Got an email asking, “Who do you think should be Pierce Mattie’s Publicist of the Year?” This was actually asking me to vote for someone on the staff of this firm I had never heard of before. Elsewhere, Brandweek has its “Best + Worst” issue out this week and PRDisasters.com is seeking nominees for its annual award. Some places have had the temerity to suggest that Dick Cheney, Michael Richards and Mel Gibson are in danger of sharing the prize. HAH! (And although this is a late addition, you’ve got to at least give a nod to former Wal-Marter Julie Roehm.)
One PR gaffe was so big this year that it should take the Gold, Silver & Bronze and these others just get honorable mentions. This year’s Chicago Cubs of Public Relations: Judith Regan for the OJ Simpson “I Did It” fiasco. From horrible idea to horrible product to horrible spin control no one else even came close. Richards and Gibson at least both admitted after the fact that they were assholes.
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Collateral Damage 
We got those, too! With nothing else to go on (having never heard of this firm, let alone any of its account execs or whatever they are), we voted based on which one we thought was hottest. Yeah, yeah, completely shallow, but what are you gonna do? If only they’d enabled comments on that poll!
My favorite this year was the Kraft brand manager who, upon being queried regarding the fact that the guacamole contains only 2% avocado said, in part, something to the effect of, “I don’t really know what customers expect.”
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