By Tom Madden

Publicists have long put a human face on a story. Hollywood celebrities promote causes. Victims flee hurricanes. President Roosevelt once dispatched photographers to take compelling pictures of victims of the dust bowl of the 1930's to evoke sympathy for them.

Today, publicists need to think also about familiar inanimate objects that can drive home the point of story. To dramatize the secret ingredients in Krispy Kreme donuts, TransMedia Group had them arrive at a store opening in an armored truck from which an executive alighted handcuffed to a top-secret briefcase. The stunt had TV crews ecstatic. For picking the best props for photo ops, stick to familiar inanimate objects. All Americans are ruefully familiar with a gas pump nozzle. But in another sense, could it not represent a "smoking gun" that ties an oil cartel to the current financial crisis? You Betcha!



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