PR Charity Aids Needy Fashionistas, Gossip Girl Mom
You know how PR agencies are—always looking for a way to do some selfless charity work. So international PR machine Porter Novelli came up with a great idea: round up a bunch of its young staffers and offer their inexperienced services free to those who need it most: fashion companies, models, and Penn Badgley's mom. Paying it forward is what it's all about! The little "pop up agency" within PN is called "Jack and Bill," and it displays its digital new media online internet publicity chops with a microsite, Facebook page, and a Flickr page! Needy (heh) fashion clients had to audition to win the services of the eight young 20-something staffers. They graciously picked a lawyer-turned-stylist, an apparel company, a model, and this dynamic duo:
One fashion item, jewelry, is represented twice: by Dannijo, a line created by two sisters, Danielle and Jodie Snyder, and by Badgley Sneed Designs, a collection from two long-time friends, Lynne Badgley and Jan Sneed. If the name Badgley rings a bell, it is because Lynne's son, Penn, is an actor with a lead role in "Gossip Girl," the buzzed-about series on the CW network. (Ms. Sneed is his godmother.)
Otherwise the TV star mom and her partner—who is the executive VP of corporate communications at a media agency—would have been forced to choose between paid PR representation and a shopping spree at Barneys every month. And that's not something anyone in America should be forced to do. Charity in action! [NYT] [Also, one of the Jack and Bill staffers says her "Style Inspiration" is "Denizens of third world countries." Ironically?]