From content creation to operations, the show must go on
Three months ago, I would have just assumed everyone would have thrown their hands up and gone on total hiatus when it came to their normal operations, content creation, communications and broader public relations efforts. Maybe that was naivety, or maybe a reflection of what I wanted to do in the beginning – but, as the adage goes, “the show must go on.”
None of the companies below are essential, but they have found ways to keep running and relevant at the same, perhaps even a higher, caliber than before the world shut down. Here are just a few examples of organizations who did a PR pivot and shined through our new normal.
Richmond Flying Squirrels’ t-shirt toss
I’m writing this blog post on an unseasonably warm day, and dangit, I should be booking a babysitter, Ubering to the Diamond, grabbing a pint of Chin Music and watching the Squirrels run the bases. But the lack of sports isn’t keeping the Richmond Flying Squirrels down. This fun virtual t-shirt toss had me throwing up my hands from my futon in the hopes of repping some new gear.
Get ready to catch some t-shirts ~virtually~ with the @ReynoldsCollege Funnville T-Shirt Toss!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 14, 2020
Drop a 🙌 in the comments and you could catch a t-shirt! pic.twitter.com/1wUgrahkY0
GQ’s DIY cover shoot with R-Pat
A pandemic can’t keep GQ from putting out a new issue, and what better way to test out a self-portrait-style cover than letting dark and mysterious, Mr. Batman himself, Robert Pattinson give it a go. The results were authentic, intimate and a beautiful pivot to an otherwise overly produced and Photoshop-happy spread.
Presenting GQ’s June/July cover star: Robert Pattinson.
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) May 12, 2020
See all the self-portraits by Robert Pattinson and read the story by @ZachBaron here: https://t.co/EPzPWk2vTH pic.twitter.com/2IZ75xJ3gE
Can I get an ‘Amen’ for Driveway Drag?
One of the best parts of watching a drag show is being shoulder to shoulder with your friends, getting wild with the ladies and, chances are, working up a little sweat and sharing of cocktails and snacks. Social distancing has temporarily put the stop to (traditional?) drag shows, but you can’t keep a queen down. Triple X Divas changed the drag show business model in RVA and is now bringing shows to you with Driveway Drag Show.
Disney+ release of “Hamilton”
Well, the word got around and because none of us was willing to wait for it, Disney+ wasn’t going to lose its shot: “Hamilton” is hitting the small screen. Streaming services have been slicing off content from their stockpile to keep everyone entertained at home, but the Disney+ vault was running low. Not wanting to feel helpless and needing to leave fans satisfied, the streaming service jumped the gun by over a year. Come July, Ham fans can rejoice with a release of the full show.
Vanity Fair’s photoshoot droned on (in a good way)
The only show I’ve started binging working from home is Schitts Creek, and gosh it’s good. And this Vanity Fair photo shoot with one of my favorite fictional moms, Catherine O’Hara, is amazing. Shot by drone and through some socially distanced producing, she embodies her Schitts Creek persona Moira Rose to the letter.
Coco + Hazel incorporating PPE
Like Jon mentioned in an earlier post, brands and organizations need to start thinking about their visuals in the new land of social distancing. Local ice cream shop Coco + Hazel has an very defined aesthetic for its Instagram page, and nothing has changed – except the hand holding their mind-blowing creations now has a glove on (compared to the same style of image a few months ago sans PPE). This tells me without telling me, precautions are being made. Instantly, I feel better about getting treats here.
What are you seeing that piques your interest? Drop me a line cprentice@hodgespart.com. I’d love to geek out over cool content and strategy pivots.
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