Bye bye, Cafe Royal

The Golden Geese shed tears on Sunday 21st December when we visited our members’ club client Chinawhite for the last time. We’ve not all been barred or anything – but we’ve had to bid our farewells because as we type, the site is being demolished to make room for a new six star hotel. So, no more Paper, no more Grill-Room and for the time being, Chinawhite will close until the new venue is ready in Summer 2009.

We’ve got so many happy memories of all the clubs inside the Café Royal building. The hedonistic halcyon day parties thrown by David Piper in the Grill Room, the spectacular launch of Paper, Helena Christiensen’s star studded birthday party, the macabre Chinawhite Magic shows, Keira Knightley’s 21st …all have been wondrous occasions that we’ll never forget. We’d write a book about our adventures at 68 Regent Street, but then we’d all have to leave the country and change our names. So, here are just a glimpse of our favourite moments over the past five years:

Laura: “Being in the thick of it when the crowd went mad at the Chinawhite MOJO party in 2006. The Alabama 3 played live and Larry Love was amazing. He sang Johnny Cash songs, I was dancing with Shane McGowan, MC QC Ian Glen, QC Mike Mansfield AKA ‘the Champagne Socialist’ and members of the Guildford 4 and the Birmingham 6. I’ve never known an atmosphere like it.”
Felicity: “Bumping in to Jude Law three times over the course of one evening at Chinawhite at the Peace One Day party in 2008. We were on proper ‘hello’ terms. It was almost as exciting as meeting Boris Johnson on High Street Kensington!”
Laura Lou: “Watching Bonnie Tyler sing ‘I need a hero’ live at Chinawhite at David Gest’s All Star Souls party in 2006, she’s a real hero of mine herself. Our Fujifilm Finepix launch at the Grill-Room in 2007 was a really special moment too. Seeing Patrick Wolf performing live with his Ukulele after months of to-ing and fro-ing with contract issues and small print was really amazing, as everything just came together.”
Remy: “I’m a beauty buff so for me, it was meeting Nadine Baggot, beauty editor of Hello Magazine, at the Chinawhite Pamper Party in 2008. We swapped cards and stayed in touch. Nadine attended a beauty day at Selfridges and I got a photo of the two of us together which is on my desk next to my other favourite picture (of Zac Efron).”
Miki: “Dressing up as a giant rabbit for the first ever Chinawhite Magic Show. Forget Issa and Temperley, this was the best outfit I’ve ever worn! I think Laura Topham very much enjoyed being my rabbit companion too. The dinner parties in the Mao Rooms were brilliant as well...and I loved it every time we had a celebrity secretly stashed in the corner when no one else in the club had a clue..like Prince and Janet Jackson."
Emily: “I went to Chinawhite after my 6th form Prom, I was 18! I snogged a Russian boy called Vlad the Slav.”
John: “My best memory of Chinawhite is a simple one, having an endless supply of amazing cocktails delivered to my table - oh and eating delicious Mimi’s Bakery cupcakes that the team devoured in a secret little boudoir-esque nook at Charlotte Ward's book launch for ‘Why Am I Always The One Before The One'"
Katie: “Dressing up as the Green Absinth Fairy for Chinawhite’s Halloween magic show. Meeting Caprice and introducing her to Sebor absinth sour cocktails was fun. I’m not sure how keen she really was on them but she was very polite and drank one anyway!”
Cleo: “Tough choice - Right my unofficial top moment had to be when Tom Curtis knocked out a light in Chinawhite whilst getting too into air guitar at a Rick Parfitt Jnr gig. We were all jumping on the tables and chairs in a scene reminiscent of an early Black Sabbath concert, with lychee cocktails rather than beer! As for the official top moment, it had to be Halloween in Chinawhite 2006 - it was such an amazing atmosphere - one that could only happen in an establishment where the crowd knew how to let their hair (and rabbit ears) down and just have a bloody good time. Oh and from the PR buzz point of view - Keira Knightley having her 21st in the Grill Room was a pretty good one too!”

Santa's Little Helper

Product placing a Christmas stocking stuffed with adult toys courtesy of Kinky Play isn’t the easiest of tasks – especially with only a month to do it in. Passion, persuasion and bribery were put in to overdrive as account manager Laura Lou rallied her team to approach every single shopping and online retail contact we knew. Many told us there was no room at the inn, but we finally cracked it with politicsandthecity, talkSport, the Daily Sport, Scarlet Magazine, Refresh Lite and Metro. Our joyful clients at Kinky Play told us that on the day that the Metro piece ran, their site picked up 65,000 hits with over 100 sales and rising...

A Bit of Good Clean Fun....

Golden Goose PR has been lucky enough to generate a vast amount of coverage for our clients this year, but perhaps our favourite ever piece is from Kate Walsh’s Prufrock, just before Glastonbury 08. We had the bright idea to approach Comet to suggest that we bring the brand to the festival. Our plan was to create a mobile ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ – with only very subtle Comet branding, natch. Oh, and we’d have SWAT teams (err…ourselves) racing out to rescue mud-soaked victims and clean them up all nice and pretty. We'd use low temperature washes, environmentally friendly detergents and educate the great unwashed in the ways of eco-friendly, good clean living. OK, so it was slightly an excuse to get the whole team knee deep in mud whilst we pranced around to Neil Diamond and The Ting Tings. But anyway, Comet loved it. And so did Hugh Robertson and the lovely people at RPM, the ultimate experiential marketing agency that specialises in marrying brands with festivals. We had some inspired meetings, plans were hatched – but Michael Eavis probably quite rightly put his foot down. It’s all ever so slightly about the dirt, after all. We still went to Glastonbury, but on a jolly, rather than a mission. But we did happen to mention our little idea to the Sunday Times… anyway…it’s a great plan that couldn’t happen this year..but that’s not to say there’s not another way…festival planners for 2009 take note…

Supporting Samsung with the inaugural Pink Ribbon Party at the Park Lane Hotel

At any one time, the Golden Goose PR office is buzzing with charity activity. Over the years we’ve supported Breast Cancer Haven, MediCinema and global ceasefire initiative, Peace One Day. Then in November, we were approached by GSP and Samsung to publicise the first ever Samsung Pink Ribbon Party, a gala dinner for 17 global breast cancer charities including Susan G. Komen For The Cure and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

The party took place at the Park Lane Hilton. GSP rolled out the pink carpet and GGPR drummed up a sparkling guest list. Our star studded cast for the evening included Jerry Hall, Jasmine Guinness, Jade Parfitt, Camilla Rutherford and many more remarkable women – all of whom took the time to chat to digital entertainment megasite, t5m; whom we introduced to Samsung to record and syndicate footage all over the world. With two tables of press guests including Grazia, Woman Magazine, heat, Closer, OK!, the Mail on Sunday, the Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday Times, we had the best ever audience to witness the highlight of the evening: a presentation of a $3m cheque from Samsung to help fight breast cancer. Live performances from Beverley Knight and Kelly Rowland got everyone on the dancefloor…in fact, the lovely George Starck from Woman Magazine was singled out by Ms Rowland and invited on to the stage for a smooch and a serenade.

Working through the night with t5m, we were able to transcribe interviews and place quotes in the diary and showbiz pages of The Express, thelondonpaper, the Mail on Sunday and OK! Magazine before 8am the next day. We syndicated photos taken by the wonderful JAB Promotions over the course of the week. The style press picked up on the stunning jewellery worn by Kelly Rowland, Amanda Donohoe and Camilla Rutherford - and this of course was lent by our jewellery client, Robinson Pelham. This was a really rewarding, happy and wonderful project to have been involved with.

Brief Encounter: The story of David Gandy, the Cartier Polo and the Perfect Pants

Not everyone arrives at the Cartier Polo carrying a pair of white underpants, but that is exactly what our gander, Remy Le Fevre, was tasked to do on the morning of 27th July.

Waddling valiantly across the rolling green fields of Windsor Great Park, tailored to perfection and positively glowing in the blazing sun, Mssr Le Fevre had one mission: to ask the perfect being known as David Gandy to sign a pair of his Dolce & Gabbana smalls.

There was a motive behind this extraordinary challenge: the autographed undergarments would assist GGPR with a spot of fundraising and publicity for global ceasefire initiative, Peace One Day. Remy’s keen eyes scanned the horizon, looking for the perfect torso that was last spotted on a boat in the middle of the ocean wearing nothing but a similar pair of white Dolce & Gabbanas...

Resplendent in the beautiful surroundings of Chinawhite Rock The Polo, the mighty specimen that is known across the world as David Gandy swept into Remy’s midst, surrounded by other god-like creatures, all of whom belonged to the genetically blessed family that goes by the name ‘Select Models’. Remy approached David Gandy...and showed him his pants. The Gander’s breathless, parted lips whispered the words, “Mr Gandy, would you do us the honour of emblazoning your symbol on these smalls”. To which Mr Gandy replied, “Of course! Anything for Golden Goose PR.” Aaahh!

And so it came to pass that the ultimate object of cotton desire was created – a pair of white Dolce and Gabbana undies, signed by the beautiful David Gandy himself. Remy returned to base exhilarated ....and more than a little excited, to say the least.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN V.I.P....

If you think that Remy was the only Goose having adventures at the polo, then think again. Back at the ranch, (or rather, the splendid, breathtaking superstructure that was the Chinawhite Rock The Polo marquee, created by genius events agency GSP) Laura Lou and Felicity were sticking 29 candles on to Sam Young’s birthday cake. Sure enough, our favourite London DJ was about to get another year older and we planned to surprise him with a birthday cake created by Mimi’s Bakery and presented by Mark Ronson as the pair swapped sets. At 7.55, the countdown began: David Benett and Richard Young jumped on to a platform positioned by the DJ booth to get the best pictures and Flick and Laura Lou went and tapped Mark Ronson on the bum (they were meant to touch his shoulder. Mark, we apologise – but you didn’t complain at the time!), handed him the cake and we were off...

Sam seemed genuinely surprised and delighted – and the pictures went all over the UK media. The Sun, Closer Magazine, Reveal, Star and even Grazia used the photos. We even shared our cake with Kelly Brook, we just wish she’d eaten more than we did!

Boris Becker spends an early Christmas with The Geese

The turrets of Golden Goose PR echo with the shrills of festive music from as early as July, when we plan client activity for December 2008 and January 2009. This year, we seized upon an opportunity to publicise a number of brands and services at once, by creating a pre-Christmas Christmas party in the opulent surroundings of an £8m flat in Chelsea. The luxury residence was created by our award winning property development and interior design client, mdesign – which has since picked up ‘World’s Leading Apartment’, ‘Best UK’ and ‘Best London’ Apartment in the UK Property Awards and the International Property Awards, as sponsored by CNBC.

On a fine end-of-summer’s morning, we decked the halls with boughs of holly, rigged our tree and filled the apartment with seasonal gifts that could inspire the nation’s luxury, style and consumer press to pack their Gift Guides with our clients’ wares. Flashing Fujifilm digital cameras and printers took pride of place in the living room, with Robinson Pelham jewellery in the master bedroom. Pineapple Dancewear was draped on to mannequins and cocktails made with Effen vodka were served to guests by the Foxyshots girls. Our luxury water client got a look in too; all the non-drinkers were spoiled for choice with options of ganic luxury aroma water in ginger (Naomi Campbell’s favourite), festive cranberry and caramel.

As our guests stared in awe at the stunning interior that was created by mdesign, our jaws dropped open when Boris Becker walked in. Yes, only weeks after Felicity met one Boris (Johnson) on High Street Kensington, here was our 2nd favourite Boris, the Ginger King Of Tennis, walking in to our party. Not only did Boris B have a good look around, considering the apartment for a potential future purchase, but he left with a Golden Goose Goody Bag, crammed with Soap & Glory and Pineapple products and a Stella McCartney fragranced candle.

All in all, it was a great turn-out, with attendees including the FT How To Spend It, Sunday Times Style, Grazia, Stella, The Telegraph, The Times, The Mail on Sunday, The Independent, Tatler, Marie Claire, thelondonpaper and CNBC – as well as a number of stylists and property media specialists. We’ve had stacks of coverage since and product requests, as well as a great feature on mdesign and its outstanding accolades, which ran on CNBC http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=928109607&play=1