Ahmadinejad Named PR Person of the YearPosted by Amanda Chapel Eleventh-Hour Showing Nudges Out Edelman’s Rubel FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"For sticking to his guns and reshaping global politics in a single press tour... Ahmadinejad came to what certainly would be considered the enemy camp, took the microphone and presented his side of the story with overwhelming success," said Amanda Chapel, managing editor of Strumpette. Strumpette's Person of the Year Award is given to the person who most affected the events of the year, for better or for worse. A panel of nine recognized leaders in the Public Relation industry from North America, Europe, and Asia selected the winners from dozens of nominations by peers around the world. Other finalists this year that have used the media to further their own agendas include: - The ever strident orator Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez for delivering a sensational impersonation of Nikita Khrushchev's shoe-banging attack on the US at the UN in 1960. - Former president William Jefferson Clinton for his recent finger-jabbing tirade on "Fox News Sunday," saying that he "really really" tried to kill Osama bin Laden while the Bush administration dropped the ball. - And Zelig-like celebrity blogger and Edelman SVP, Steve Rubel, for no more than having a blog and being able to generate enough hype to insert himself broadly far beyond his actual PR experience on the Vespa account. Chapel said, "Rubel was our choice but Mahmoud surprised us all with his overwhelming eleventh-hour showing. He humanized a totally negative image; neutralized his detractors with half-truths and artful dodges; and simultaneously galvanized a growing anti-American sentiment throughout the world. And he did it all on American soil using our right to free speech and our liberal media... presenting himself as a peacemaker all while he's BUILDING A BOMB for Christ's sake! Seriously, as far as PR goes, it doesn't get any better." Last week, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited New York to address the 192 members of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly. There he reasserted his country's right to nuclear technology. He also questioned authority and legitimacy of Security Council with regard to imposing sanctions on Iran for its suspected program to develop nuclear weapons. Outside the General Assembly hall, Ahmadinejad went on a whirlwind successful media blitz. # # # EDITORS’ NOTES The following is in part what won it for Ahmadinejad. Here is an except of a transcript from a radio interview by Kim Landers for Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Friday, 22 September , 2006 08:18:00 at the UN. LANDERS: For an hour Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took questions from reporters at the United Nations, again defending his country’s nuclear program. AHMADINEJAD: We have not hidden anything; we are working transparently; we are working within the framework of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). LANDERS: It’s almost three weeks since Iran ignored a United Nations Security Council deadline to halt uranium enrichment. Today, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was insisting the nuclear program is peaceful, adding he’s "at a loss" to know what further guarantees Iran needs to provide. AHMADINEJAD: The bottom line is we do not need a bomb, unlike what others think. Regretfully, some believe that the nuclear bomb can be effective in international relations – they're wrong, because the time for nuclear bombs has ended. LANDERS: In recent months, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been quoted as describing the Holocaust as a myth and calling for Israel to be wiped off the map. Today, he was insisting he’s not an anti-Semite. AHMADINEJAD: No, I’m not anti-Jew, Jews are respected by everyone like all human beings and I respect them very much. LANDERS: And when asked if he seeks the destruction of Israel he replied: AHMADINEJAD: We love everyone around the world – Jews, Christians, Muslims, non-Muslims, non-Jews, non-Christians. What we object to are acts that are inappropriate against us or acts of occupation, of aggression, of violence, of displacement of nations. LANDERS: President Ahmadinejad has even suggested what he calls a “strong Zionist lobby” is responsible for the fact he’s facing questions about his Israel remarks wherever he goes. He’s also sidestepped attempts to pin him down on whether Iran will stop sending arms to Hezbollah, saying Iran doesn’t interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Bookmark This
 Comments
Display comments as
(Linear | Threaded)
Surely Musharraf outdoes him - plugging your book during a presidential press conference. Now that's what I call product placement.
I have to agree. His performance on 60 minutes was incredible. He made Mike Wallace look like an novice reporter.
Add Comment
|
NEW YORK - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, APR, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been named PR Person of the Year for 2006 by the popular PR industry trade journal Strumpette.
Hey! I'm Time Magazine's "Person of the Year"! The annual honor for 2006 went to me, “citizen of the new digital democracy,” as the magazine put it. The recognition this year was for me simply “using or creating content on the World Wide W
Tracked: Dec 17, 11:41