When they’re not launching the toy lines for blockbuster movies and entertainment, Hunter Public Relations Hasbro Boys Toys team spends much of its summer hopping around the map from fan convention to fan convention. They rarely have an opportunity to share “their world” with the rest of the Hunter PR family.  That is until last week…

Eric and Brittney are so sweet and unassuming…

 Last Wednesday night, a handful of Hunter PR staff members took to the “high seas” of NYC’s East River to enjoy MC Chris’ performance aboard the Rocks Off concert cruise.  While most in our group were getting their first taste of MC Chris and his counter culture hip hop artistry, overall, newcomers to this scene were definitely in the minority.  The boat was packed with enthusiastic fans of the lyrical wiz, who’s arguably the most prolific “nerdcore” rapper in the industry. Nerdcore? Yes, it refers to the subject matter by which MC’s music is inspired.  If he has watched it, read it or played with it in his life – he’s rapped about it.  So if you’re a fan of things like Star Wars and Harry Potter, or video games, comic books and cartoons, you’ll frakin love MC Chris.  Just ask my colleagues who went to the show that night…

OMGOMGOMG! It’s MC Chris!

 After setting the mood with a few pre-show geektastic scores by Hans Zimmer and John Williams, MC took to the stage with the energy and sharpness that has endeared him to his fan base for years.  He unleashed a set loaded with fan favorites including Hoodie Ninja, OMC, Tussin, Pizza Butt and Emo Party.  And the hundreds of rap hands in the air were proof positive that the crowd was lovin’ every beat.

Let me see your rap hands!

 As a long-time MC Chris fan myself, I always look forward to hearing him perform a few songs in particular at his shows:

IG-88’s ’57 Chevy – IG-88 is an Assassin Droid turned bounty hunter who had but a mere 5 seconds of screen time 30 years ago(!!!) in Star War: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. And he has his own awesome song. ‘Nuff said.

Pw/om, Townie and FTW – These three songs off of his Dungeon Master of Ceremonies album are nearly as great a trilogy as Star W…no, I can’t say that.  (But, sadly, none of these songs were performed that night.)

Fette’s Vette – It’s an anthem about Boba Fett, the guy who Darth Vader praised as the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.  Quite simply, you never question the Dark Lord of the Sith.  Period. 

Clone Troopers, and Dannys, and Boba Fetts! Oh, my!

 What a great night!  The show was fantastic and I’m sure that we’ll get even more colleagues out for the next time MC Chris takes the stage in New York.

 MC Chris won over a few new fans at Hunter PR that night, so why not keep it going by becoming his fan on Facebook and following him on Twitter at @_mcchris.

 Joe

In just a few short hours, millions of soccer (or should I say football) fans across the globe will tune in for the kickoff of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. With more than 136,000 U.S. fans in attendance, we’re sure to hear rousing chants of U-S-A circling the stadium.

To give soccer novices a little background, the World Cup is held every four years and is undoubtedly the most prestigious competition in the world of soccer. Over a one-month period, 32 teams will compete to claim the title of World Champion – not to mention, major bragging rights!

The festivities begin tonight, the eve of the opening match, with the Kick-Off Celebration Concert. The show starts at 2:00 PM (EST) and VEVO is planning to webcast all of the action, including performances by Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas, John Legend, Shakira and more. Don’t forget to tune in to ABC on Saturday, June 12 at 2:30 PM (EST) as Team U.S.A. squares off against England.

New Yorkers in search of places to watch the games can check out Metromix New York’s “Where to Watch” list.  

And, if you’d like to do your homework before the games begin, refer to “The top players to watch in South Africa” list on the NY Daily News website. 

Jennie Long

Through the years, American Idol has provided the country with countless hours of entertainment. We were moved watching Kelly Clarkson’s tearful victory in season one. We laughed (and some of us cried) watching the tone-deaf stylings of William Hung. From the train wreck beginning auditions to the now-famous confetti showers on finale night, Idol offered something for everyone in its first eight seasons. And then season nine rolled around.

From the moment it began, season nine felt different. A few too many crazies in the beginning episodes? Nah, that’s normal Idol fodder. The real problems began when the folks that were supposed to be the actual talent started singing during the live voting rounds. Sure, Tim Urban’s pearly whites and delicately quaffed hair made millions of geometry students cheer, but nice features does not an Idol make.

Then there was Andrew Garcia, the early frontrunner who wowed the judges with his acoustic rendition of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” It wasn’t long before the other shoe dropped for (or on) Mr. Garcia, and viewers realized that he straight up stunk.

The weeks went by and more and more viewers slipped away. Sad. I still watched, though. It’s a fact I’m not particularly proud of, but what can you do? We all have our things.

Finally, the season of sadness came to a close last week, as Lee Dewyze was named the ninth American Idol. I actually quite like Lee, but his victory alone is not enough to salvage a season of poo poo platter after poo poo platter, disguised as a singing competition.

Here’s to a season ten that isn’t run by middle school girls and the cell phones they are too young to have, anyway! In other news, this year’s winner bears a striking resemblance to one of our very own Hunters (Danny Palestine). Dontcha think?

Michael

It’s 1997.  I’m 11 years old and completely, utterly obsessed with the hottest band on the market: Hanson - their songs, their long blonde locks, their terrible choice in clothing – all of it.  If someone told me I’d be seeing them perform five, full-length albums 13 years later, I probably would have said, “see you there!” 

Flash forward to 2010.  It’s the end of April and I’ve been gearing up for a legendary event that most people will never have the chance to experience.  Yes, Hanson, the band that fell off the face of the Earth in the 90’s, was about to perform a five-night concert series at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre, playing their entire discography: one album each night. I never doubted that they would make it this far.

I’ve been on a long journey with Hanson, from obsession in 5^th grade, to embarrassment in 8^th grade and finally to empowerment and passion in high school and beyond.  They’ve inspired multiple facets of my life through both their music and experiences in the music industry.   In fact, I credit Hanson as a major player in my decision to pursue public relations and eventually become part of the staff here at Hunter Public Relations.

Here’s the back-story: While everyone else thought they disappeared after MMMBop, Hanson actually continued to work on recording music, struggling with their record label for four years.  Finally, they broke their contract and decided to start their own independent label, 3CG Records. In 2004, nearly seven years after their breakout song, they released their first independent album, Underneath.  I saw this new beginning as a huge opportunity for them to re-introduce themselves to both the media and consumers.  But did you know about their new album in 2004?  Or the one after that, The Walk, in 2007?  Probably not.  I admire Hanson for the hardships they’ve gone through and the music they’ve made as a result, but media-wise, they could have made much better decisions.  That’s why I decided to share with all of you some of Hanson’s NEW music from their forthcoming album Shout It Out, hitting stores June 8.

The band’s five-night series was brilliant – it was their way of thanking longstanding fans like me while also making a splash in the greatest city in the world, New York.  And they made their splash!  Hanson appeared on the TODAY Show, Late Night with David Letterman and had a full-page spread in this week’s New York Magazine.  A great start getting the word out!  They’re hitting the road this summer touring with Rooney and playing songs off Shout it Out – if they’re in your city go check them out!

A final thank you after a long week of music.

I invited a few Hunter’s with me to the concerts last week – some were excited, some were embarrassed and some were nervous to see what Hanson sounded like all these years later.  Take a look below!

Hope you enjoy re-discovering one of the greatest pop bands out there!

Nancy

Some of my strongest memories are tied to -- if not defined by -- music.  From the age of about 18 months old, when my parents found me whistling under the breakfast table, to feeling “easy like Sunday morning” after last night’s supermarket run, it’s hard to remember a time I didn’t have a song in my head. 

A few years back, I found a book:  This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin, which served as perfect way to feed both my inner geek and also gain a better understanding of why certain songs just stick with you and have the power to instantly remind you of specific events, times or places.

The recent spell of warm weather left me longing for lazy summer days and scanning my sonic memory bank to create playlists to welcome the season.  After culling some favorites (and with a little crowd sourcing thrown in for good measure), I had a list of more than 100 good-time summer jams, spanning several decades.  Since I can barely scratch the surface here, I’ll share a couple playlists (one old school, one contemporary) to help get you in the summer mindset.

Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts

Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty

California Soul – Marlena Shaw

Steal Away – Robbie Dupree

Reminiscing – Little River Band

I’d Really Love to See You Tonight – England Dan and John Ford Coley

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Elton John and Kiki Dee

Whenever I Call You Friend – Kenny Loggins/Melissa Manchester

Living Thing – ELO

Xanadu – Olivia Newton John

Jump in the Pool – Friendly Fires

Catch the Sun – Doves

Ooh Yeah – Moby

Happy Up Here –Royksopp

Raindrops – Basement Jaxx

Keep Your Eyes Ahead – The Helio Sequence

Nearer Than Heaven – The Delays

Sometime Around Midnight – Airborne Toxic Event

1901—Phoenix

Kids -- MGMT

What gems will this summer hold?  It’s a bit early to say, but the new MGMT and Gorillaz are poised to be in heavy rotation.

Amanda

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

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

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

I get excited each December 31st when I turn on the morning news and the anchors are highlighting celebrations from around the globe.  Video clips from Australia and Japan remind me that no matter where you are from fireworks always mean a party is under way!

And while everyone enjoys a good party, New Year’s Eve also offers a fresh start and hope for the New Year.  As a proud Southerner, I never forget to eat my black-eyed peas, collard greens and hog’s jowl for a healthy and rich year-to-come.  This hearty tradition has been passed down from generation to generation in the south, and my grandmother calls each New Year’s Day to make sure I didn’t forget to cook up a mess.  That annual phone call got me thinking about what others might do to ring in the New Year other than popping bottles of bubbly.

I asked around the office and it turns out that everyone has something special (and totally unique) that they do to bring good luck and good fortune on New Year’s Eve.  For instance, Cubans kick-off the New Year by wearing yellow underwear for good luck and eating 12 grapes at the stroke of Midnight making a wish for each one.  However, my favorite Cuban tradition is walking around the block with an empty suitcase to bring more travel to your New Year.   I can only imagine what the streets of Havana must look like….

For Filipinos, it’s tradition for women to wear polka dots on New Year’s Eve to bring good fortune in the next year.  Each household will also make sure to fill a large bowl with 13 different fruits to bring good luck and prosperity.  And hung like mistletoe, a small bunch of grapes is placed above the door in everyone’s house to usher in even more good luck.

 To me, the most interesting thing about each of these traditions  is no matter where the party may take place everyone is hoping for a better new year than the last.  Whether you hope for good luck, good fortune or good health, I hope you get what you wish for in 2010!

Julie

One of New York City’s biggest concerts takes place each December to kick off the holiday season – Z100’s Jingle Ball.  The concert regularly sells out Madison Square Garden in hours and attracts some of the country’s hottest artists.  This year’s roster certainly didn’t disappoint – the lineup included Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Justin Bieber, Jordin Sparks, Kris Allen, The Fray, Jay Sean, Boys Like Girls, Pitbull, Owl City and Ke$ha.

While music rang through Madison Square Garden on Friday, December 11th, several of my coworkers and I were backstage in the gifting lounge on behalf of our clients, 5 Gum and Hasbro.  The lounge served as the behind-the-scenes destination for celebs and VIPs where they could pick up goodies as an added bonus for performing.  At the 5 Gum table, guests participated in a guessing game where they estimated the number of sticks of gum held in a cookie jar.  The prize at stake was a donation made on the winner’s behalf to the Food Bank for New York City, so everyone took the game very seriously!  Isaac Slade (lead singer of The Fray) opened the calculator app on his phone to work out formulas, The Twilight Saga’s Peter Facinelli stacked packs of gum on top of each other to eyeball his estimate, and Connor Paolo of Gossip Girl inquired whether the rules of the game were like those of The Price Is Right (the closest without going over wins).  In the end, Jordin Sparks was the victor with the closest guess, beating out others such as 30 Rock’s Judah Friedlander, Dancing With the Stars champ Kym Johnson and American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert.  It was definitely a fun-filled day for everyone in the lounge – Hunter PR employees included!

Kaitlin