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5 Lessons from the Gurus of Spin

2012-02-03 08:10
You 8217;ve heard of these people -because they wanted you to! Here are some pointers in the art of publicity from history 8217;s greatest masters of hype. KILL OFF YOUR RIVALS Benjamin Franklin During colonial times, the almanac business was cutthroat. The books were the bestsellers of their day -fun compendiums full of facts and witticisms. So, in 1732, Benjamin Franklin decided to enter the game with Poor Richard 8217;s Almanack. In an early edition, Franklin jokingly predicted that rival almanac writer Titan Leeds would die on October 17, 1733 at 3:29 PM, the very instance of a conjunction of the Sun and Mercury. Humorless, Leeds took the bait and ridiculed Franklin publicly. The response only generated more press for Poor Richard 8217;s Almanack, turning it into a best seller. After October 17 came and went, and Leeds was still breathing, Franklin kept up the gag, claiming Leeds was dead and pretenders were writing under his name. Five years later, when Leeds finally passed away for real, Franklin thanked the imposters for stopping their ruse. By then, Poor Richard 8217;s Almanack had made Franklin a rich man many times over. STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANT ... TURTLES Salvador and Gala Dali (YouTube link) Though notorious in Europe, Salvador Dali and his savvy wife, Gala, weren 8217;t famous in the United States until 1941, when they took the nation by metaphysical storm. To introduce themselves to Americans, the Dalis threw an unforgettably weird party in Pebble Beach, California, called Night in a Surrealist Forest. Dali decked the room with 12,000 shoes, 2,000 pine trees, 24 animal heads, 24 mannequins, and a wrecked car. His guest list ranged from A-list stars, such as Clark Gable, to wild animals, including a baby tiger. At one point in the evening, Bob Hope screamed when, after removing the dome from a plate, a toad leapt out at him. After the bizarre bash, Dali conducted an interview for American Weekly from a tall chair -its legs resting on the backs of four giant turtles. Gala claimed the chair stimulates the artist 8217;s creative powers. THROW A PARADE Edward Bernays In 1928, smoking was still considered a taboo for women, so the American Tobacco Company hired a rising adman named Edward Bernays -Sigmund Freud 8217;s nephew- to stamp out the stigma. To make cigarettes seem more feminine, Bernays invited 30 debutantes to light a Torch of Freedom on Easter Sunday in New York City. Reporters devoured the photo op of stylish women in hats and fur-trimmed coats smoking on Fifth Avenue and making lofty declarations about smashing stereotypes. The next day 8217;s headline in The New York Times read Group of Girls Puff at Cigarettes as a Gesture of Freedom. And ladies have been lighting up openly ever since. LIVE BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS Richard Branson Billionaire Richard Branson is like a modern P.T. Barnum. Ever since he launched his Virgin brand empire in 1972, he 8217;s executed so many outlandish publicity stunts it 8217;s toug...
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