lineup and “digital death” stunt give voice to the very real message that you can indeed buy life. By making a donation to Keep a Child Alive, you help buy the supplies, medicine, education, and support needed to prolong life and make a difference for the millions who are affected by HIV/AIDS. To this end, Buy Life makes donations easy using the technologies we’re already using, and usually carrying in the palm of our hands.
You can make a donation online at BuyLife.org or via cell phone by texting “BUYLIFE” to 90999. Many are now familiar with the latter form of donating, especially following Haiti earthquake fundraising efforts (per Red Cross, a staggering 3 million plus texted “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10). Although online donating will probably account for a good portion of this campaign’s fundraising, I think many people like me will opt for a quick and easy text message.
Interestingly, the Buy Life campaign also employs a lesser known method of donating via cell phone through the use of barcodes. The barcodes will be featured on campaign materials such as t-shirts and outdoor advertising that can be scanned with smartphone apps WiMo and Stickybits. It sounds like fun, especially if the barcode is on your friend’s t-shirt, but it’s not quite as instant as the text option (you must get the app, input credit card information, etc) and it only works on smartphones. That said, it’s a cool technology and there may be advantages to the barcode method (no $10 maximum donation for example). I’m not totally convinced just yet, but will be keeping tabs on the Buy Life barcode program and any others that give it a try.
Overall, I think Buy Life is a smart and compelling campaign, one that will have social media fanatics, the celeb-obsessed and social marketers talking. It’s already making a splash in the news, and I’m really interested to see how and when they reach their goal. I for one do not think Lady Gaga and her cohorts will be “dead” for long. I’m placing my bet on $1,000,000 in 1 Day. How long do you think it will take to raise a million? Are you donating and if so how did you donate?
Filed under: Campaigns, Communications, Internet, Mobile, Social Media, fundraising
Tags: Campaigns, celebrities, facebook, Mobile Communications, Texting, Twitter, World AIDS Day, YouTube
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