Lead Balloon - Public Relations, Mark...

Compelling tales from the world of public relations, marketing and branding, told by the well-meaning communications professionals who lived them.

On Lead Balloon, professional communicators share tales of the do-or-die situations that defined their creative careers—how they planned for the unexpected, how they navigated high-profile crises, and what they learned in the process.

With immersive storytelling and a wry sense of humor, host Dusty Weis revisits epic PR disasters, intense communications scenarios, professional inflection points and notable campaigns we all remember, and usually finds a reason to chuckle.

Because sometimes, there are important lessons to be learned from someone else's worst day.

And sometimes, it's just more convenient than group therapy.

Lead Balloon is an award-winning program for strategic communicators and content creators, named by Adweek as "Marketing Podcast of the Year," nominated for a Webby award and nominated for "Best Business Podcast" in the Podcast Academy awards.

Tune in monthly for new episodes. Visit podcampmedia.com/leadballoon to learn more.

Marketing
Business News
Documentary
1
52. FEMA Public Affairs Team Still Carries Scar...
A FEMA public affairs unit puts itself in harm's way after a deadly storm, and the experience leaves a lasting impact on both of our guests.
43 min
2
51. The Legend of Dukakis in a Tank: White Hous...
Exploring the most disastrous photo op in history with a staffer from Team Dukakis '88 and his Republican counterpart.
46 min
3
BONUS: Literally, the Grammar-Nerdiest Conversa...
Dusty is still *figuratively* fuming about this word's evolving definition.
15 min
4
50. Grumpy Cat, the Sound of Freedom, Watergate...
Some eye-opening updates on old episodes with two old pals who dropped in for our 50th episode.
49 min
5
49. How I Almost Got Fired in My 1st Week in PR...
As a young PR hot shot, Dusty stupidly insults his new boss. Seven years later, they revisit the faux pas.
45 min
6
48. A UAP PR Campaign: Mainstreaming the Conver...
He's not asking you to believe in little green men. But he is insisting we take this national security threat seriously.
44 min
7
47. Sliding into DMs on the Dating App Hinge, w...
Get-out-the-vote organizers mix dating with politics in an innovative, eyebrow-raising new tactic.
29 min
8
46. Why Are Wireless Emergency Alerts on Your P...
A ballistic missile false alarm in Hawaii prompts us to take a closer look at a perennially misused public safety tool.
40 min
9
45. Replaced by Chat GPT: Are Creative and Copy...
We meet one of the "first wave" of workers laid off in the A.I. revolution, and look ahead to the future of creative industries.
34 min
10
44. How a Real Life Ad Agency Inspired the Robi...
Life at Leo Burnett served as a constant source of comedic inspiration for John R. Montgomery and Rob Davis.
47 min
11
43. Brands Don't Have the Rizz: Appropriating G...
We prove conclusively, WITH SCIENCE, that brands are only hurting themselves when they co-opt youth slang.
39 min
12
BONUS: Covid is—Air Quotes—Over. What That Mean...
The Coronavirus public health emergency is over in the U.S. But that doesn't mean we're done talking about Covid.
28 min
13
42. OkCupid Stays On Target During the Covid Pa...
Social distancing could have been cataclysmic to the world of online dating, but OkCupid chose to embrace it anyway.
48 min
14
41. Deepfakes: How Communicators Must Prepare N...
In recent weeks, deepfake disinformation attacks have exploded, and experts say a new era of strategic communication tactics must arise.
46 min
15
40. In Event of Moon Disaster: The Greatest Spe...
Lost for 30 years in the Nixon archives, today it is hailed as a work of rhetorical and poetic genius.
46 min
16
39. Pernicious Copyright Robots Are Targeting Y...
This growing trend is a threat to anyone who's ever shared an image on the internet that they didn't take themselves.
44 min
17
38. The Bud Light CoRntroversy, Revisited: Mill...
A classic episode re-mastered, with new insights from the CCO of Molson Coors.
47 min
18
BONUS: Celebrating 20 Years Behind a Mic With D...
When Dusty was 17, Scott offered him a life-changing job at a radio station. 20 years later, they parse lessons about storytelling, mentorship and connecting with listeners.
24 min
19
37. Blue Angels Ride Along: Lead Balloon Become...
Dusty gets strapped into an F/A-18 Super Hornet to learn how the US Navy does media relations.
46 min
20
36. The US Navy Blue Angels: Public Affairs and...
Lead Balloon embeds with the world's most elite, "high-tempo, ready-to-rock-and-roll" public affairs and marketing team.
49 min
21
35. Post-Cold War PR Trip to Uzbekistan Boosts ...
Fundraising was a challenge in the wake of the iconic Rabin-Arafat handshake at the White House in 1993.
34 min
22
Trailer—The Lead Balloon Podcast—PR, Marketing ...
Re-creating old "war stories" with the biggest brands and the most compelling strategic communicators.
1 min
23
34. Murder in Boston Blamed on Sega's Virtua Co...
Did a shooter train for his revenge rampage by playing a hands-on arcade game? A public relations true crime investigation.
56 min
24
33. National Airlines' Saucy "Fly Me" Ad Campai...
The ads may have been cringe-y, but they led to heated protests that actually helped improve working conditions for stewardesses.
38 min
25
32. Tesla’s Elon Musk Fires the Entire Public R...
How and why Tesla's approach to communication went from unconventional to nonexistent.
50 min