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Star Sighting: Marcia Cross in Orbit with her twins

We spotted these shots of Marcia Cross and her twins enjoying the California sunshine on Celebritybabyscoop.com.  Marcia is getting around with a little help from our client Orbit Baby.  The Orbit Toddler Seats and the stroller base are so easy to set up and break down that I'm sure they makes juggling two little ones at least a little bit easier.  Marcia has customized hers with Orbit's accessory pack in Raspberry.  To see all the shots head over to CBS.

Stevie Nicks and her love of Illume

It's clear that singer Stevie Nicks (shown here with Mick Jagger) really loves our client Illume Candles.

A few years back the singer wrote a song called Illume - the opening lyrics are below:

Illume
Says the candle that I burn
A reflection in the window
All the way to point Dune
Illume, like it dances
I am a cliff dweller from the old school-

And now we've come to find out that Stevie has a racehorse named Illume...a video from a recent race is below. 

I think the only fair thing, since Stevie wrote a song  for the candles, is for a candle to be named after Stevie!  Stay tuned...it just might happen.  In the meantime Illume's new collection, Modern Naturals, has a scent called Earth Rose that would certainly do the singer justice.   

What draws Stevie to the line?  Obviously she loves the name.  Also the essential oil blended scents are truly an inspiration.  No one does home fragrance better.  And the singer's favorite scents?  Gardenia, Coconut Milk Mango, and Violet Rose (shown here).

Branding: When good publicity goes bad

This is the age of the personal brand.  Dr Phil, one who promotes no nonsense therapy and works hard to curtail ridiculous behavior, certainly has gotten himself jammed between a pop star and the wrong end of the media gun. 

Negative publicity for the Doc has spanned the airwaves since his visit to Britney's hospital room a few weeks ago. Releasing a statement post visit was clearly not the thing to do, and calls into question Phil's creditability.  This on the heels of a string of bad business moves puts his career into crisis...(his stock dropped for me when he started doing match.com commercials and promising users they would find the loves of their lives online).

From a PR perspective, Phil has no moves left on the subject but to apologize and say he misspoke, which he sort of did this morning on the Today Show.  Stating "if he had to do it over, he wouldn't do it again" can be construed as an apology, but his tone still sounds defensive and little arrogant. 

In my opinion Dr. Phil needs to throw himself on his sword and just say he made an error in judgment.  History tells us that it's not so much the crime, as the cover up that snarls the legacy of public figures.  People are much more willing to forgive and offer a second chance to someone who is remorseful and willing to come clean, than someone who stubbornly stands by their mistakes.      

The Dr Phil brand needs to get moving past the Britney bump and get on to a new campaign of public outreach of some sort.  A project conceived in the true spirit of charity would help the good doctor's image right now immensely - they're certainly enough causes out there these days that could use his hand.  For someone who is equated with doing good, Phil should take a page from Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt, the Kennedy's, and Angelina Jolie...he doesn't need to make a profit from every personal project.   

Raise awareness about Heart Disease - February 1

National Wear Red Day, Friday February 1st, is a fun way to show support and awareness of women's heart disease. 

Diane Lane definately rocks this cute red and white number. But if by chance your red wardrobe is lacking, we suggest lighting a red candle to show your support of the cause.

How about lighting up a lovely Red Moroccan Spice Candle from Illume? Select a pillar and place it in a hurricane  jar for safety and the warm scent and delicate glow will help bring awareness to an office or retail place that wants to be part of the effort.  You can also group varied sizes and shapes on a tray with some information about women's heart disease.

While we've been focused for years on preventing and treating breast cancer, the fact that Heart Disease is the number one killer of women in the United States has been more or less swept under the rug. 

Here are some facts:

Heart Disease is the #1 killer of American Women.  One in every three women dies of heart disease. One in 30 dies of breast cancer.  Women’s heart disease risk starts to rise in middle age.  About 3 million American women have had a heart attack.  Two-thirds of American women who have had a heart attack don’t make a full recovery.  Nearly two-thirds of American women who die suddenly of a heart attack had no prior symptoms.  Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent just by leading a healthy lifestyle.  Awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death has increased from 30 percent in 1997 to 46 percent in 2003.  Only 20 percent of women consider heart disease to be their own greatest health risk.

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Orbit in New York Magazine

Look for our client Orbit Baby in this week's New York Magazine.  

In "This is How we Roll" writer Faye Penn checks out several baby strollers.  And while a number are reviewed, it's only the super stylish Orbit Infant System that merited a full page of photos as Penn takes it on a tour of New York on the subway, in cabs, on the bus, and in stores.

The article is in the Feb 4th edition of New York Magazine and is on newstands now.   

Trend: Boom Bloom

If there's one thing that's certain about the Baby Boomers, it's that they're not fading away.

While Julie Christie, born in 1941, might be a bit ahead of that generation (boomers are defined as being born between 1946 and 1964) I think she can be claimed as one. 

Shown here after winning the Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role at the SAG Awards last night, she proves that beauty and pure star wattage doesn't disappear after a certain birthday. 

Her look is fabulous (except for the suit - I wish she'd opted for a lovely dress instead of the button front blouse)...her talent legion - just ask the New York Times. 

Christie joins a growing list of female actors whose composure and sensual mystique is more relevant today than it was 20 years ago.  (Think Helen Mirren at the Oscars last year; the ever sparking Diane Keaton; stupendously talented Meryl Streep; the cast of Desperate Housewives... the list goes on and on).  A trend that seems to grow with each award season.  Too bad we may not see Julie at the Oscars this year, should the Writer's Strike not find some common ground soon, we may not see anyone.

I think as with the rise of organic products, and haute chic baby and maternity goods, products and services that speak directly to the Boom Bloom slice of the population will be a big trend for years to come.  I'd personally love to see Julie Christie on the cover of Vogue; and more beauty product ads like the Dove ProAge spot without the obligatory references to hot flashes. 

Star Sighting: Tori and Family in Orbit

Here's a great shot of Tori Spelling and family in Los Angeles shopping (I can't believe they're wearing coats - the temps must have dropped down to 70 degrees - sorry bad case of weather envy) spotted on celebritybabyscoop.com.

Naturally we love that the family is color coordinated with their trusty Orbit Stroller.  We know baby Liam will soon be ready for his Orbit Toddler Car Seat, and rest assured he'll be one of the first to get one.

Also noticeable in this shot - Tori's adorable new  bob.  She's had one before, a longer one, but this is one of the new generation of bobs, as championed by gorgeous Katie Holmes (who by the way, can't take a bad picture).  I love long hair, but the clean lines, and face framing component of the bob is fab.   

Stay tuned to all things Tori - we hear she might be working on baby #2.

get those catalogs out of your mailbox!

I'm sure the catalogchoice.org website practically crashed this morning after this story ran on NBC's Today Show. 

The package details how to cancel unwanted catalogs using catalogchoice.org...a great service for the individual, that hopefully, will translate into a boon for the environment.  I'll bet it'll take a fair amount of time for the companies that produce these catalogs to actually reduce the number that they print each year. But this is a push in the right direction - hand it to school children to do what parents are too busy for. 

In the meantime, for my office, just getting smaller bundles of bizarre mail each day will be fantastic.  Since we do PR we subscribe to a myriad of magazines that pertain to a range of subjects.  These magazines in turn, sell our address to relevant marketing sources, making for a strange array of catalogs coming in.

I understand all the infant clothing catalogs, and the many home furnishings mailers.  But how I got on the Pyramid Collection's mailing list is a mystery to me - I do confess that I enjoy reading Tarot cards (for fun only) but The Pyramid name cullers couldn't possibly know that.  The only real connection I can make to the Wiccan jewelry and dragon statuettes (see image at right) they offer is a visit to the Renaissance Faire a few years back.  It is an amusing book to look through, but I can look over the website just as easily.   

Then there's the FarmTek catalogs that come in with regularity.  While I do own horses, I think the chicken warmers and cattle guards they offer are a little more than I need for my place. 

Other titles, like Neiman Marcus (I get at least one catalog from NM every day), Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Victoria Secret, are fabulous but come far too often for comfort. 

Since catalogs tend to cater to the more passive shopper - those who aren't searching for goods so much as are tempted by items that land at their doorstep - it's my view that marketing managers need to get more instep with their online outreach, retail presence, and agressive PR efforts in order to stop the gap that sending out fewer catalogs will create.          

Get ready for FashionWeek with Milly and NM

With all the cold weather lately it was warming to see an email this morning from Neiman Marcus.

Designed to promote one of Neiman's favorite designers, Milly, the promotion takes you to a page where you can see a well produced behind the scenes video and Milly fashion show (Spring 2008). 

Not only is it great to see all those adorable summer and spring dresses parading down the runway, but the use of video on a commerce site like NeimanMarcus.com is very interesting.

We're long used to seeing promotional videos in store, but Neiman's use of it here really does transform the online shopping experience into one that's more active.  It's an example of how important video will soon become in all areas of marketing.   

Bluefly.com offers videos of Project Runway, and helps visitors to the site purchase looks similar to the each week's winning designs. 

and the nominee for best picture...Juno!...and best diaper bag...Petunia!

When they announced the Oscar nominees this morning we were thrilled to see Juno among the Best Picture contenders.  And while Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman did a great job in their roles, we wanted to point out the contribution of our client, Petunia Pickle Bottom's, Tutu Roll Boxy Backpack. 

While it didn't have a speaking part, we want to think that its role in the scene with Jenn Garner and Jason Bateman having a disagreement was an important one. While they are arguing in the front hallway of their home, the Tutu Roll Boxy Backpack sits quietly, taking in the conflict...it's beautiful green and petal pink flowers promising a future of happier times.  We can imagine excursions with the expectant baby as Jen joyously straps the bag on her back, stuffed with all the things she needs for taking care of the little one, hands free so she can hold the baby or stroll her with the greatest of ease. 

We can see by the choice of design that Jen's character is creative and has a flair for the whimsical, while still holding to her practical side. 

Kudos to Petunia Pickle Bottom for creating such a dynamic bag.  Congratulations to Ellen Page for her nomination, and to the producers of Juno for such a great film!   

Buzz Alert: Fit Pregnancy

Look for our client Sakura Bloom on page 74 of the upcoming February/March issue of Fit Pregnancy. 

In a feature about fabulous baby slings the editors loved Sakura Bloom's luxurious silk fabrics, and the fact that the ring slings work with a variety of body and baby sizes. 

Buzz Alert: Natural Health

In the January issue of Natural Health, look for our clients Pharmacopia and CleanWell.

Pharmacopia's amazingly restorative Bath Salts in Ginger are part of a feature about soothing sore muscles.

CleanWell's all natural hand sanitizer can be found on the editors pick page. 

Buzz Alert: Sakura Bloom on Boston Mamas

BostonMamas.com is one of those regional blog sites that really seems to have a handle on good advise as well as all the hot mom trends.

So naturally when they tried out our client Sakura Bloom's amazing silk and linen slings they were extremely enthusiastic about the line.  In a recent post they wrote:

"It’s amazing how donning quality fabrics can improve your posture and relax your breath, and those attributes come in particularly handy when you’re baby wearing. To inspire good form, check out Sakura Bloom’s gorgeous, eco-friendly, and gift-ready (packaged in a bamboo box) baby slings. Functionally, these slings are machine washable, reversible, adjustable, breathable, and comfortable. Fashionably, Sakura Bloom’s line includes linen and silk deliciously elegant neutral or vibrant fabric pairings make everything from mom sweats to workday suiting look fabulous".

The site received more than 195 positive comments on the Sakura Bloom collection in one day - not bad!