Spam from PR people smells funny.

Why is InsertNameHere posting a brunch menu? Well this was received by a blogger from a PR company recently. No explaination. No logic. Just sent out the menu to a whole bunch of local bloggers. Have you noticed what is missing? PRICES. No prices listed. So at first the blogger thought 'this must be an invitation to come try this brunch for free so I can review it'...but she looked high and low and NOPE. It is just the menu. Oh and the hours of business. And the signature of the owner. The owner who clearly has hired the worst PR firm ever. Can someone tell me how this is any different than spam? NO? Yeah. Cuz it isn't.  SideDoor Sunday Brunch, served 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. BRUNCH MENU SAMPLE: menu items are subject to change New Items: Continental Pastry Basket with Lemon Curd and Marmalade Malted Waffles Green Eggs and Ham Benedict Favorites: SideDoor Avocado Mash, Chicken Pot Pie, Fish'n Chips, Coffee: Vietnamese-Style Iced Coffee, LAMill French Press, Espresso Five Crowns Cappuccino Libations: Requiem Espresso Stout SideDoor Mimosa Bloody Murray prepared by cellar master Gregg Murray        We look forward to serving you. Cheers! Danielle Wan SideDoor Restaurant Manager Mon.-Sat. 4:30-11:00pm | Sun. Brunch 10:00am-2:30pm, full menu served 3:30pm

Ask the dang Space Chimps to do the activity sheets.

This is a fairly typical 'press announcement' received by bloggers. Although this one through me for a loop since there was no title or header to tell me what the hell they were promoting. But basically it is overly wordy, lacking graphics, photo attachments, websites and keeps telling me things to do! Activity sheets? Really? That is what Fox Publicity has come up with to promote their latest DVD release? Activity sheets? (that is just something you print out using your paper and your ink). In order for me to tell my readers about these movies I would have to spend at least a half hour gathering images and info online before I wrote a post. And for what?

NOTHING.

They don't even offer to send me a free DVD to review the movie. Oh there is some tiny print about entering a sweepstakes to win a copy, but that is worse. Who do you have to be to enter a sweepstakes for a DVD copy of Space Chimps 2 and actually WANT to win?

Thanks but no thanks.

Dear (insert name here),

With a week to go until the exciting family friendly film Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back is released on DVD (5^th October), we are happy to announce that we have added some great Activity Sheets to our dedicated EPK which you can download and share on your site with your readers and friends.

Activity Sheets available include:

·         Maze to Malgor: Help Comet navigate his way through the wormhole maze to meet his friend Kilowatt on Planet Malgor! You can pass through photos on the way!

·         Movie Bingo: Add to the excitement of movie night with movie bingo! Cut out the bingo cards below to play while watching SPACE CHIMPS 2. Place a penny on each square when you have recognized a scene or quote. When you have four in a row, call out bingo!

·         It’s movie night: it’s not always easy to get the whole family together doing the same thing. Here’s an idea, plan an official movie night. Here’s how!

·         Puzzler Challenge: Try solving the Space Chimp 2 Challenges

All of which are now available via:

http://foxpublicity.thinkjam.com/space_chimps2_dvd/

U: chimps
P: b4n4n4

Furthermore,  please alert your readers to  the Blast Off to Space Camp with Space Chimps 2” Sweepstake:  

20th Century FOX Home Entertainment has partnered with Space Camp to award one winner and a guest a Space Camp experience at Space Camp in Huntsville, AL.  The sweeps will be live from October 1 – 31, 2010 and online entry will be available at www.spacecamp.com/spacechimps2

Please also note that FOX will award 25 “First Prize” winners who will each receive a copy of the Space Chimps 2 DVD.

Back to reprise their roles are the voice talents of Jane Lynch (TV’s Glee), Zach Shada (Space Chimps), Cheryl Hines (TV’s Curb Your Enthusiasm), Stanley Tucci (Julie and Julia), Patrick Warburton (TV’s Rules of Engagement) and newcomers Tom Kenny (TV’s Spongebob Squarepants) and Laura Bailey (Dragonball: Raging Blast VG). Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back will feature the 2D and 3D versions of the movie and comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. Also available is Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back 2D DVD and Space Chimps / Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back 3D Two-Pack.

The film follows Comet, who is usually left at mission control, but longs to venture into space like his chimp-colleagues. Comet gets the chance to travel to Planet Malgor where he meets Kilowatt, the once shy alien, and lives out his ultimate fantasy of exploring outer space. However, when the feared alien ruler Zartog takes over Mission Control, Comet must prove that he is brave enough to take him on. Challenged to show that he has the right skills, Comet must join fellow chimps Ham, Luna and Titan to save the day.

If anything does get posted on your site, or you require any further information please contact claire@thinkjam.com

Best wishes,

JAM – Publicity Team

*****

Yeah cuz Oprah needs the press.

So this is announcing an event on Oprah. The number one talk show for the last TWENTY FOUR years and you are sending it to a blogger to help publicize? Which is bizarre to begin with...but what does the blogger get in exchange for this? 

Oh yeah, that would be NOTHING.

Oh wait. There is something there at the end about a 'sing-along' in theaters to the Sound of Music. Is that an invitation? Oh...um no. Still just asking for more free press.

No thanks.

**EXCLUSIVE**

A ONE-TIME ONLY “OPRAH” SHOW EVENT

“THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW” REUNITES THE CAST

OF “THE SOUND OF MUSIC” ON OCTOBER 29, 2010

CHICAGO, IL – For the first time in 45 years, the entire cast of “The Sound of Music” will gather for a once-in-a-lifetime reunion on the “Oprah” show stage on Friday, October 29, 2010.  Stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, along with fellow cast members Charmian Carr (“Liesl”), Nicholas Hammond (“Friedrich”), Heather Menzies-Urich (“Louisa”), Duane Chase (“Kurt”), Angela Cartwright (“Brigitta”), Debbie Turner (“Marta”) and Kym Karath (“Gretl”) will reunite and reveal the stories behind one of the world’s most beloved movie musicals.  Together for the first time in nearly half a century, the cast shares secrets from the set, reminiscences about their time together and what their lives have been like in the years since the movie was released.  Finally, the von Trapp Children – a singing group featuring members of the real von Trapp family – pay their own special tribute to the film that made their family name known throughout the world.

Considered by many to be the most successful movie musical in history*, “The Sound of Music” took home five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in 1965.  Its first release lasted over 4 ½ years.  It is shown annually on network television; has been released for home entertainment on VHS, Laser Disc, DVD and has recently been digitally remastered and restored for its high definition Blu-ray Disc debut November 2; unites new fans and old through the amazing SINGALONG SOUND OF MUSIC events nationwide; and the soundtrack CD is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, having gone Platinum more than 12 times.   Its landmark score includes some of the most beloved songs in the American songbook including “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Do Re Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and the title song.

Furthermore, for the first time since 1973, “The Sound of Music” twirls back into theaters nationwide in stunning high definition to commemorate the beloved musical’s 45th anniversary. This special event will be broadcast to nearly 500 select movie theaters for a two-night-only engagement on Tuesday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m. local time. The Sound of Music Sing-Along Event includes the sing-along version of the fully restored feature with classic songs that have delighted fans for decades, such as “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” “The Sound of Music,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”

Tickets to The Sound of Music Sing-Along Event are available at participating box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com