Jon Carey

Robert Brown
Principles of Public Relations
September 23, 2014
R.O.P.E. Analysis

Edward Bernays: Torch of Freedom

Research: Smoking had become commonplace in U.S., with cigarette tobacco becoming
popular. At that time, women had just won the right to vote in the country. More women were
attending college and entering the workforce. Even with the new freedom, women were only
permitted to smoke in the privacy of their own homes. Public opinion and certain legislation did
not permit women to smoke in public.
Objective: George Washington Hill recognized that women were an important market
that was not tapped into. Hill believed tobacco cigarettes would soar if he enticed more women
to smoke in public.
Programs: Edward Bernays consulted psychoanalyst Dr. A.A. Brill to find the
psychological basis for women smoking tobacco. In his studies, Dr. Brill determined that
cigarettes equated with men and those cigarettes represented torches of freedom for women.
Smoking cigarettes made women felt liberated in a male-oppressive world.
Evaluation: Bernays event caused a national stir, with stories appearing in newspapers
throughout the country. His efforts had a lasting effect on women smoking. Tobacco sales
skyrocketed when George Washington Hill tapped into the female demographic.

Ivy Lee: American Red Cross

Research: Red Cross was unable to cope with demands of World War I and the company
was taken over by New York bankers. The Wall Street project used the Red Cross Mission as the
operational vehicle. In retrospect, the American Red Cross depended heavily on Wall Street
during World War I.
Objective: The American Red Cross needed financial support to keep up with the
demands from soldiers fighting in World War I. With that, American Red Cross needed to turn
towards Wall Street for raising funds. In exchange for funding, Wall Street asked for the Red
Cross War Council. American Red Cross took on the appearance of the New York Directory of
Directors. Many wealthy figures provided donations, including Ivy Lee.
Programs: A number of figures from Wall Street made generous donations towards
American Red Cross to help out with World War I. One of these famous men was George
Washington Hill, president of the American Tobacco Company. Public Relations expert Ivy Lee
contributed millions of dollars towards the Red Cross Council.
Evaluation: Ivy Lee helped raise $400 million in contributions during World War I. As
well as his hefty donation, Lee recruited millions of volunteers and established the Red Cross as
the place to turn to in a time of a natural disaster. Lees work for American Red Cross broadened
the companys fame as the place Americans turn to for disaster relief.

Mullen: Selling Breaking Bad House on Century 21

Research: People rarely purchase a new home in the 21st century. The consumers have
limited interactions with realty brands when it comes to purchasing a new home. Century 21
needed a new approach to reach out towards its target audience
Objective: Century 21 worked with Mullen to get people talking about the realty brand.
In this day and age, Century 21 needed a niche to divide itself from various realty brands in the
country.
Programs: Mullen utilized the series finale of Breaking Bad to tie in with Century 21s
brand. On the internet, Mullen created a Craigslist for sale post for Walter Whites home on
Breaking Bad. For the ad, Mullen prepped the description with subtle, insider plot details and a
working phone number that connected interested parties with an outgoing message from Century
21.
Evaluation: People took notice of the property within 24 hours. Coverage of the property
appeared in GQ, Huffington Post, AdAge, Daily Mail, and Creativity Online. A description from
Adweek acknowledged the effort as, The only worthy tie-in to the Breaking Bad finale.

Work Cited

http://www.prmuseum.com/bernays/bernays_1929.html
http://reformedtheology.org/html/books/bolshevik_revolution/chapter_05.htm

http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/readings/3eras2x.html
http://www.mullen.com/work/century-21-breaking-bad/