Tribute to Ed McMahon
Today’s original blog post is being delayed for a day as the sad news came over the wire this morning that American icon and entertainer Ed McMahon passed away this morning at age 86. Today’s blog is Tribute to Ed McMahon. I only knew him for a short time. However, in the few days I spent with him there is no question he was a true professional. In my most recent position, I hired Ed for two viral marketing videos on behalf of freecreditreport.com While the main goal of using a celebrity spokesman to generate attention for the product online in a new and unusual way, McMahon with his credibility, also drove new business for a different market segment.
Charles Harris with Ed McMahon
While he had physically slowed a bit for our New York media tour last year, McMahon was still mentally sharp and did a fine job as we spent several days making the rounds in New York with interviews with media staples like The Today Show and ABC News, The Mike and Juliet Show and Associated Press as well as a detailed satellite media tour. In fact one of my fondest memories happened during a visit to the CNN studios during a scheduled interview on CNN Money. McMahon was greeted in the lobby like a returning war hero (which he was). When we got him set up in the CNN studios, broadcaster Lou Dobbs came strolling past and paused for a moment as two veterans quietly shared a few memories.
When the lights went up and the camera began rolling, so did McMahon. Before Poppy Harlow could introduce him to the television audience, McMahon took over the stage. With literally hundreds of reporters working in the background, McMahon bellowed, "Annnnnnnnd nowwwwwwwww, heeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Popppppppppppppp!”
Not only did this catch the host off guard. But the reporters throughout the studio were quietly paying attention and broke out in applause for McMahon, best known for his introduction of Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. Seeing the media paying McMahon that kind of respect, stuck with me.
At 86 he told our traveling road show that he wanted to work until the end. He could never see himself not working. McMahon, was known for “Star Search”, ”TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes” with Dick Clark and for the American Family Publishers’ sweepstakes, which led to one of the two online videos we developed. This is my personal tribute to Ed McMahon.
Here is the first of two videos. It was called “Big Check”
Here is the second of the two videos, called “Ed McGangsta”
Uusally in this space on Tuesday’s there is a sports executive that is featured. This will be picked up tomorrow with an executive form the Chicago Bears front office.
