purple.light

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Brainless journalist (previously an oxymoron) 

Now, don't get me wrong.
I have the utmost respect for many of the esteemed journalists who are writing for our national broadsheet.
Heck, I can even list some of my favourites - Richard Lim, Asad Latif, Sumiko Tan, Chua Lee Hoong....these are journalists whom I admire and whose works I truly enjoy(ed).
But, there will always be some idiots who spoil the good reputation that these hardworking journalists have built up.

My company (for the next four weeks, anyway) handles the account of a certain soda in Singapore. This brand of soda has just launched a new drink and to promote this new drink, my PR team comes up with a novel idea of sending out remote control racing cars to journalists as gifts. The car is attached to a gorgeous lacquer box below it. The box contains a press release, the new drink and the remote control of the car.

Now, the car is sent to all the lifestyle journalists who did not attend the launch itself. My colleague, in charge of the launch, then got a call from an irate journalist who writes for our national paper's lifestyle section (let's call her J) a day after the car was sent to her. J complained that she did not receive the press release along with the car and she wanted it immediately. This being a daily read by almost all Singaporeans, it got my colleague frantic. She ticked off another colleague who was in charge of packing the cars and sent him down to J's office with a new car.

On his return, colleague 2 nearly spat blood out as he related J's reaction to him turning up with a new car. She had demanded to know why he had brought a new car when she had merely wanted the press release. He asked to see her first car. He took a look, shook his head (mentally) and proceeded to teach her how to open the lacquer box to retrieve the new drink and the press release.

She simply had to slide it open.

Brilliant.

yAnn at 10/22/2003 11:07:00 PM