The PR Week Awards 2012

So, this week has been pretty amazing to say the least.

On Thursday, I won a 24-hour Twitter competition run by Handle PR to attend the PR Week Awards 2012 as their guest. I was so excited because this was the first time a grad had ever been invited to the ceremony and it was a one-time opportunity that would help get my foot in the PR door, which is never easy.

In the run-up to the big night, Handle's Kelly and Jessica (who have been so supportive) Blogged and Tweeted about me. I gained over twenty new followers in the days that followed including some really inspirational companies and PR pros. They'd also lined up practitioners from some of the most influential companies to come and say hello too!

On the night I was pretty nervous. I'd never really networked before and was worried that I'd say the wrong thing or make a total idiot out of myself. Kelly and Jessica were so lovely though and introduced me to loads of their PR friends and contacts and, after a couple glasses of free champers, my nerves soon disappeared. Over the three-course meal, I got chatting to the people on our table, one of which was the campaigns manager for Shelter. I'm particularly interested in developing a career in charity/non-profit PR when I graduate so this was ideal.

Hosted by Graham Norton, the ceremony itself lasted about two hours and introduced me to many diverse, creative and inspiring campaigns. Afterwards, I carried on swapping details, shaking hands and kissing cheeks (which seems to be the way to greet people in the world of PR) with some of the industry's finest before being whisked off in a taxi at midnight.

The whole evening was a fantastic experience, and resulted in potential internships and even more Twitter followers. I was able to get some brilliant advice and make some excellent contacts but, most importantly, it's meant that the organisations I'd love to work for one day now know who I am. It was such a confidence boost to know that people wanted to speak to me and could recognise my ambition and passion when it can often seem impossible to get noticed these days.

I suppose the whole evening is an example of just how important social media is in this industry because it can offer some unmissable opportunities if you follow the right people. It  emphasised the crucial importance of networking and that who you know is just as, if not more, important than what you know.

I've been so lucky this week and cannot thank Kelly, Jessica or Handle enough for all they've done. Thanks also to my life-saving friend Laura, who posted me up a selection of her dresses at the very last minute...I owe you one! x

Me and Jessica

The Invisible Ad

Lynx (aka Axe) have got to be one of, if not the, best companies around for amazing advertising and PR campaigns. Until today, my favourite was their campaign for Lynx Chocolate which featured a life-size edible chocolate man; partly because it was creative genius, but mostly because it made me want chocolate each time I watched it. 

But now I think I've found something even better...The World's First Invisible Ad, used to promote Lynx's Anarchy range.  

Created by Soap Creative (who are also responsible for the World's Biggest PAC-MAN), the campaign installed hacked LCD screens into an ordinary-looking terrace house in Sydney. The polarised lenses in the glasses handed out to passers-by unlocked raunchy scenes, which were otherwise invisible to the naked eye.

And if that's not enough? Well, the deodorant even has it's own desert island...