In the spirit of April Fools’ Day—a holiday of fickle follies and unbridled trickery—Turner PR looks back (and laughs) at the Top 3 moments in PR of 2009 that made us wonder, ”Is this a joke?”

Kanye’s Oops-A-Daisy
How can we forget about our beloved producer and musician, Mr. Kanye West? Sure, he is outspoken, slightly unorthodox, and seemingly enjoys basking in controversy; but, he thought he was God. After all, he did pose as Jesus wearing a crown of thorns for a Rolling Stones’ cover. Perhaps that likeness to God gave Mr. West the chutzpah to storm the stage in protest of several nationally televised awards shows over the last few years.

His last stunt at the MTV Video Music Awards was likely his last spontaneous “appearance.” When West, who was clearly intoxicated and uninvited onstage, took the microphone from teenage country artist cutie and Best Female Video winner Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech, claiming that Beyoncé – not Swift – deserved the award, he had us thinking, “Is this a joke?” Nope. He was serious about his claim, and seriously in store for public backlash. His actions led to a canceled tour, a public apology on Jay Leno and a noticeable plunge in popularity—not a good PR move.

Target’s Trick or Treat Defeat
Known to ruffle the feathers of some organizations whom seek equality for select groups, like the NFB, EEOC and the NAACP, among others—Target—with an otherwise squeaky clean reputation, was “targeted,” no pun intended, by human rights and immigration activists for a controversial online Halloween offering.  The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles took umbrage to the “Illegal Alien” costume that came complete with orange jumpsuit, extraterrestrial mask and, most contestable, a “green card” accessory.

After seeing that online Halloween debut, we had to ask, “Is this a joke?” Well, indeed, it did seem a bit off-color for a national corporation to be so insensitive to a particular group, but apparently it was included, according to Target’s spokespeople, “by mistake,” and pulled them from their website.

Balloon Boy: Busted!
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a homemade helium balloon shaped to resemble a silver flying saucer! Attracting world wide attention in infamy is never a good idea, especially when people use their children to gain fame and fortune, as did Richard Heene from Fort Collins, Colorado. Claiming his 6 year-old, Falcon, was in this homemade balloon when it floated away to altitudes of nearly 7,000 feet, Mr. Heene involved national authorities and attracted international media as the flying device was tracked with looming fears that the boy would ultimately not be alive upon rescue.

When the balloon landed, there was no “balloon boy” to be found and the world was wondering “is this a joke?” or even worse, “did he fall out of the balloon?” The saga, lasting a few more hours, was nothing more than a publicity stunt, as it was found the boy was hiding in the house the entire time. Involving the National Guard on a manhunt, closing Denver International Airport, and distressing the public is probably not the greatest publicity stunt, nor is it something that you get out of scot free. Mr. Heene and his wife may have had their 15 minutes of fame—or infamy, rather—but they also were charged with a felony, ordered to serve jail time and pay a lump sum in fines to boot.

Indeed, the aforementioned blunders are all factual but, nonetheless, rather amusing and shocking.

Mid-February is usually one of the bleakest times of the year. The blistering cold is coupled with the paranoia that Spring will never arrive. Adding to this is the very palpable sense of anxiety at large as we’re reminded via Hallmark and chain jewelry stores to acknowledge the love(s) in our lives.

Single or coupled off, there’s nothing wrong with getting the person you love a token of your love – even if that person is your mom or best friend. But no matter whom it is, why settle for another year of over-priced chocolates and half-wilted red roses? Maybe this year you can impress your loved one with – dare I say it – a present that doesn’t suck?

1. Shoes. Sounds a little Carrie Bradshaw, I know, but women – and men – love their footwear. Whether it’s heels or sweet kicks (check out the new K-Swiss Surf & Sand), you’re sure to be remembered every time they slip on their new favorite pair.
2. Art Supplies. There’s something incredibly romantic about fostering someone’s creative impulses. Why not buy them some art supplies? You have an endless number of options at your disposal. Extra points if you stretch your own canvas.
3. Tickets. Do something really fun that you’ll enjoy, too. Get tickets to a concert or a sporting event and kick back together. Concerts and games are generally a high-energy affair, so you rest assured that it would be a really memorable night.
4. A Cooking Class. Candlelit dinners can seem a bit awkward, even for the most besotted couple. Cooking classes are a fun, relaxed atmosphere, and are a way better option for a couple just starting to get to know one another.
5. A Video Game. Don’t underestimate the utter awesomeness of a great Wii game or Guitar Hero. Video games are a great way to spend time together indoors without zoning out during a reality TV marathon.
6. A Sports Package. Want to be loved forever? Get the fan in your life (be it football, basketball, soccer, what have you – there’s something for everyone) a Sports Package. For a nominal price, they will get all the games on TV. A word of caution: you may not see their face again till post-season.

Good luck and Happy Valentine’s Day!

As part of our ongoing Denver Photo Contest that aims to highlight what makes Denver so awesome, we held a tweetup at the top of the still-under-construction Four Seasons Private Residences. The twist is that everyone we invited is a photographer. In short, a rare opportunity to snap pics of Denver from its 4th-tallest building.

The photos speak for themselves. Click on any of the images below to see more photos by that photographer – all of whom wore hard hats and safety vests during the shoot. Extremely adorable.

Thanks to Allen Klosowski and the Four Seasons Private Residences for putting up with us!

To see more photos, peep our Flickr pool.

(Photo credits: Jared Kohlmann, Scott Lawan, Ryan Behner, Amit Malhotra, Jason Janelle)

The US Open is in full swing, or so to speak! As the NYC streets began to flood with tennis buffs, we decided to take our team into the CW11 studios to show the fashion mecca some hits and some misses this year in tennis fashion!

We showed up at NYC’s top Morning Show, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6am, with 8 new looks for men and women.

The men flaunted K-Swiss styles similar to those worn by Mardy Fish and Tommy Haas this year as well as favorites by Prince.

The ladies took to the green astro-turf carpet in Wilson’s Aerotech apparel all the while holding Federer’s racquet of choice by Babolat.

The segment was a slum dunk (wrong sport but I couldn’t resist) and showed just how talented our team can be from the office desk to the fashion runway. I enjoyed every minute of commentations and am already brainstorming our next segment.

Thanks to CW11, Prince, Wilson, Polo Ralph Lauren and K-Swiss as well as all 8 stellar models.