What do you do when you want to get out the word about the importance of a mundane (but important) topic like child car seats? You look to recent news and find a hook, especially if the news involves a celebrity.
The American Automobile Association and a minor league baseball team called the Newark Bears hosted a “Britney Spears Baby Safety Night.” Back in February, you couldn’t escape the coverage of Britney zooming away from the paparazzi with her infant on her lap in the driver’s seat. Then again in May, she came under fire for having her baby’s car seat facing forward, rather than the safer backward position. On the plus side, a CHP officer is quoted as saying that “she’s done more for child safety-seat awareness than anyone else in California.”
So the Bears and AAA are using the newsworthy celebrity angle in a fun way, providing information on baby car seat safety and a chance to win a free car seat. Those who dress as a baby, bring a baby toy or bring their baby (under age 4) get in free. They even had a “special guest who sings and dances” (see photo above).
Think about the celebrity hooks you could use for your issue. How about a Mel Gibson Interfaith Sobriety Night? Or a Tom Cruise Mental Health Screening? Or a Paris Hilton Abstinence Party?
Technorati Tags: celebrity, public relations, britney, media
Nedra helps nonprofits and public agencies create positive change on health and social issues through social marketing and transmedia storytelling strategies at Weinreich Communications since founding the company in 1995. She helps organizations make a difference for the populations they serve by strategically designing programs that draw on state-of-the-art behavior change techniques, digital media approaches and the power of stories. 
