However, we are also fortunate to work with those who have made those 15 minutes last, the people who have become a true celebrity. This week has been one of those weeks, a week when every event we have been to has been graced by a celebrity or three.
At last week’s launch of Brisbane’s coolest wine bar and restaurant Moo Moo’s, Brisbane society was out in force, and our celebrity on hand – Shengo – even auctioned himself off in a bid to raise much needed funds for flood relief.
On Thursday, it was Craig Lowndes who spread his wisdom on Road Safety at the Suncorp ‘MUST HAVE SAFER QUEENSLAND ROADS’ campaign launch, even making time for photos with all of his fans.
And for something different, the Red PR team got in touch with their adventurous side at the Tinnie & Tackle show, where all around nice guy and AFL legend Spida Everitt was on hand to give us all a feed – camping style – with only a BBQ trailer for company.
And finally international stylist Gok Wan was the star attraction at Westfield’s Style Tour, single handedly raising Brisbane’s body confidence levels in one fell swoop.
It would be easy to believe the hype that celebrities like these are all a bit precious, with never ending requests and a condescending sneer. However, I can tell you that when you are working behind the scenes with these people, from the very famous to the D-list, it doesn’t take long to see the real people behind those famous façades. And more often than not, it is a pleasant surprise what lies beneath.
My responsibility last week was working with Craig Lowndes, and let me tell you, you could not meet a nicer man if you tried. He had barely turned up and we were pushing and pulling him from photo opportunity to photo opportunity then straight to the podium, where he had only minutes to capture a meaningful, on-target message to every person in attendance.
And if that wasn’t enough, Craig lined straight up to have his picture taken with over one hundred individual fans. The smile never wavered, the manners never faltered, he was a man after everyone’s heart. And there were some hearts aflutter fans who had come from far and wide were literally shaking with anticipation on meeting the famous driver. Nothing was too much for Craig.
And the best thing? Seeing a celebrity who truly believes in the message he is giving to his public. This was not some celebrity endorsed marketing message for Craig, he has been working with Suncorp Insurance throughout the entire process of the Road Safety campaign, and is committed to making it a success.
So yes, as we daydream about our own fifteen minutes of fame and how we would spend them, there are plenty of examples to follow, but I have been fortunate to see some of the good ones, the people who give true meaning to their influence, the kind of people who deserve every inch of their fame.
