When the going gets tough, the tough launch a multimedia PR campaign. And while you might not think of pasty-faced Conan O’Brien as a tough guy, the former Tonight Show host has shown lots of PR savvy since his dumping by NBC three months ago and replacement by fellow former host Jay Leno. That dumping was unceremonious but not unlucrative: Conan collected a $32-million severance package. As part of the deal, he can’t talk to the press. But he clearly hasn’t taken this one lying down, and what could have been a career-ender has instead turned Conan into a household name. There’s a Facebook page, “I’m With Coco”—Tom Hanks’ nickname for O’Brien—and it has nearly a million fans. There’s Conan’s Twitter account, which has nearly 850,000 followers, where he tweets such deadpan bits as “I’m in Vancouver for my second show. Thought I’d stir up some controversy by wearing my hat that says ‘Canada.’” And there’s his comedy tour itself—the “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour,” which is visiting including this week the aforementioned Vancouver. The reviews: he’s funnier than Leno. You can’t buy that kind of PR. Touchdown, Conan O’Brien.
0 comments:
Post a Comment