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Will Ferrell’s Sunscreen No Laughing Matter

gpwp2 — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:55:09 +0000

We know him as George W. Bush, newscaster Ron Burgundy and a deranged elf. Now, we also know comedian Will Ferrell as a swimsuit model. The prolific Saturday Night Live alumnus is featured on promotional bottles of Hot Sexy Tan, Sun Stroke and Forbidden Fruit SPF 30 sunscreens. The line was created by the nonprofit organization Cancer for College.

Ferrell’s foray into promotional products came about because of his friendship with Craig Pollard. Pollard, a fraternity brother of Ferrell’s at the University of Southern California, is a two-time cancer survivor. He is also a double amputee. Pollard started Cancer for College in 1993 to help cancer survivors pay for their education. The charity provides financial aid for scholarships as high as $16,000, as well as textbooks.

Ferrell has been a supporter of Cancer for College since it began, and has served as the celebrity host of its fundraising events since 2002. However, this is the first time he has appeared half-naked on a bottle of sunscreen on the organization’s behalf.

“Cancer for College is such a pure strategy,” Ferrell said in a statement. “The work that Craig and Cancer for College have done helping kids who have had cancer go to college is so noble. I’m proud to help them any way I can, and if that means adding my face to a line of sunscreen products, I’m all for it.”

Pollard said, “The feedback from everyone has been so positive. Everyone gets the humor behind it. None of this would be possible without our friend Will Ferrell and his generosity.”

Southwest Airlines Offers Treats for Tweets

gpwp2 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:50:12 +0000

The marketing department at Southwest Airlines noticed that its number of followers on Twitter was about to hit 20,000. It was a Friday afternoon and they were about 200 followers away when they had an idea: offer a gift pack loaded with promotional products to one lucky winner.
Not long after the idea struck, the announcement was blasted out over Twitter. “ We were looking for a fun and energetic way to reach our customers, “ says Christie Day, a representative for Southwest Airlines. “Who doesn’t like to receive free stuff? We had the swag all ready to go. We sent a box of Southwest goodies to a customer in New Mexico. We Tweeted who won and he Tweeted us back”
The winner received a branded sewing kit, shoeshine kit, can coolers, drink coupons and other prizes “We raided the closet and picked out our favorite promotional products,” Day says. “Our customers travel a lot, so by providing them with baggage tags and other products, it helps with their trip.”
Southwest also offers prizes on Facebook to people who answer its trivia question of the day. Overall, customers find social media engaging because someone at the brand is interacting with them. Offering promotional items takes it to another level, because “They are excited to know someone is on the other end who has some cool prized for them,” Day says. “Twitter gives them the instant gratification that they want.” Day says the simple Friday afternoon giveaway “created a lot of awareness. A lot of people started following us who didn’t know we were on Twitter.”