I recently took a trip to the MoMA and was pleasantly surprised that there was a Claude Monet Water Liles exhibit going on. Before making the switch to Graphic Design in college, my first 2 years as a liberal arts major were filled with painting and art history classes, which both fueled my love of Claude Monet and the Impressionist movement.

Recently, I’ve been bitten by the travel bug and have been thinking about taking a trip to Europe, but have been unsure of exactly where to go. After seeing the exhibit, I was reminded of a trip I took to Europe a few years ago and how amazing it would be to experience it again. During my trip, I immersed myself in art, spending days at the Louvre and The Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. However, the highlight of my trip was visiting Claude Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny, France.

Monet’s home is a beautiful and inspiring museum in itself. It is surrounded by the lush gardens, flowers and lily ponds he so beautifully painted.  I was lucky to have visited the site on such a beautiful and sunny spring day and was amazed to see in person what I’ve seen so many times on canvas.  While many people are familiar with Monet’s brushstrokes, especially his famous water lilies, a visit to his house and garden will show the inspiration behind his paintings.  This was the most inspiring trip I’ve been on, and hopefully my travels will take there again soon.

Laura

Today, Hunter PR reaches “legal age” as the agency turns 21.  With all the great wine  and spirits brands we represent, it’s easy for us to toast the occasion.  We could even honor our heritage by serving Bloody Marys, using a splash of Tabasco pepper sauce, which was our first client when we opened the doors on March 1, 1989 and remains one of our most cherished clients today.  Of course, the Bloody Marys wouldn’t be as massive as the Millennium Mary we created on Jan. 1, 2000 in New Orleans.

Maybe we should celebrate by serving everyone a slice of America’s Grandest Flag Cake, similar to the ones we made on Flag Day in 1995, 1996 and 1997 in front of national landmarks.

Some additional memorable moments from our first 21 years:

- Annually kicking off the holiday season by staging the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest, sponsored by 3M

- Getting Jell-O declared the official snack of Utah

- Making America’s beaches “barefoot-friendly” via beach clean-up parties for Gallo’s Barefoot Wine

- Carving iconic American images out of cheese for Cheez-It crackers

- Curating a “curiously strong” art collection for Altoids

- Celebrating Johnnie Walker Black Label’s 100th Anniversary with a national web cast demonstrating the subtle craft of blending the world’s number premium blended Scotch whisky

- Rolling the dice and participating as members of the game design team for a Monopoly edition based on U.S. cities and landmarks

Of course, we wouldn’t have made it 21 days as an agency if it wasn’t for the more than 200 employees who have called Hunter PR home at some point in their career.  And as we embark on our ‘adult years’, we’re grateful to our current staff of 68 members who continue to make Hunter PR such a great place to work!

Mark

As an all around sports fan, I love the Olympics.  I love the competition.  I love the excitement. But most of all, I love the useless sports that draw me to the television like a moth to a flame. Like curling.  Every four years, I spend two weeks routing for Team USA’s curling squad, equipped with brooms and beer guts, as they strategically place their rocks in the house. 

For those of you who don’t understand what I would like to call “The Most Exciting Sport Since Go Fish,” let me enlighten you to the basics:

- Curling is similar to a huge shuffle board game on ice.

- Two teams of four alternate sliding huge stones, called rocks, down a long stretch towards a circular target called a house.

- During each match, both teams have ten attempts to get their rock closest to the center of the house.

- The team that successfully wins the most matches out of ten is the overall victor.

Right now, you might be saying, “Curling doesn’t sound like my cup of tea.  I like contact sports like hockey.” I’m here to set the record straight and tell you that curling, in fact, is a full contact sport. For example, when your opponent has the extreme athletic ability to slide his/her rock into the center of the house perfectly, it’s time to play defense.  On the next turn, you would throw your rock straight down the lane knocking his stone and sending it flying out of the house. And I ask you, my friend, what is more contact than two 25 lb. stones hitting each other?

While this description might not convey the intensity of the greatest winter sport ever, I invite you to take the time during the next week and watch a game. I promise that after spending some quality time enjoying a curling match, this sport will “rock” your world.

Dan

With the recent Super Bowl victory of the New Orleans Saints, I am deeply reminded of a city near and dear to my heart.  I spent four years of undergraduate studies in New Orleans, and over this time I grew to understand and appreciate the many cultural traditions the legendary city has to offer, especially Mardi Gras.  Although today – Fat Tuesday – marks the end of the Carnival season, it’s no surprise that New Orleanians have been living-it-up for weeks. 

Each year, parades begin taking over the city the last week of January. At this time, the city’s generally slow pace is amped with both energy and a collective sense of celebration and pride. Families and fraternities alike line parade routes with homemade high chairs and libation stations.  From morning to night, the smells of barbeque and crawfish fill the air, and the soulful sounds of a brass band can always be heard in the distance.  As parades of varying sizes crawl throughout the city, the amount of beads dangling from the telephone wires and Oak trees lining the streets begins to grow.  And after several weeks of unmatched debauchery, the city returns to its tranquil state…until the next festival, that is.

Daniel

I wouldn’t consider myself an avid football fan; quite frankly I have never been to a professional football game in my life.  But when I was invited to attend the Super Bowl, by one of Hunter PR’s clients, Diageo, to help with events they were sponsoring, I couldn’t resist.   Needless to say, I received many bribes of shoes in exchange for my ticket, but I politely passed. 

So I packed two big bags filled with an absurd amount clothing and shoe options and I was off.  I landed in Miami and made my way through the sea of black, blue and green (yes, they were still there) jerseys to my hotel. 

I met my client to begin our evening at the Eden Roc hotel, where the jerseys disappeared and I was transported into a room of tube tops, blue blazers, button downs and ripped jeans.  The lights went down and I heard “sippin on gin and juice.”  I was about five feet away from Snoop Dogg performing, and although I haven’t listened to Snoop since 1994, it was a great start to my Super Bowl experience.

Celebrity sighting – Jessica Alba – in the ladies room.

The next day was spent organizing items for that evening’s event and enjoying a leisurely lunch at outside. Hundreds of people were walking up and down Ocean Drive, screaming “who dat” to each other and I was confused.  I asked my friend what that meant.  She laughed and told me that maybe I should have taken the shoes!

Celebrity sighting – Chris Rock – getting into a black SUV. 

On Saturday night Ciroc Vodka sponsored the Wyclef party at the Edun Roc.  Wyclef rocked out on stage and performed for three hours, with a surprise appearance by LL Cool J, singing “Mama Said Knock You Out,” another great throw back to the mid-90s.  Even though we were enjoying Wyclef from our table, which was about 20 feet away, we wanted to go backstage.  So we did – and just in time for a solid rendition of “Redemption Song,” one of my personal favorite Bob Marley tunes.  But I prefer to watch the performance, so I left my friend backstage and went back to our table, where I finally remembered that I had my camera and snapped this shot.

Celebrity Sighting – Nick Lachey – sipping Jose Cuervo Platino.

Finally game day had arrived and I was ecstatic.  My first football game and it was the Super Bowl…does it get better than that?  We left the hotel around 1pm and attended a pre-party where I saw something that still makes me laugh.  This man super-glued a mini Saints helmet to his head.  That is dedication. 

 We arrived at the stadium and walked through a maze to finally find where we were going.  Steve Winwood was playing as we arrived and there were people of all ages smiling and cheering and eating and drinking and spending time with their friends.

Celebrity Sighting – Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr – walking in three feet behind me.

I met my friend, who works in the sports industry for a quick bite (chicken tenders), but we had to leave him when he went to his seats in the 400 section and we had to head down to section 106…literally 20 rows behind the field. 

 But I did try to look for my friend…

By the second quarter, I found myself jumping out of my seat and cheering along with the rest of the crowd.  The energy in the stadium, the amazing game, the weather in Miami was all perfection.  But, there was one thing that was missing.  And it was something that I was looking forward to….

Where was Kim Kardashian?

Stacey

It’s been a rough winter across the country.  Temperatures in New York City have been extremely cold recently.  With snow blowing in my face as I walk to and from the subway, I’m just happy to have plenty of warm clothes!  Sadly, not all New Yorkers are as fortunate.

Thankfully, there is an organization in New York City that provides new, never-worn clothing to New Yorkers in need.  It’s called the New York City Clothing Bank and our agency has been helping them by providing pro bono PR services for the past few years.  With recent reports that charitable donations are on the decline, we decided to take our partnership to the next level and host a virtual fundraiser.

We need your help, but it’s free and easy!

From now through March 31^st, Hunter PR will donate $1 to NYC Clothing Bank for every person that becomes a fan of our Facebook page (up to $5,000).  We want to harness the power of social media to spread the word about the great work done by the NYC Clothing Bank – and meet some new friends/fans along the way. 

In addition to distributing warm-weather apparel to the needy, NYC Clothing Bank also provides disaster relief.  It is now responding to the recent crisis in Haiti by donating winter clothing to Haitian refugees who are being relocated to NYC.

Our timeline is short, but our motivation is high!  We need your support throughout our campaign – please, become a fan, and tell your friends and family too!

On behalf of Hunter PR and the NYC Clothing Bank, many thanks!

Danny Palestine

As the #2 independent food PR agency, it’s probably not surprising that Hunter PR has several foodies on its staff. However, you would not think that our office manager, Chad, was one of them. But last year, in a stroke of “culinary curiosity,” he became enamored with hotdish and bars. From what Chad learned, hotdish is a term used to describe a type of casserole – usually containing meat, a starch and a cooking soup – that’s popular in the Midwest. Bars are square-shaped desserts – usually cookies prepared in one long sheet and cut into individual pieces.

Chad’s musings about hotdish and bars got this particular foodie intrigued. One thing led to another, and before you could say “comfort food” a new Hunter PR tradition was born. This past Monday (January 25), we celebrated our second annual Hunter PR Hotdish & Bars Day!

The what, when and why were simple: On “Blue Monday” (the quasi-scientifically calculated most depressing day of the year), we decided to give Hunters the opportunity to lift theirs and others spirits by preparing a hotdish or bars recipe of their choice, which gained them entry into the festivities and an opportunity to sample everyone else’s prepared dishes. This year, we had 10 people participate, and an almost even split between hotdish and bars.

This year, the Hotdish & Bars Day participants voted on which recipe was their favorite, with the winner receiving a gift card to one of New York City’s premier comfort food restaurants: S’mac. The winner? Well, everything was SO delicious, there was a tie: Megan Weber for her Tater Tot Hotdish and Laura Trani for her Cheeseburger & Fries Hotdish. Here are their winning recipes

Cheeseburger & Fries Hotdish

1 to 1.5 lb of ground beef

½  lb. of sweet Italian sausage

2 cans (10 3/4 oz) of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese soup

1 bag of frozen crinkle‐cut French fries

Pre‐heat oven to 350.

Brown ground beef and sausage in separate pans on the stove top.

Combine browned meats and add 2 cans of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese soup. Mix well and spread in the bottom of  casserole dish.

Spread a layer of frozen French fries on top of the ground meat/soup mixture and bake in the oven at 350 for 45‐50 minutes, or until fries are golden brown.

Tater Tot Hot Dish

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can Campbell’s Chicken & Rice Soup

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery Soup

1 cup instant rice

1 ½ cups water

1 can mixed vegetables (optional)

1 bag tater tots

Dash of garlic

Dash of onion powder

Dash of salt

Dash of pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.

Brown ground beef on stovetop. Once beef is cooked, season with dashes of garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper (to taste).

In a 13x9 inch pan, combine unheated soups, instant rice, water and mixed vegetables. Stir mixture until combined. Add cooked ground beef to mixture and combine.

Top mixture with tater tots (cover entire hot dish).

Bake hot dish in pre-heated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour (ovens may vary).

Why not satisfy your own “culinary curiosity” about hotdish and bars and give these recipes a try? We hope they warm your hearts and spirits the way they did for us on a cold, rainy evening in January.

Amy

One thing the Hunter PR staff loves is a good, healthy dose of competition.  And I’m not talking about work-related competition – I’m talking football!  For the past seven years, Amy Coles has been running the “Hunter PR Gridiron Gurus” NFL football pool.  Sure, the monetary winnings are great, but in this office, it’s all about the bragging rights!

There are few of us veteran players that enter the pool every year and place much like former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Dan Marino in the Super Bowl – never coming out victorious.   Then, of course, there are the rookies who join the pool for the first time and place high up at the top.  We’ll call them the Mark Sanchez’s of the world (editor’s note: I’m a huge New York Jets fan!).  I’m proud to say in my six-year NFL career at Hunter PR, I finally came out on top this year.  But it was close; rookie Dan DeVece and veteran all-star players Amanda Hirschhorn and Amy Coles were right on my heels the entire time.  Check out my cool “Goddess of the Gridiron” trophy that I get to display at my desk year round:

Since I’m now 1-5 in my football pool record, I’m hoping this will mean I’ll actually fair better in upcoming Hunter PR pools like March Madness and the Gigi Russo baby pool.  Either way, I’ve got bragging rights….at least for now!

Mel

Last week, a 7.0 earthquake struck Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, leaving a drastic wave of destruction throughout the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. Casualty estimates have been difficult to determine, but some are saying up to 100,000 people can be presumed dead, and just as many injured. Watching the aftermath and taking in the devastation in Haiti, many are wondering how they can efficiently and effectively help those in need. Ian Rodgers, a senior emergency adviser for Save the Children, said "It is very possible, that the situation can go from dire to absolutely catastrophic if we don't get enough food, medicine and work with children and their families to help them." The following are a series of excellent options in which to donate to help the earthquake victims of Haiti.

Texting options:

Texting is quick and simple and allows you to immediately donate money to earthquake relief.

·      Text Haiti to 90999 to make a $10 donation or text Yele to 501501 to make a $5 donation. Yele Haiti is a foundation established by Wyclef Jean, a native of Haiti, that helps people in Haiti on a continual basis. However, he established the texting campaign on Tuesday evening to help with the earthquake relief, and it has since gone viral making it the largest disaster relief texting campaign in history.

Larger Monetary Donations:

There are numerous funds that have started or organizations that are reaching out to help Haiti with disaster relief. The following are some great options.

·      Yele Haiti 

·      Feed the Children 

·      The American Red Cross

·      UNICEF

·      Doctors without Borders

·      World Vision

Airlines and Hotels:

Airlines and hotels are letting rewards members donate mileage or points in order to donate money to relief. Many are participating but the following are some examples.

·      For instance Starwood Hotels is letting frequent guests at its Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, W and St. Regis hotels use 4,000 Starpoints to make a $50 donation to the American Red Cross.

·      United Airlines is also letting members of its Mileage Plus program donate miles to the Red Cross. On its "Support Haiti Earthquake Relief" Web site, the airline said as of 3 p.m. that 730,000 miles had been donated through this program.

There are plenty of ways to help so find an organization or method that best suits your preference and reach out to those in need.  Today and in the days to come the people in Haiti will need support from people around the world. Every little bit counts!

Dominic

I recently attended the Herb Lubalin (pronounced Lube-ah-lin; 1918-1981) exhibit at the Cooper Union School of Art & Architecture. He was a prominent American graphic designer of the 20^th century and, in my opinion, was the rock star of graphic designers! This show reminded me of how beautiful and powerful type can be. I’m amazed how Lubalin would tweak every single letter until he got the perfect positive and negative space between each letterform. He would push ascenders and descenders (top and bottom parts of a letter) together to create concrete poetry. I've always known that a simple arrangement of type can change the way you visually communicate. I had forgotten that letterform can be pushed as an art form even in commercial settings.

I went with a graphic designer friend who is as passionate about typography as I am. While looking at his body of work, my friend turned to me and mentioned that as a student she experimented with Lubalin’s signature typeface known as Avant Garde. I told her I had NEVER experimented with the font, and she looked at me as though I’d committed the worst crime a typographer could ever make. Although the font is beautiful in the right hands, in my observation, it is probably the most misused font ever made. The font was created by Lubablin specifically for his work in Avant Garde Magazine. Lubalin was so dedicated to the beauty of his typography that he would ask editors to change the titles of their stories in order to realize the most elegant logograms. Imagine saying to an editor, “excuse me Mr. Editor, will you change the title of this article so that the letter A would never have a round letter next to it?” Unbelievable right? Unbelievable but true! I was thrilled and surprised to be inspired by this exhibit.

Louisa