The public relations industry is a festival of shamelessness in which the most shameless are never shamed. We are here to change that. This is PR Dummies. The most shameful shames, every week.

Celebrity endorsements are costly. Getting Jennifer Hudson to endorse a product would cost, at minimum, tens of thousands of dollars. Instead, why not just shamelessly drop Jennifer Hudson's name all over your press release, despite the fact that you actually have nothing whatsoever to do with Jennifer Hudson? That'll work. This is one of execrable PR agency 5WPR's favorite tactics. Bolding ours:

From: [PR Dummy at 5WPR]
Date: Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 4:12 PM
Subject: Jennifer Hudson Taps Gender Selection Specialist

Dear [Reporter]-

With recent news around additions to her family, Jennifer Hudson knows exactly what she wants to add to her brood – a baby girl.

Natural Gender Selection Specialist Michal Naim has reached out to Jennifer Hudson to offer her services and make this dream of conceiving a baby girl a reality for the songstress.

Michal Naim, a leading expert in the Egg Cycle Method (ECM), launched her international consulting business in 2009 to help women naturally pre-determine the gender of their newborns. The Egg Cycle Method (ECM) is a natural method that does not rely on diet or positions during intercourse – just the woman's body cycle and the timing the cycle so that the egg receives and fertilizes an X or Y sperm.

Michal currently consults thousands of women around the globe using the ECM Method, and for qualifying candidates; she has a 90% success rate in accurately consulting women of all ages and backgrounds.

"Ms. Hudson's passion for starting a family and desire to have baby girl is exemplary of the many women I advise every day," says Michal Naim. "These women come to me looking for a natural and uncomplicated way to start a family. My grandmother practiced the Egg Cycle Method, alternating genders with each of her eight children and I, myself, successfully implemented ECM in my desire to have two boys and two girls. I am happy to help women around the globe, like Jennifer Hudson, to conceive the baby they are so excited to welcome into the world." ...

Thanks,

[Flack]

5W Public Relations | www.5wpr.com

The flack in question told us, "Jennifer Hudson is considering, but has not officially started working with her yet." Sure, sure. Just keep waiting right by that phone. Consider a different email subject line, in the meantime.

[Thanks to everyone who submitted this week. Please send your own PR Dummies nominations here.]