What you’ll notice about this video is that it was played backwards.  Rhett & Link actually lip synced the words backwards while doing the video shoot.  These guys are amazing!  Want to know more about how Rhett & Link made the video?  Head to SleepBetter.org to see the video FORWARDS!

The Bedtime Stories Project has a goal of reviving a tradition that’s thousands of years old – the telling of stories at bedtime.  Unfortunately this tradition is increasingly being replaced by video games and television, but telling a story at bedtime is not only a great moment to share between a parent and child, it’s also a wonderful and natural way of helping the child relax and prepare for sleep.  These days, it seems no one, even children, gets enough sleep.  Studies have shown that children who don’t sleep enough have trouble learning in school and can even develop health problems.

There are a number of moving parts to the project:

• The team commissioned a national survey to determine America’s Favorite Bedtime Story.  Check on SleepBetter.org to see if your favorite bedtime story made the list.
• A writing expert is providing tips on how to write a great bedtime story.  Check out Hillary Homzie’s Five Tips to Creating an Original Bedtime Story.
• We’ve created our own bedtime story called Sleepy Tales, where famous fairy tale characters discuss their sleeping problems.  Read this fun book by using the link on the front page of SleepBetter.org.
• Emmy Award-winning Actress Betty White, who is just uber-hot right now, is partnering with us, and will appear at an upcoming event.  At the event, she’ll read America’s Favorite Bedtime Story to children, and will also read some submissions from members of the SleepBetter Community.
• As you may have guessed from the above point, we’re asking site visitors to submit their own original bedtime stories!  One of the interesting points from SleepBetter’s national survey was that we found out families are most enthusiastic about the stories they make up for their own enjoyment.  We’re gathering these stories and posting them on The Bedtime Stories Project web site (built, by the way, by EndGame PR).  As I mentioned above, Betty White will read some of them at the upcoming event, and we’ll also pick one to be illustrated by the internationally-known artist behind the Sleepy Tales Book, Bill Nelson.  You can submit your story at the submission page on The Bedtime Stories web site, or just use the handy-dandy submission form below!

No tags for this post.]]> http://www.endgamepr.com/blog/2010/05/04/endgame-pr-helping-to-launch-the-bedtime-stories-project/feed/ 0 http://www.endgamepr.com/blog/2010/04/12/uber-hot-betty-white-partners-with-endgame-pr-client/ http://www.endgamepr.com/blog/2010/04/12/uber-hot-betty-white-partners-with-endgame-pr-client/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:50:46 +0000 Steve Mullen http://www.endgamepr.com/?p=1534 Please excuse this obvious shilling for a client.  We’re pretty excited about this.

We have Betty White and we’re not afraid to use her.

EndGame PR has been working with SleepBetter.org, a sleep advice and information site run by Carpenter Co., since December of last year.  EndGame PR is responsible for web site management, SEO, and social media activities for the site.  We’re part of a larger team that manages public relations.

Back in December and January, the PR team began working on a new project that would begin in the spring.  After tossing around a number of names for a spokesperson, they settled on Betty White.  This was after her appearance in the movie “The Proposal” but before she  truly broke back into the spotlight with the Snickers Super Bowl Commercial seen to the left.

That commercial pushed Ms. White back into the public consciousness in a way that may have never been seen before with an 88-year-old.  It shows that Super Bowl commercials are not completely dead as a social shared experience. It also shows how they can spark a viral sensation.  The YouTube video of the Betty White Snickers commercial has nearly 2.1 million views.  I call that significant.

Back to the client news, now.  We made the announcement at the end of last week that Betty White will be working with SleepBetter.  She’ll be assisting with a project that focuses on helping people, particularly children, get a better night’s sleep.  I invite you to read the announcement and keep your eyes on SleepBetter this spring!

VCCS already had a section of their existing website that had information about exchange programs, but they wanted more.  They asked me to build a relatively simple website that showed more images and had more information.  I’m quite happy with the results!

You can see a screen shot of the site to the right (click for a larger version), or visit the actual site here.

The goal with this project was to create a WordPress blog that matched the look and feel of their existing website as much as possible.  This sounds easy, but it usually isn’t.  A small screen shot of the blog is to the left.  Check out the actual Sheltering Arms Blog here.

Be sure to check back and/or subscribe, as we’ll be posting news about advancements in physical rehabilitation, success stories from Sheltering Arms, and news about the 120-year-old organization itself.

This is just the latest move in the social media strategy that EndGame PR has helped create for Sheltering Arms.  We’ve already launched a Facebook page that is nearing the 100 “fan” mark.  Future tactics may include a podcast series and a presence on Twitter.  Stay tuned!

The new TRES website features the same large amount of content as REALTORStore Online, and the addition of a podcast listening station on the front page for the shows I’m producing for them.   With each site I not only designed and built the layout, but also assisted with the writing of the content.

Here’s a look at the new home of TRES on the day it launched:

Click the image to view a larger version.

I was very proud today in a meeting that client contacts couldn’t stop raving about how much better this site is than the one they had previously. That’s my goal!

The first video tells the story of Jamaal Williams, a former Virginia Union University football player and patient at Sheltering Arms. After a stroke, Mr. Williams was unable to speak or move half of his body.

The second video tells the story of how disabled golfers are continuing to enjoy their sport, and looks at some of the tools they can use.

These two videos were produced by EAF Communications, owned by Eric Futterman.  He did a great job on both!

Peter is the social media and public relations guru responsible for HARO, or “Help a Reporter Out”.  It’s a free mailing list that connects PR folks with reporters who need sources.  He’s making an appearance in Richmond to benefit Fight SMA, which, coincidentally, is one of my clients!  EndGame PR provides PR, social media, SEO PR, and website management for the nonprofit organization.  Fight SMA is working to rid the world of spinal muscular atrophy, which is the leading inherited killer of infants.  The neuromuscular disease slowly robs its victims of their ability to walk, talk, breathe, and even smile.  In its harshest form, it usually kills babies before they turn two years old.

Peter Shankman’s appearance is being organized by The Hodges Partnership, a PR firm run by a couple of good friends of mine who is also a good friend of Fight SMA.  The event is on January 27 at 7:30am at the WCVE studios (address: 23 Sesame Street in Bon Air).  The cost is $25, with money going toward Fight SMA’s quest for a cure. For more information, please call Julia Webster at 804-788-1414.  You can also visit the Facebook event page built by The Hodges Partnership.  I plan to be there, so look me up if you attend!

A screenshot of the site as it was when I finished it is posted below.  Click on the image for a larger version.

VCCS is still working out some issues with the domain and redirects, but otherwise the site is fully operational.  If you’re interested in information about higher education in Virginia, click here!

Because of the Obama ties to the social media world, and because of the excitement surrounding his inauguration, there will be plenty of ways to interface with others online if you’re not able to attend the actual event in D.C.  Here are just a few:

Facebook: According to MediaWeek, Facebook and CNN are teaming up for the Inauguration.  Users will be able to watch the live video feed of the event on CNN, and make comments in a form that will show up on the Facebook profile.  You can expect plenty of amateur photos from the event to make their way to this site as well.

Twitter: There are too many ways to use Twitter during the inauguration to list all of them here.  One suggestion: Join the official Inauguration Committee Twitter Group.  Also, you can tag your Tweets about the inauguration with “#dctrip09″ (info leading up to the event) or “#inaug09″ (info on the day of the event).  I also saw information on at least one Tweetup in the D.C. suburb of Arlington.  Rest assured, the Twittersphere will be completely buzzing during the event.  My concern is whether the site will actually survive the traffic.

YouTube: The Inaugural Committee’s YouTube page already has plenty of behind-the-scenes footage available about inauguration prep.  If you join the group, you can upload your own videos from the scene.  You can view those videos without joining.

Flickr: The Inaugural Committee will be updating its photo stream throughout the big day.  You can expect plenty of amateur photos of the event to make their way to this site as well.

There are plenty more, including various ways to receive text messages about or from the event.  Enjoy yourself … and happy Tweeting!

TRES offers education and enrichment to thousands of members of the RAR, and TREScast brings those educational opportunities to members’ computers, iPods, and other mp3 players!  If you’re a real estate agent in Richmond, Virginia, a real estate agent elsewhere, or just someone who wants to learn more about the industry, this is a great podcast for you.  I’ve loaded the first episode into a Flash-based mp3 player below, so you can easily have a listen.

TREScast, Episode 1

Direct download link

I’ve been working on this series while also building a new website for RAR’s online store.  The podcast currently doesn’t have a home while that website is being completed, however listeners can hear the first two episodes and subscribe to receive future ones by using the links below.

Subscribe and listen via RSS
Subscribe and listen via iTunes

I worked the company’s owners from the very start of the process, consulting on the best URL to purchase and where to buy their web hosting.  I even set up email accounts using their new web address!  The site itself was built using WordPress as a CMS, much like I did with my own recent redesign.  The website includes a blog, which they plan to populate with company and vendor news.

Check out the results here: www.corporateapparel-inc.com

And, if you’re looking to purchase corporate apparel for your business or event, please contact them.  In addition to providing great products, they’re great people too!

The client is Save Our Shelters, a Richmond, VA-based animal rights organization.  They’re in the middle of a rescue effort involving a feral cat colony that’s been living behind a local television station for a number of years.  The station manager’s decisions are a textbook example of what NOT to do in public relations.  You can read about the story here.

Visit the Save Our Shelters Blog for regular updates from the scene of the Trap, Neuter and Return operation at WRLH.  We’ve had a great response to the blog, even though it’s only been operating for a few days.  I’m also in the middle of a media relations project to push SOS’s part in the rescue effort.  One radio interview is already posted at the blog, and another will be posted later today.

Click the player below to give it a listen!

Be sure to catch each episode as it’s released by using your favorite feed reader to subscribe to the Fighting Back Podcast Feed.