The juxtaposition between the sweltering outdoors and the meat locker that is my local movie theater seems to inhibit my neurons from doing their thang sometimes. Wasn’t I just sweating? Why has hypothermia now set in? Why is the popcorn dancing on screen when it’s about to meet its untimely demise?  In short, it’s difficult to think clearly when the lights dim in summertime, which is most likely why those mindless big blockbusters typically do so well as our nation’s birthday rolls around. (Will Smith, you’re still my king of summer.) So imagine my surprise when I saw “Inception” over the weekend, a movie that demanded far more from me than I would have anticipated at my midnight viewing. This was not a canned movie with canned explosions and canned dialogue and Megan Fox’s cans; it was an epic experience that had me whispering philosophical musings play-by-play to myself and my unlucky viewing partner.

In case you haven’t seen it, the title of the movie derives from the notion that Leo and company must implant, or incept, an idea within their target’s mind.  Being the PR working nerd that I am, I thought about how this plot made my identical twin, Leo, and I even more indistinguishable beyond our flawless, angular jawlines. The PR industry recognizes that merely telling people what to think, what to buy or what to wear won’t work (unless you have the Old Spice man doing swan dives (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLTIowBF0kE) for you). No, our job is to break down the essence of a product or brand into its purest form, and to present that essence to the public so that they can come to their own decisions. We just do the quiet guiding on the sidelines. So thank you, Christopher Nolan, for taking 10 years to describe to the discerning public what it is the world of PR does. We think you’re cool, too.

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.

This past weekend, music artists, die-hard fans and industry veterans alike flocked to Austin, TX for the music portion of the annual SXSW Festival. Not to miss out on the fun, the Airwalk and TPR crew headed down for the festivities, particularly to take part in the Carrera Escape Lounge. Local eatery The Cedar Door was completely transformed into a hotspot for performers to chill out, away from the nonstop action on 6th street. Located a few blocks away from downtown 6th Street where many live shows took place, with unrelenting fans packed into bars wall-to-wall – the Escape Lounge served as a laid-back locale where attendees could grab a meal, sip a cold beverage, get a tattoo (seriously!) and most importantly grab a pair of Airwalks!

Alongside Carrera eyewear and Alternative Apparel, Airwalk brought an array of men’s, women’s and kids footwear sure to appeal to any taste or style. Also on hand: old-school, original reissues! The Prototype, Vic and The One were available for gifting; you can imagine the pleasantly surprised faces of ‘90s skaters who rocked the originals when they were only in middle school. Many lounge-goers were also impressed with the selection of children’s sneakers, jumping at the opportunity to bring back a treat for their sons and daughters.

Airwalk kicks were enjoyed by many, including (but certainly not limited to): chart-topper Macy Gray, super producer/DJ Diplo, up-and-coming crooner Theophilus London, DJ Steve Aoki, hip-hop group U-N-I, red carpet regular Taryn Manning and many others. Also on hand: winners of Airwalk’s viral Unsigned Hero competition, Audible Mainframe. The California-based band played the SPIN and MusicGorilla.com showcases, performing at legendary venue Stubb’s amongst others.

All in all, it was a super successful event for everyone involved! Be sure to keep your eyes on the feet of those crowd favorites  who swung by the Lounge the next time you see a shot of them in public – they’re likely to be rocking their Airwalks! Until next year…

Turner PR spent last weekend in Utah. Unlike others who visit the Beehive State, we chose to ditch the world’s biggest dinosaur footprints and visit Sundance instead. The streets were filled with sheepskin boots, artsy folk and slush. We loved every minute of our stay and look forward to doing it all over again next year.

Aside from stellar weather, random celeb sightings and brilliant films, we fancied the locals and chose to take a pic with Mustafa the moose:

If someone were to stop you on the street and ask you whose style you’d love to emulate, whose name would you drop?

Perhaps you’d say Carrie Bradshaw – Sarah Jessica Parker’s loveable character on HBO’s cultural gem “Sex & the City” – or maybe you’d go for the small screen and opt for Blair Waldorf of “Gossip Girl.” Whatever your answer may be, there’s an undeniable connection in today’s culture that fashion and film – big or small screen – go hand-in-hand.

In recent years, movies and television have been a vehicle for bringing fashion to the masses. Even though Carrie’s “Sex & the City” outfits (both movie and TV show) were hardly adaptable to the life of the everyday American woman, her love for designer stilettos and a burgeoning closet became a phenomenon that enchanted much of America’s female population and catapulted the show’s stylist Patricia Field into the public eye. (Field was also a stylist for the recent flick “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” starring Isla Fisher.)

Even movies like “Where the Wild Things Are,” a film based on the famous children’s book, have served as inspiration for designers – as evidenced by Opening Ceremony’s capsule collection of furry jumpers and horned sweatshirts.

Turner PR client Eddie Bauer recently had a women’s bomber jacket featured in a segment on USAToday.com entitled, “Amelia Earhart, Pioneer of Style” in which Earhart’s style is described as “aviator chic.” (The movie “Amelia,” based on the famous aviator’s life, is in theaters now.) W Magazine’s fashion market director Teena Lombardo remarked that the bomber is now “ubiquitous” and “a staple.” Which goes to show that even period flicks like “Amelia” are still influencing us stylistically.

A small screen example of this: the smash TV series “Mad Men,” which chronicles the daily happenings of ad exec Don Draper and his ‘60s-era advertising agency. Costume designer Janie Bryant is slated to design the line, which will feature men’s suits (based on those worn by Don and now available at Brooks Brothers) and feminine silhouettes displayed by Don’s housewife Betty (January Jones).

Veteran designers have also taken their inspiration from on-screen characters that have become ingrained in American culture. A prime example: Anna Sui’s Target collection, which featured looks based on each of the main female characters of “Gossip Girl” (Vanessa, Serena, Blair, and Jenny). Sui partnered with the mass retailer for its wildly popular Designer Collaboration series, allowing customers to scoop up a boho dress that would be easily seen on hippie-chic Vanessa at an affordable price.

What does this mean for the future of movie and TV style? We’d bet on more clothing lines fashioned after TV and movie characters, so if your favorite character doesn’t have his or her own capsule collection just yet, don’t get impatient – it may be coming to a retailer near you!