Phil Elwood

So this, what seems like a prank here, getting a resolution introduced, actually, and this is tragic, turned into a human rights issue. Qatar, unbeknownst to me at the time, Qatar has something called the Kafala labor system. It's essentially indentured servitude. They estimate that about 5,000 people died building the stadiums in Qatar. This is one of the deepest regrets of my career.

So this, what seems like a prank here, getting a resolution introduced, actually, and this is tragic, turned into a human rights issue. Qatar, unbeknownst to me at the time, Qatar has something called the Kafala labor system. It's essentially indentured servitude. They estimate that about 5,000 people died building the stadiums in Qatar. This is one of the deepest regrets of my career.

Yes, she had a whole campaign to get kids moving. So part of the idea in public relations is to fit your strategy into the zeitgeist of the time. And Michelle Obama was very big on childhood obesity. So what we did was use that messaging and just put it into our resolution and got a reporter to write the story that we used as evidence. of the dissension of the game.

Yes, she had a whole campaign to get kids moving. So part of the idea in public relations is to fit your strategy into the zeitgeist of the time. And Michelle Obama was very big on childhood obesity. So what we did was use that messaging and just put it into our resolution and got a reporter to write the story that we used as evidence. of the dissension of the game.

Now, I won't say that I switched a single vote by a FIFA member because there was a lot of bribery going on. But what it did was provide cover for every member who voted against the United States to say, look, not even the U.S. Congress wants it.

Now, I won't say that I switched a single vote by a FIFA member because there was a lot of bribery going on. But what it did was provide cover for every member who voted against the United States to say, look, not even the U.S. Congress wants it.

Yes, that's the flip side of things. That's one that I'm incredibly proud of. There was a situation where a Turkish barber named Sabri Bagde. Turkish barbers are coveted throughout the Middle East. They're known for being good barbers. So you can set up a Turkish barber shop in a country and do quite well. Well, he set up a shop in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Yes, that's the flip side of things. That's one that I'm incredibly proud of. There was a situation where a Turkish barber named Sabri Bagde. Turkish barbers are coveted throughout the Middle East. They're known for being good barbers. So you can set up a Turkish barber shop in a country and do quite well. Well, he set up a shop in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He had an altercation with a client and said the words, God damn it. And this client called the religious authorities. And on the same day, Sabri Bagdeh was arrested for blasphemy. And he was given a one-day trial with no lawyer and no translator. And he was condemned to death. My client at the time was a Turkish American who read about this in the Turkish news.

He had an altercation with a client and said the words, God damn it. And this client called the religious authorities. And on the same day, Sabri Bagdeh was arrested for blasphemy. And he was given a one-day trial with no lawyer and no translator. And he was condemned to death. My client at the time was a Turkish American who read about this in the Turkish news.

He personally translated an article for me that he emailed to me with the subject line, get the English speaking press to write about this. So I thought about what the pitch could possibly be. And well, he was a barber. So the first thing that came to my mind was barbarism. And so I emailed several reporters and said, look, I think you need to cover this case of this Turkish barber.

He personally translated an article for me that he emailed to me with the subject line, get the English speaking press to write about this. So I thought about what the pitch could possibly be. And well, he was a barber. So the first thing that came to my mind was barbarism. And so I emailed several reporters and said, look, I think you need to cover this case of this Turkish barber.

Finally, the Huffington Post, two reporters there who were very good friends of mine, wrote a story that detailed the entire thing. So what I did was I sent that to a bunch of other journalists. And then a couple of weeks later, Saudi Arabia was hosting a conference at the United Nations on, of all things, religious tolerance.

Finally, the Huffington Post, two reporters there who were very good friends of mine, wrote a story that detailed the entire thing. So what I did was I sent that to a bunch of other journalists. And then a couple of weeks later, Saudi Arabia was hosting a conference at the United Nations on, of all things, religious tolerance.

And I sent a few reporters to go and ask them questions about this Turkish barber. Shortly thereafter, he was given a pardon by what is called the Keeper of the Two Great Mosques, or the King of Saudi Arabia, and a one-way ticket to Istanbul and told never to come back to the kingdom, which I am sure he hasn't. So we helped to get a guy off of death row in Saudi Arabia using shame.

And I sent a few reporters to go and ask them questions about this Turkish barber. Shortly thereafter, he was given a pardon by what is called the Keeper of the Two Great Mosques, or the King of Saudi Arabia, and a one-way ticket to Istanbul and told never to come back to the kingdom, which I am sure he hasn't. So we helped to get a guy off of death row in Saudi Arabia using shame.

That was another one that was entirely regrettable. Now that I look back on it, the U.S. Tuna Foundation had a problem because the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, issued a report saying that pregnant women should avoid eating too much canned tuna. In the United States, if you say something is bad for pregnant women, it is a bellwether for all human health. So people stopped buying tuna.

That was another one that was entirely regrettable. Now that I look back on it, the U.S. Tuna Foundation had a problem because the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, issued a report saying that pregnant women should avoid eating too much canned tuna. In the United States, if you say something is bad for pregnant women, it is a bellwether for all human health. So people stopped buying tuna.

And the reason was the mercury content in tuna. The Tuna Foundation is entirely funded by the tuna industry, the canned tuna industry. So they freaked out a little bit and wanted the firm I was working for at the time to push a campaign to get pregnant women to eat more tuna. and to kind of rebut this report by the FDA.

And the reason was the mercury content in tuna. The Tuna Foundation is entirely funded by the tuna industry, the canned tuna industry. So they freaked out a little bit and wanted the firm I was working for at the time to push a campaign to get pregnant women to eat more tuna. and to kind of rebut this report by the FDA.