• by The Riff , January 16, 2007

GRABBING THEM BY THE SHORT AND CURLIES -- Attention PR sure knows how to get some. And we mean that in the most literal of ways. At a time when Madison Avenue is struggling to combat media clutter and find more sophisticated ways of breaking through and engaging consumers, the spunky PR shop has come up with one of the most unique approaches we've heard yet - one that combines two attention-getting devices: celebrities and pubic hair.

To help not-for-profit group ActionAid in its battle against world poverty and hunger, Attention PR has teamed with Stockholm-based Web shop Illianced.com to launch PubesAid.com, a site and viral campaign inviting consumers to - we kid you not - buy the pubic hairs of celebrities.

"If information is everywhere, we must create more original, compelling content to grab valuable consumer attention," Attention PR Founder Curtis Hougland says of the pubelicity stunt.

Hougland concedes that reactions to the campaign have ranged from "clever to vulgar," which is not surprising given the inherent paradox in the PubeAid marketing strategy.

"At the heart of the campaign," he explains, "is the stark contrast between Western celebrity obsessed consumerism and human suffering around the world."

As it turns out, the stunt was just that. A click to the site reveals that celebrity follicles remain intact, and that PubesAid was merely a rouse - a viral tactic - to generate attention for a good cause. And if they've gotten your attention you can click here to make a donation. They're taking cash, by the way.