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[agathaeliot5]

PR v Media

So Destry is beginning to openly market her film and to my mind doing a great job, (but she has a great teacher).

However it started before this week.

The ‘accidental’ drop about winter filming in the south of the US some time back sets up curiosity and pins the idea amongst Luke’s fans.

The CDAN creates some gossip & whispers about the project. Chemistry between 2 possible leads, interest is sparked.

The slow cast reveal creates some tension. Luke still has some loyal followers that start asking for confirmation. A hum could be building to a buzz.

Filming is announced, not relevant as to when it really started. Other photos drop, but where’s Luke?! Fans of both Maddie & Luke are curious and then bam, the photo drops & it hopefully gets the engagement, focus and excitement to drive the finance and get the project over the finish line with more reveals I’m sure between now and opening night. This is PR.

Luke however has a career beyond this project & although maybe wiling to do what is needed to assist with the PR, he also needs to balance this with his ongoing media narrative being built around his personal life; separate from this current project that he can return to, if he so chooses, to create the barrier between himself and getting overwhelmed and consumed by the PR of the latest moment.

One could argue that he has recently been doing some PR for Cyprus, as its biggest industry (tourism) has been impacted by current affairs. But it has also supported the media narrative about his front of house life.

He also needs that separation so that he can return to Bridgerton and be Conlin …. Coughlan, no Colin and back to Penelope/Nic.

So this brilliantly demonstrates the difference between PR for a project, and media narratives for a celebrity. None of it reveals what may truly be going on, or negates our theories. It just smooths it over for the time being.

[agathaeliot5]

Crazy Confusion

Was asked the question, why has Nicola contradicted her self about being her own person & not an extension of a man/partner? Here is my reply.

Obviously I’m not Nicola so I can not be entirely sure of any of her motives. But Nicola does seem to have a personality where she doubles down on an issue, almost as if the force of her will can make you believe the narrative she wants to put out. It must be frustrating if you feel you keep having to double down and in so doing contradictions can occur. This is what she wants you to believe but a lot of her audience turn around and say we don’t believe you. However the contradictions don’t help us see Nic in an authentic way.

Possible other reasons for that could be twofold. I think Nic has recently not been consistent with her narrative on many occasions. This maybe because she is seen to be too involved with causes and limiting her reach in the US 🤷‍♀️ Or her and her team have been working on her socials with an approach that her audience response in a Gen Z kinda of way. This is an over simplification but not so questioning about narratives that change and not appreciating that Nic’s audience from Bridge doesn’t react that way.

Secondly what I find surprising from a media perspective is if Nic and Luke wanted to pursue these other relationships/narratives why did they not take their fans with them. So if a genuine error immediately after papgate I would have advised Luke to introduce Antonia as a member of his team. Create a role. Approx month and a bit later have an interview with a magazine like Grazia about working in that role with Luke’s team. Discussed some of his upcoming events, revealed somethings about herself so that the fans/audience could see her as a complete rounded person and possibly some good points. This would have taken the pressure away from her proximity. Then further down the line explained how N&L’s diary pulled them apart and Luke had found happiness with the person who was an essential part of his team. The fans would have been disappointed but probably most would have just been pleased for him, then have a similar but different narrative for Jake. Then got them at an event as a 4, all good friends, and then they could go on their way the fact that none of this was attempted is a mystery to me if real and would have protected the people they claim to love from this wall of hostility.

However here we are, so it’s no wonder people just don’t believe a word they say. It’s all too little too late if genuine. Which then brings us back to believing it’s not genuine at all. I’m in the camp of believing Nic has had a baby. It’s not secret because she didn’t hide it, but it’s private. But women who have had children know what a pregnant woman looks like so her denial falls flat. Again making her seem the opposite of authentic.

Both Luke & Nic have really lost control of their narratives and are losing support. Not saying they can’t bring it back but it’s quite a fall from the huge level of support and acceptance they seem to have squandered.

Hope this goes some way to answering your ?, even if not definitive.

[agathaeliot5]

PR Puzzles & Media Mischief

Inspired by Sassy.

PR is just selling something and then protecting the product/person during promotion. Lasting a few months or years depending on the campaign. With L&N the Bridge years & WT were PR, but also combined with personal media narratives that created illusion so they could seem relevant, get engagement and therefore be at the forefront of the industry and get the jobs that push the engagement & keep the relevance. This blurring of PR and media makes it seem more organic once the PR is over but engagement needs to be maintained.

So as a simple sum, and remembering that nuances exist and not all celebs want to be involved in this type of promotion ie Luke Thompson, here are 3 basic levels: bottom rung reality star, attend as many events as you can and start creating narratives that grab sm attention, either real or imagined trying to get to the middle phase of celebrity & work. Nic post season 3, was very mid level, put herself out there to maximise engagement with professional promo of projects, awards, speech’s, brand endorsement, combined with personal narratives that involved songs, sweet treats, and reflections in spoons. Just enough ambiguity to keep her media churning. So Nic used personal messaging all the time; so her Dish request for privacy was disingenuous at best. Or not her real personal life at all. Stories are created to get eyeballs & one of the easiest ways is to manufacture relationships that cause possible drama to keep your name out there.

A list celebs & the industry then comes to you with projects and if uber fame is achieved you then see stars retreat behind their high walls attempting to keep press at a distance & nurture mystery. Aka Tom & Zendaya. Which keep the press hungry.

Our two engaged in Bridge PR to promote a project along side media promoting themselves with personal media narratives together & a part. PR & media clash when the project and the individual want different things. So it’s possible Shonda may want to continue with Polin/Lukola PR to sell Bridge. L&N don’t want that, either to hide a real relationship, why would you want to use something real & personal to create spectacle, & poss why retreating behind other created narratives like Nic wanting to push Jake & herself as a ‘potential power couple’ in the business. While Luke seems to want to retreat & cut ribbons at supermarket openings. 😁🫪 Not saying real, just the perception they want to push.

At the moment N&J think they are mutually beneficial for one another. She gives him the contacts and the celeb glow of her rise. He gives her the cover for whatever is going on behind the scenes. However this only works if the public buy into it and fans support it. Not something Nic and her team seem to have factored into their strategy very well; which makes it look both comical, arrogant and unlikeable. Nic’s image as a 40 something, trying too hard to appear like a 20 something is not popular and she is losing some of the hard won engagement that she has worked so tirelessly for these last few years. Her last 3 projects have had muted success. If Jake’s projects go on to do the same, not wishing that on him, then the whole presentation will be reviewed.

Luke seems to have opted for silence hoping that his next project would do the talking for him. As there hasn’t been one he is mute trying to latterly sell a ‘real’ relationship with organic clips in the wild. All transparently performative and irritating and losing followers and engagement by the ton.

All of this while Bridge has opted to defy its fans with a storyline change that is also not popular & having compromised itself with endorsement of narratives that are now being presented as a lie. Bridge has lots it’s lightness, it’s trust with its audience and will struggle for buzz next season unless some PR whizz can help. However that ship may have sailed.

Getting PR/media right can bring great reward, getting it wrong can lead to career show cancellation. Tough business.

[agathaeliot5]

Post by @bnb4545 · 1 image

💬 31  🔁 0  ❤️ 85 · If it's real, he's a fool. If it's fake, he's an idiot. (Nicola and JD too, but they didn't piss me off today 😆😆😆

Adjacent antagonism

For those that come here to bait many of the Lukola’s with their moral certainty this clip sums up why we will never like Antonia. She turns up to a professional event that has very little to do with her and clearly out of spite, jealousy & immaturity clearly tries to upset Nic & her sister. While Nic is dealing with the pressure of leading the team at the first Season 3 prem & helping Luke to worldwide fame. Nic’s face says it all. This is just a brief clip of her terrible reported behaviour that evening. Witnessed by many others who were there & probably why Luke looked so anxious before Nic turned up when standing next to JB, and why Shonda had to ask if Luke is alright, because he clearly wasn’t after being embarrassed infront of his peers by her. If this is the kind of person you wish sweet, kind, empathetic Luke to be with then you have terrible judgement and I would be concerned for your own choices. So if anyone asks Lukolas just send them this.

Jake at least has some talent. However he seems to suggest he is uncertain of his identity. Sometimes seems rather immature, arrogant and very young. The age & power imbalance in this supposed connection does personally give me the ick. I would not wish my 25/6 year old in my family to be dating someone with this age disparity and I’m bored of women going on about toxic masculinity while mirroring some of the behaviours.

Neither of these two young people add any value to our couple. It just makes them seem rather less. Because if they are with these two, (which I’m not saying they are) they were with them before the world tour and that makes both N&L’s world tour just a performance for money & professional advancement. Then we have no idea who these shallow human beings are and why they waited an entire year to be the authentic people they claimed to be, trying to get industry awards etc.

As for Bridgeton with Jack, Ryan et al pushing the idea of them as a couple it tarnishes the whole show. However if it doesn’t command the same attention they will say it will be down to the audience being bias against the changed storyline rather than being accountable for their own actions. So for me the romance with that show is over. For they don’t really seem to like or understand the broad demographic who watch. In fact are rather dismissive if they think it’s ok to play such manipulative abusive games with their fans, who in reality just wanted two people to be well & be happy whatever their truth was/is.

So we believe in better things, and hope for better people.

[agathaeliot5]

Yet another fantastic move from Nicola to compound all her fantastic moves this year. At the height of her popularity 😉 she posts this!! How amusing.

Just to qualify why I think this is a PR error. Nicola is associating & inserting herself into a product that is not hers. So depending on your view of Nicola it could enhance or taint the project. Whatever you may feel about her, or her and Jake (good or bad) transfers to this project. It also diminishes Jake to her nepo baby again, as if he can’t stand on his own two feet, or the project, without Nicola holding his/its hand. It comes over as presumptuous that her endorsement will help in anyway. I can’t see this poster on Netflix’s account and she may have jumped the gun before the official launch (but my searching was brief) Either way Nicola has made herself the subject of this project and not Jake. So if successful Nicola can benefi & take some of the shine, if a flop they will never know if her sanctioning helped or hindered. What a liability. I hope Jake is grateful.

Insulting your audience intelligence is never wise. Either lying then or now isn’t either. Lucky 13, not in my case, don’t think I’ll be watching.

[agathaeliot5]

My response to a good piece on PR but with my take.

Good post and agree with a lot of the points. First distinction I would want to make PR is used to sell a product or someone connected to a product. Media is curating an ongoing story for an individual to establish relevance and engagement in an attempt to be known, while actually retaining some privacy. These are two slightly different things and can clash. So with this in mind, & as someone who was in the media business and is still connected to many within, I see it with a slightly different slant.

Nicola has stepped back from her social media. It could seem that way if just looking at her IG but she has let people within her circle post a highly curated version of her private life. She can proclaim on Dish that she wants to keep things private, but gives permission for others to place her in venues & events. We know this is curated because when things got bumpy it immediately stopped. Luke now seems to be adopting a very similar approach.

I’m certain CAA have put her up for meetings & auditions but they just haven’t turned into offers.

Nicola definitely did make some brilliant moves on some substantial issues but has seemed to burn most of that down with quite a few contradictions: whether that be not letting a boyfriend define you, to finding positive female body representation boring, to going to an event promoting a company heavily linked to a country she berated others for not speaking out against. Not the greatest of strategies for someone with a brilliant media mind.

SAGs was way more than just courteous, because the media people around them would not have reacted the way they did & was not courteous of Luke if his gf was back at the hotel. Who made that decision. Nic, Luke, Shonda. Because someone made the decision to leave Antonia behind if there.

Everyone who works in the industry signs contracts. Everyone on the set & everyone in a celebrities social life will sign NDA’s It is a known thing.

If in PR and media you know that what people see of you is what they will think of you and if you don’t correct nature fills in the vacuum. Jake has put out articles that he has had difficulties in coming to terms with his sexuality and how his father felt uncomfortable. He only appears to have gay male friends, he puts out a lot of gay iconography and music. So is it unreasonable for people to assume he is and that his connection to Nic was a surprise, and why did his colleagues on WIFLTBAG call him a liar on the red carpet. PR/media relationships do happen so not totally crazy to believe they could be in one and Nic has done this before.

IMO what has happened is an absence of strategy. Being totally ill prepared for post their world tour and did not address papgate swiftly and clearly, whatever the message may have been and allowed Bridgerton etc to promote the show through a persistent Lukola lens & encouraging the supporters of the show to push the idea that N& L were an item. So Jack and other members of the crew now seem to be liars. Nic also gave permission for her fans to ship them & then called them parasocial for doing so. So what could have caused such confusion, or what person.

If any of this had been better managed they wouldn’t be where they are now with Nic BM2 getting very few eyes and Luke attacked on all sides.

[agathaeliot5]

What is that!!! If you are trying to weave a narrative make it make sense. Or at least not strange. Just a padded bra of piffle!!

[agathaeliot5]

Confirmation, if confirmation needed

Interesting that the girls names were left out.

[agathaeliot5]

The 3 Headed Monster

After a long day in London, reclining on my sofa with a beer, staring at the TV wistfully wondering where the football had gone, my mind wandered to our favourite couple after the incredulous events of the day and thought, why is this happening?! This is the best I could come up with and you can decide whether it holds water.

As you know after their WT Luke & Nic where at the centre of a media storm that upset some around them with expectations So after a year of intense scrutiny it was decided that 2 narratives would be created to deflect and appease. This I expect was supposed to calm things down. It did not! Instead their supporters fractured and started sniping at each other and instead of calm the two other narratives of Jakola and Lutonia became just as large and unwieldy as Lukola. Attacking each other, at risk of consuming each other and killing all their popularity and have just recently realised it could/has impacted their careers.

So what do their media teams do now? Try to deflate the heads that they created. A sudden reveal could cause more damage, so maybe discrediting the sideshows, diluting the narratives and let the steam simmer down around Jake & Ant.

How do they achieve this? They allow stories to circulate that Nic is Jake’s beard and Luke is looking elsewhere. This creates a platform to disentangle your celeb from the adjacent with the least possible impact. Creating a clearer platform for Luke & Nic to move on.

Maybe.

[agathaeliot5]

Cat among the Pigeons 🐈🐦

Just a reminder of my earlier post ‘Sad News’, C-DAN reports insider industry gossip when it comes from more than one source. Some will be more accurate than others and facts open to interpretation. Don’t let this story rattle you too much. We wait and see.

Also just imagine what it is like to be Lutonia this evening. Silver lining if you ask me.

[agathaeliot5]

Sad news

The breakdown of a marriage is always very sad and one hopes both have time to heal as they move on with their lives.

The only reason I bring this up is this has been a story revealed by C-DAN for sometime and confirmation was triggered when only one of them turned up to a large celebrity wedding. No idea whether C-DAN got all the detail right but the argument that it just spouts rubbish is not correct; it reports on internal industry gossip from more than one source. Gossip by its nature is not always correct, but in this case it clearly had good sources.

[agathaeliot5]

And they’re off!

Nature abhors a vacuum, so those that are getting twitchy need some displacement activity. So to make themselves feel better they try and pick on what they perceive to be the weaker kid. Let’s go see if we can make Lukola spiral. Classic bullying behaviour of the playground variety.

Of course what they are saying could be true, but as it stands today, this minute, there is nothing to support these claims, and if there were why have they taken so long to reveal them!

I must confess to not having read any of it. A friend has given me the gist & suggested a rewatch of Luke’s People interview which I think may counter some of them.

It was also brought to my attention that a certain. dancing lady and her cousin were on sm most of the day. Don’t ask me when, I don’t follow anything she does. Just passing on the info, and it could just be a huge coincidence.

[agathaeliot5]

Congratulations & Commiserations

Shame none of the Bridgerton cast or Nicola from Big Mood got nominated for an Emmy. Plenty more projects ahead for them.

But I would like to congratulate Riz for his nomination and someone very close to my heart who worked on the project. So pleased.

[agathaeliot5]

Rinse and Repeat

As it’s quiet there seems to be this noise coming from the sideline of our group that is in a bit of a twitter, involving museums, polaroids and defending Luke or some such. It’s like many in this side group are spiralling over blinds, photos being upside down and photos of erotic art and that Jake’s friends have gone missing. Although I’m sure they will return. This group is rather amusing and slightly irritating. They seem to want to put these events at our door when all we are doing is observing them. They are adamant that Jake & Nic are loves young/old dream & they are on a unique journey. But it’s not unique.

This scenario has happened before. Nicola’s bid to get media attention and profile at the time of Derry Girls, an astute thing to do at the beginning of a career, was to suggest a possible relationship with a colleague Laurie Kynaston. Prevents press prying into reality, while still maintaining visibility.

There were many suggestions made to imply these two were starting/in a relationship. I believe even Camilla posted that they should do something about their connection. Or words to that effect. But it was all pantomime for attention and engagement while Nic was seeing a guy with yucky sheets, or some such. Person still unknown. Laurie is now in a committed relationship with his boyfriend. So Nic has previous on this kind of behaviour. It’s her MO to create a front of house, while her real life carries on behind. Even if the idea is reused to fulfil a contract. So our belief that Jake is not real is not just founded on what we see, but on past history.

So with this in mind, & being aware of today’s activity, they know pieces of jewellery catch our attention, because of the reaction to the ring from Galway. A necklace with a letter on it could be about anything and anyone. A pet name, her sister, his sister. Her great grandmother. It’s just before a job, so she wants attention and engagement to seem important. It’s just embarrassingly performative at this point. Just like a Poloroid on the back of a phone when a photo as wallpaper would do the job.

So we keep calm and carry on

[agathaeliot5]

Pickle Proliferation

Woken up today quite puzzled over the direction of Nic’s media push this year. Why all these contradictions and possible own goals?

We’ve had the small inconsistencies about food, ie love pasta/don’t love pasta, and very knowledgable about her star sign but not really into star signs.

Had the slightly larger discrepancy of I don’t want to discuss my relationship on Dish, but chucked it about in The Guardian and allows her ‘bf’ to post endless proximity photos. So a small reference to Jake’s favourite condiment would hardly compromised herself if real.

Then we slip into the total paradox of her bigger themes and her advocacy. Her not wanting to be defined my a man had already dissolved in Cannes. Her body positive standing only to be disavowed as boring. Championing the LGBTQ+ community, then allegedly being a beard for one of the community, backed up by a cast member calling the young man a liar on the red carpet. Unless my information is wrong, this week, despite her strong support for Palastine, ends up on a promotional table of a company with strong ties to the current government of Palastine’s adversary. Maybe her new brand manager jumped at some distraction and did not do enough research, because if true, it’s an odd choice.

Now the upside down Polaroid!! Who is looking after lovely Nicola, because the more contradictions the harder it is to see her, despite the fact we know she’s there.

[agathaeliot5]

Interesting, yesterday the anon submissions said it couldn’t possibly be him. Today it’s all on us. 😂. So amusing.

Also I don’t think C-DAN just posts anon statements. They tend to have some substance. And really all this blind says is what is patently obvious. He has been hidden, and in the last weeks he has not. There’s an implication in the post that this is by design. But no suggestion as to what end, so why all the panic!!! They really do need to calm down

[ptej1980]

Yep….

Now CDAN is just going to follow it up with more….

[agathaeliot5]

So this is one confirmation. Let’s wait for CDAN to confirm likewise.