War Demands New Strategies, Sensitivity From Public Relations Experts

Howard J. Rubenstein, one of New York’s top public relations executives, had scheduled a private dinner for some of his key clients on the night war broke out in the Persian Gulf. It was too late to cancel when Rubenstein got word of the U.S.-led bombing raid, but his guests were not much interested in food or talking business.

They spent the evening huddled around a TV set that Rubenstein had lugged into the dining room. “Nobody spent two seconds talking about business,” he said.

Since that Jan. 16 evening, Rubenstein, who represents Donald J. Trump, Leona Helmsley and Rupert Murdock, says he has not tried to compete with the war to get publicity for his clients. Instead, he has mostly canceled dinners and special events he arranged for clients.

The Gulf War is reshaping the way almost everyone in the public relations field goes about doing their work. The task of public relations professionals is to get news coverage for their clients. But during major news events like the Gulf War, the public’s desire for hard news means public relations experts must devise new strategies and take care with their approach in promoting their clients.

“Public relations doesn’t seem very relevant right now,” said Pat Kingsley, a veteran public relations specialist based in Los Angeles who represents a number of film stars. Shortly after the war began, two of her clients even begged off from attending high-profile events. Actress Susan Sarandon, who is involved in the peace movement, did not attend the Golden Globe Awards ceremony. Director Penny Marshall canceled a “Tonight Show” appearance because she was uncomfortable promoting her new movie, “Awakenings,” at the beginning of war, Kingsley said.

“This war is the biggest event we’ve ever been up against,” said Thomas A. Tardio, president and chief executive of Rogers & Cowan. It is the largest public relations firm in Los Angeles, representing clients ranging from Sylvester Stallone and Cybill Shepherd to American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and Ford Motor Co. “We’ve basically redirected our creative juices, our budgets and our efforts because of the war.”

For example, Rogers & Cowan, which also has Turner Network Television as a client, changed its plans for promoting the cable channel’s April debut of a made-for-television film about the Holocaust, “Never Forget.” The agency could try to book the film’s star--Leonard Nimoy, Blythe Danner and Dabney Coleman--on the networks’ morning shows. But it would risk them being bumped for higher-priority guests related to the war.

Instead, the agency plans a six-city tour for the film’s cast, with a series of screenings in each city. The goal is to get the actors on local television talk shows.

At the Lippin Group, which handles publicity for many TV programs, Chairman Richard B. Lippin is faced with an unusual quandary. His firm oversees publicity for the recently resurrected NBC series “Dark Shadows.” But the Jan. 18 premiere of the series was preempted on the West Coast for Persian Gulf War coverage. Such preemptions may continue for some time. “After the network’s regular program format begins again, we may suggest a relaunch campaign,” said Lippin.

To get news coverage for some big film clients, Rogers & Cowan is “trying to counterbalance what is going on with the news media,” said Jeffery Godsick, senior vice president. Among other things, the agency is turning to specialty publications aimed at teen-agers, women and ethnic groups because these magazines are generally less focused on war coverage.

“Public relations people have their best days on quiet news days,” said Howard Bragman, founder of Bragman & Co. which represents L.A. Gear. “There hasn’t been a quiet news day for two weeks. And we don’t anticipate any for months.”

Sneaker Spot Kicks Up a Fuss at Networks

Two major networks are giving L.A. Gear’s new sneaker advertisement the boot.

Although ABC aired it during the Super Bowl, NBC and CBS have refused to broadcast an ad for L.A. Gear’s “Catapult” shoes because they say it makes a claim it can’t prove. The commercial ends with Utah Jazz star Karl Malone saying, “Everything else is just hot air.”

In an interview Monday, Sandy Saemann, executive vice president at L.A. Gear, said he would be willing to modify the phrase and change “hot air” to “air.” “Hopefully, that will help resolve this,” he said.

NBC and CBS executives felt that the line “hot air” was a dig at rivals Nike and Reebok, which make shoes supported with special air chambers. Instead of air, the new L.A. Gear shoe has a carbon graphite and fiberglass heel.

Network executives say the commercial, created by BBDO/Los Angeles, is misleading. “We think they’re making an unsupported claim,” said Rick Gitter, vice president of advertising standards at NBC. Added Beth Bressan, vice president of program practices at CBS: “It denigrates the competition’s products. Our policy is never to accept ads that do that.” But ABC spokeswoman Janice Gretemeyer said, “We see nothing wrong with the ad.”

Boeing Pulls Its TV Ad for Fear of Backlash

That ultra-patriotic TV spot for Boeing featuring a soulful rendition of “America the Beautiful” has stopped airing in part because the company is concerned about a backlash.

“We don’t want to be seen as trying to capitalize on the war to air a Boeing message,” said Elliot Pulham, advertising manager at Seattle-based Boeing Defense & Space Group. The spot aired on Cable News Network just days after the Persian Gulf War began.

The ad, created by the Seattle agency Cole & Weber, features images of soldiers and the American flag. The idea for the spot was developed nearly a year ago. “It was conceived as a tribute to armed forces personnel during peacetime,” said Pulham. “In all the giddiness of peace breaking out, we didn’t want anyone to forget the importance of these people.”

The ad first aired on Dec. 8, 1990, during the Army-Navy football game. “When the war broke out, we felt the message seemed more relevant than ever,” said Pulham. A print ad with a similar message also appeared in some defense industry trade publications.

When the TV spot aired on CNN, Boeing received nearly 200 phone calls and letters daily in support of it. “Of all the calls we received, maybe two didn’t like it,” said Pulham.

Ayer-Tuttle Loses Top Client to Chiat/Day

Ayer-Tuttle may be down, but the chairman of the Los Angeles agency vows it’s not out.

“The tough times make it more challenging,” said Donna F. Tuttle, after her agency, a division of New York-based NW Ayer, lost its largest client--the Computer Systems division of Toshiba America Information Systems--to Chiat/Day last week.

Although ad spending for the Toshiba division has been reported at up to $15 million annually, Tuttle said the amount was about $7 million. Meanwhile, the agency will continue to handle corporate advertising for Toshiba, as well as ads for two smaller Toshiba divisions. Ayer also creates ads for Iberia Airlines and the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Tuttle strongly denied industry rumors that the Los Angeles office has considered closing its doors. “We’re going to out there and go after more business,” she said. In fact, the agency has just won a chunk of ad business from a national hotel chain that will boost the L.A. office billings to $15 million annually. Tuttle declined to reveal the chain’s name.

Although layoffs of several administrative employees are in the works, “these are changes I was going to make regardless of what Toshiba did,” she said. The agency employs 30.

“There is business out there,” said Tuttle, who was named chairman of the Los Angeles office about six months ago. “It’s a question of going after it and getting it.”