Self-promotion is an art; it’s a challenge; and it’s a gamble. Often times it ends up coming across as pure propaganda, blatant flatulence. And then sometimes it shakes things up, making a splash, doing just what its meant to do.

Headhunter Guy Tucker of Ask Guy Tucker shook things up in North Carolina with a promotion that got heads shaking and earned a One Show ribbon. Concepted by Bouvier Kelly out of Greensboro, NC, the “letter” promotion announced Tucker’s speaking engagement for the Piedmont Triad Ad Club. Tucker was scheduled to speak to the local ad club on “How to Get a Job When There Aren’t Any.”

The concept included the heads of three of the most nationally renowned agencies. Letters were sent to over 600 people with the signatures of either David Lubars of Fallon, Mike Hughes of the Martin Agency, or Cliff Freeman, Cliff Freeman & Partners. Each letter began with a safely worded rejection, then announced the speaking engagement by suggesting if the individual had gone to see Guy Tucker they might have been more successful in securing a job.

Reaction to the letters was intense, mostly applauding the ‘under the radar ’ tactics. However, Mark Brown with Bouvier Kelly said, “a few people thought the letter was real and either took offense that they were being told they weren’t qualified, or became really concerned that they would be fired if, somehow, their boss thought they had been applying for another job. ” That’s the goal, isn’t it? Make an association meeting something to talk about…