Today, as I got in the Food Lion cash out line, I noticed famed R&B singer Mary J. Blige and The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Nene Leakes on the cover of two different magazines. Mary was the face of the latest Essence cover and Nene was modeling her latest cut on the cover of Sister 2 Sister.
You be the judge!
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was filled with publicity material that will have everyone talking until next year’s show. One of the most hilarious highlights had to be Lil Mama’s uninvited appearance in Alicia Keys & Jay-Z’s performance. Lil Mama claims she was caught up in the moment and this led her to the stage….hmmmmm
As a PR guy, I think Lil Mama was looking for some free publicity. Jay-Z=Megastar. Alicia Keys=Megastar. Lil Mama=Who? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Lil Mama on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew but this was tacky! Several New Yorkers enjoyed Jay & Alicia’s performance but remained off stage. In response to this, MTV held an exclusive interview with Lil Mama. Check it out:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/437477/lil-mama-describes-her-vma-faux-pas.jhtml#id=1621568
If you’re an everyday social media user, like myself, I know you’ve heard all the buzz about KFC’s brand new “UNTHINK” campaign. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and popular blogs! It’s everywhere. I tip my hat off to the marketing/pr team for banging out a campaign that indeed generated a great deal of buzz. I was reading an article by AdAge that discussed the power of the Oprah partnership….check it out: http://adage.com/article?article_id=136484
So let’s discuss some of their tactics.
• KFC actually got the QUEEN of change agents to participate in this initiative. They’re giving away 2 pieces of chicken, 2 sides and a biscuit…all for free! I hope they have enough inventory. I woke up to a phone call by a good friend who is an avid supporter. She then informed me of the latest Oprah accomplishment, soon after that it was everywhere I went…facebook status updates, tweets, text messages and PHONE CALLS (This one is a bit much).
• They’ve jumped on the social media bandwagon; utilizing twitter and youtube to promote this awesome sampling initiative (Follow them at http://www.twitter.com/kfc_colonel ). The Oprah collaboration helped them to reach the #1 topic of discussion on twitter and various youtube video views.
• Yesterday, if you had time to catch your favorite TV show, you probably saw their commercial advertisements. For someone who doesn’t spend a lot of time watching television, yesterday I saw the commercial at least 5 times. I’m sure a great deal of their budget was dedicated to commercial advertising…smart move. The Oprah initiative generated the buzz and they re-enforced the information with commercials…..I love it! Also, they included Rap City’s Joe Clair as a celebrity spokesperson….I don’t quite understand the relevance but they’re still awesome!
Overall, KFC did a great job at generating buzz! Let’s just hope they have enough inventory because this can turn into a crisis real fast.
-Sophisticated Brother
While shopping uptown today with friends, I had the opportunity to check out a nice boutique clothing store in Charlotte’s EpiCentre. Revolution, a fashion hotspot that offers a platform for humans to cross engineer their own lifestyle improvement, is celebrating its 6th week-old birthday. While browsing the “Revolve” section of the store, I shared with the sales rep my eagerness to learn how to skateboard. After telling him I didn’t want to fall, he said skateboarding wasn’t for me…figures 
. The sales rep informed me that Revolution welcomes the hottest tattoo artist around Charlotte on special occasions. It makes a lot of sense because at least 3 employees had some of the hottest tats.
The store is broken up into 7 different sections:
Future- kids section
Evolve- Trends which will include designer and trashy Rock and Roll collection, denim,
collection, suiting and accessories for men and women
Pedestrian- Shoes for men, women and kids
Electric- Rock and Roll area which will consist of concert tees, posters, clothing, shoes, gifts and accessories
Revolve- Skate boutique carrying all hard goods and soft goods along with an extensive
skate shoe category
Confession- The piercing spa
Harmony- The music listening area
Revolution offers over 300+ of the hottest brands around…period! Their location is in the perfect spot. Their layout is sick!…and on top of it all, they had the flyest of flyest dog walking around the store. I loved it! I think it helped with the branding. How many stores do you know that actually has a beautiful dog walking around?
They shared with me that they might have a launch party soon. When I find out, I will let you know.
CHECK THEM OUT!
-Fly guy
Ryan Leslie has accomplished a great deal of things in a short time period. Dude graduated high school at the age of 15, scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT, attended Harvard University and graduated at the age of 19. Also, he is a record producer, multi-instrumentalinist, rapper and founder of the marketing and media company NextSelection Lifestyle Group. Ryan’s self-titled debut was released in February.
Check him out: http://www.ryanleslie.com
At the young age of 22, Aubrey Drake Graham is an actor, rapper and singer. He is known for playing Jimmy Brooks, the physically disabled character on Degrassi: TheNextGeneration. Drake comes from a musically inclined family. His uncle Teenie Hodges was the lead guitarist for some of Al Green’s hits. Songwriter, musician, and record producing Larry Graham also help to instill a passion for music in Drake as a child. Drake has only released 4 mix tapes. He is in the process of recording his major album debut which is expected to be released late this year.
Check him out: http://www.thisisdrake.com
So there are a lot of rumors going around about CW’s “The Game” being canceled………..This is FALSE! The show def. is not going to be cancelled. In fact, the executive producer is in the process of pitching the show to be a 1-hour long drama. There has never been a half-hour show turned into a 1-hour long show.
I am def. in support of anything “The Game” is trying to do. As a young PR student, I love learning more about the sports & entertainment industry. It is much easier for me to relate to the characters.
Today, the cast released a youtube video that is trying to rally fellow fanatics to help save this awesome show. Check it out and help support!
The Make It Right Nola Initiative is designed to be a catalyst for redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward, by building a neighborhood comprised of safe and healthy homes that are inspired by Cradle to Cradle thinking, with an emphasis on a high quality of design, while preserving the spirit of the community’s culture. The goal is to accomplish this quickly, so that the first residents can begin returning to their homes as soon as possible.
My respect for Brad went up like 10 bars when I first heard about this a couple of years ago. There is even talk that he might be running for mayor…I hope he does 
While visiting New Orleans this past weekend, I had the opportunity to speak with some community leaders in the Lower 9th Ward. I was amazed at the welcoming spirit everyone had. These are people who constantly deal with tourists on an every day basis, but yet they still welcome everyone with a smile. Awesome! While there, I was apalled at how much work still needed to be done. Brad Pitt’s great initiative is in desperate need of more volunteers to help re-build these homes. If you can help, please do! http://www.habitat-nola.org/volunteer/index.php
-Sophisticated Brother
So I haven’t purchased my tickets yet, but I will very very very soon. As you know, Alice Walker’s novel and film is now also a very successful musical production. Charlotte is fortunate enough to host the production May 19-24 at Belk Theater. I encourage everyone to attend More info can be found at: http://www.colorpurple.com/color_purple_cast_national.php
Check out these pics I found on youtube and enjoy Fantasia singing “I’m Here.”
-Sophisticated Brother
Southwest Airlines’ David Holmes says he has a non-traditional approach for his passengers. If other airlines adopted this strategy, I would actually pay attention.
Friday night, I had the opportunity to attend the CI Reggae Explosion at the Neighborhood Theatre. The event featured Reggae Grammy Award Winner Beenie Man. There was an approximate attendance of 500 die-hard reggae fanatics. This was definitely the most Caribbeans I’ve seen gathered in Charlotte. They helped to set an atmosphere of unity and joy. It felt good to see my fellow brothers and sisters enjoying themselves in a positive environment. The atmosphere reminded me of the “Cotton Club” experience our people shared during the Harlem Renaissance Movement. The over sized ceiling fan that covered the entire ceiling, great Caribbean jerk chicken, and of course the great dance moves helped to paint this cultural picture of unity. This was a great way to conclude Black History Month. If you were not present, you definitely missed out.
Luckily, at the end of the show, I was able to land a brief interview with Beenie Man. As I waited in line with the rest of Charlotte Press, Beenie Man was in his room cooling off from the performance. Of course, me being the young professional that I am, I maximized on the opportunity to network with everyone in the room. I was able to converse with Brightworks Promotions Owner Michael Stevens and photographers from Night Life Link & Island Vybe Radio. Shortly after this, it was my time to interview Beenie Man. I then entered the room accompanied by my photographer and business manager. I was able to ask Beenie a few questions:
Q: When you perform, you bring a lot of energy to the stage, how do you prepare for shows like this?
A: It’s not about preparing, but just knowing what you have to do and doing it.
Q: During your performance, I noticed you gave a shout out to Barack Obama, how has his victory impacted you?
A: Obama is the greatest black man I’ve met in person. I wasn’t able to meet Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders. Obama is the first great black leader I have met in person.
Q: How would you define your STYLE with one word and explain what it means?
A: Fashionable because music goes with fashion. Music and putting yourself together equals my fashion.
Event photos can be found at:
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/7475345_YbTzp/1/482378137_uu74F
-Fly Guy
