Off the hook

Here's a great video from last Friday. (I was being "mysterious" because I hadn't broken the news on the website then, but you get to meet Pat Jackson, the Mayor of Kipling!)


As for today, well, the phone's literally been ringing off the hook. At least 25 radio interviews. Lost count long ago. It's real "run and gun" right now. I somehow ended up doing nineTV interviews today. Because of a pre-tape, apparently I was on CNN and MSNBC at the same time.



Thanks Kyra and everyone at CNN - you rule.

It got to the point where I was walking thru this media building downtown with the "Ricky" shirt on and random producers were just pulling me into studios - and into the street.

(in french)


(in english)


(in "entertainment")

ET Canada = BY FAR the best "swoosh" graphics and cheesy staged paperclip-into-the-camera shots. BY FAR. Probably the only time ever that I can honestly say that things are "off the hook" without sounding like a trendy faux so-cal wannabe. Kipling Sask is gonna to be insane on Wednesday. Rumor has it that even Japanese and German TV crews'll be there.

Rumor has it. - Kyle

PS - A lot of people have been asking how I've stirred up so much publicity around the project, and my simple answer is: I have no idea. These interviews are all from unsolicited, incoming media requests. I've never made a single call to any media outlet. I don't have some PR team working on this project or anything like that. My email and phone number are posted here on the site and people keep calling. That's it. It's nuts. The only PR help I've ever had, was back in April when a guy named Evan White, fresh out of College, called me up and pitched his PR services. My quote on the bottom half of his site sorta tells the story. Right before he started helping out, I was literally getting so inundated by media requests at one stage a few months ago that I almost "lost it". No sleep, stuff like that. Evan came on board and helped organize/schedule the interviews and made things much easier to handle. (Something Dom helped out with today. If you called 514-833-3980 today and spoke to a woman with a French-Canadian accent, that was Dom, not me.) But then Evan mentioned one red paperclip to a few contacts he has at places like KROQ the AP, they interviewed me, and things spiralled more out of control than before. I'm sure he knew what he was doing, but he seemingly inadvertedly stirred up a global media firestorm evan crazier than before. I guess in PR that's good news. But other than sit on the grass, wear sandals, smile, and wear foam-mesh hats with a giant PR on them, I'm not exactly sure what Evan does day to day. I guess he's kind of like the Doogie Howser of PR or something. He's not on my payroll, but if I needed to hire a PR guy and had things like, you know, a marketing budget, I'd definitely hire Evan faster than you can say Neil Patrick Harris. And I can say Neil Patrick Harris pretty fast.

59 comments:

Anonymous said...

amazing.

Corey said...

Uhh...I love Canada.

NYD said...

Congratulations on getting the house. What's next?

Unknown said...

Whoot! Nothing screams "House Party" like Saskatchewan!

Dude, you've come a long way since I met up with you in Phoenix. Big congrats on the house. So...when's the big housewarming shindig?

Keep on keepin' on, O

Anonymous said...

Just saw you on BBC world in Germany...amazing!

Anonymous said...

I'm hoping you write a book about this detailing your experiences. I'm sure it would make both a good business book and an entertaining read.

Anonymous said...

Well done, dude!

Anonymous said...

you were on BBC in the UK this morning (7/11/2006) a paperclip for a pen? come on thats not a fair trade...

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Wow! What an achievement sir! The house in Kipling looks nice. If you get fed up with it then I will be happy to take it off your hands for an entire tub of red paperclips!

Anonymous said...

Hello Kyle,
I liked much what your perseverance and the result of barter: a trombone with paper against... a house!
I wish you and your been engaged full, with happiness in your new house. Who knows what this house will bring!

If I were in your place I will stop at this stage (smile).
I put an article on you in my site: www.menara.ma/enfants
Bond of the article: http://www.menara.ma/enfants/Detail_actualite_big.aspx?id=1786 Cordially,
Khalid FENSAB - Morocco
Journalist of the children

Anonymous said...

Kyle, I am very happy for you! Kathleen

amelyn said...

Kyle!

I had the TV on and I heard your voice! You're going to be on Australian television too! :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the new house. CNN.com has a big article on your exploits.

You've got a great story you can tell for the rest of your life.

Anonymous said...

Man, you are a genius, really!

I trade my brain with yours! :D

Anonymous said...

I just read the one read paperclip story for the 1st time (somehow missed the media blitz) and am wowed, especially since I have a desktop covered with ordinary paperclips in front of me

............... said...

For those of us who've watched you "expand", we are looking forward to a book about the journey. I'm sure the chapter on Alice Cooper will be a hoot!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, I am totally amazed. I saw this news on yahoo and I must say I am very impressed with your ingenuity. XD But I am also surprised by how the whole thing actually worked. Congrats!

AKA @kidgman said...

I wouldn't trade my paperclips for all the tea in...

Who would have thunk it?

Great Job

Anonymous said...

Wow, your story is inspiring...my daughter and I have just started something similar, only we don't want to trade a paperclip. We want to trade our excess fat for LittleChanges in our life, to get new bodies...
We are not looking for some outspace being to do this for us, or a pill, or surgery...just loads of LittleChanges.
If you get a chance you can see it all happen at http://www.littlechanges.com
Great luck with your new house...your story has really inspired us that everything is possible.
If you would also take a minute (I know you must not have a lot of these) but leave a message on our blog at http://www.littlechanges.com/dailywebblog.html to tell the world what little changes you did in your life to make such a massive change!
Great stuff & cheers,
Priscilla & Sarah

Anonymous said...

congratulations. such an inventive way to get what you want. I'm sure you'll continue to do amazing things (or have one hell of a e-bay store ;)

Anonymous said...

This idea rocks. I am an artist and I trade for all kinds of cool stuff at art shows and festivals. It makes Chistmas very interesting around my place.

Anonymous said...

I told my kids about you the other day. I was trying to teach them the power of 'trading'.
I am sure they'll be glad to know that you got your house!!
COngratulations!

One Green-Paper Flip said...

Awesome dude! You have inspired me to start my own project. Hopefully I pay off my own house with it! www.onegreenpaperflip.blogspot.com

birdmonster said...

I got some odd looks on the bus this morning after I read an article detailing how you finally pulled this off. Why? Because I was cackling. Totally unreal, totally unrepeatable, totally impressive. Bra. Vo.

April Love said...

You are freakin' hillarious! I wanna hang out!

Anonymous said...

Hi there

I've just seen you featured on ITV News here in the UK.

Congrats!!!

If you want to drop by, I've posted about your success here: http://www.aardvarkbusiness.net/chat/viewtopic.php?t=11301

Paul

Anonymous said...

Hey buddy.. congrats. I, like everyone else, am amazed. I mean.. really. They took it very far to get you in there. Can you imagine the town meeting that prepared the offer for you? They're like "oh.. give him the key to the town!" and "Lets give him a holiday" lol.. I wonder what benefits you'll reap on that day. Its just so random the things they put up there.. and in that so much. You've shook up the world my man.. peace and blessings. (end)

I wrote in my blog about you..

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-woUDIo4zaakYwM9WTjUx0fdEUR5Qhw--?cq=1&p=124

You, nor does anyone else, have to read it. I just wanted to associate back and forth your situation to my blog about it and my blog about it be on your blog that inspired the post.

http://360.yahoo.com/brownskinguy82

paco said...

you are a genious

Lud said...

Hey Man,

Congratulations, I imagine the whole experience was great.

enjoy your home, now you can get married and have kids!

Ludwing
www.ludwingproject.com

Anonymous said...

hi there. i read your story on yahoo!'s webpage. that truly is amazing and inspiring for people who don't have much of anything. i wish you the best of luck in continuing endeavors. that really is something else!

Anonymous said...

Kyle....just came across your site....WOW....if only all the world had the determination that you have. You have deffinetly showed the world not to give up on our dreams and goals....and that no matter how small something seems it may be bigger than you think. Congratulations on your acchievements......I am deffinetly going to show this to my 5 girls and hopefully it will inspire them and show them that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.....have a great day and enjoy your new house........Angel in Ohio

Anonymous said...

wow - we'll have to head to Kipling and see your new house in Sept. I live in Saskatoon and had a few teenagers come by my house one evening playing "bigger or better". they wanted to trade a folding chair. Now I know where they have gotten their idea. Now about Yahk, B.C. - what is wrong with Yahk (tee hee) My dad grew up in Yahk along with numerous other relatives. You should have been there this past wknd for their 100 year celebration. Can't wait to hear what you'll be up to next....keep it going.

Elisabeta said...

enhorabuena y disfrutad de vuestro hogar,dulce hogar...Saludos desde España :)

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah Kyle you rule ;)

From a fellow Montrealer!

P.S. Why don't you keep on trading until you get a manor house?

Cheers

Kiltak

Kelly said...

I just saw your story. Way cool!!

Your story caught my eye because I am a BIG fan of the paperclip. I wear them as earrings and "honor" them on my website...paperclippings.com.

cwilcox said...

Congratulations Mr. McDonald! What a cool story.

Anonymous said...

Great job kyle! Congratulations!

You mention that you don't know how you generated the PR. It's because (whether you realized it at the time or not) you used the New Media Marketplace to leverage influence and persuasion online.

And that my friend is what all the buzz is about!

Too many people (mass media included) are missing the real story because they're focused on the "technology." You and I know different. :)

Once again -- congratulations! Can't wait to see what you do for an encore.

Secrets of online persuasion and the Red Paper Clip

Anonymous said...

Hey man Congratulation on the new house. I know its a late greeting, but I just caught the news from Yahoo.
I hope you have great success in what you do in the future, good luck on the book and again congratulations on your own house.

-- Very inspiration quest you took on --

Anonymous said...

Hey...many congrats on your awesome adventure! My husband and I are looking for a house too so we can start a family. If I knew it was so easy, I'd have jumped on your bandwagon a long time ago.
Your story showed up in the Corpus Christi Caller Times in Corpus Christi, Texas. Good news travels fast. Just wanted to drop you a comment and say congratulations. I hope you and Dom are very, very happy in your new home. Send some of your good luck for me and my husband....maybe your "magic" will rub off! Best wishes!

Anonymous said...

That Evan White sounds like a winner, you should keep him around.

Anonymous said...

Hey Kyle, congrats on getting all the way to a house! I saw an interview with you on Japanese TV this morning, so I guess that crew did show up (not just a rumor after all). Anyway, the interview was very nicely done and the newscasters were duly impressed and respectful.

357martini said...

YOU RULE DUDE

Anonymous said...

that's awesome. continued good luck to you.

Reese said...

Hey, this is a really amazing story. I heard you interviewed on the local radio yesterday. I was searching this story on the internet - but I didn't expect you'd have a blog. Too funny.

Excellent job, guy!

Reverend Steve said...

How long do you think it will be before that red paperclip ends up on eBay?

Aaron Kinney said...

Fucking unreal. Congrats dude. I cant believe that you pulled it off.

blissee said...

my mom sent me an e-article about you today from the fine montpelier newspaper, the times argus. i felt inspired. then suddenly in the afternoon i figured out how to make millions. it's not a crazy scheme. . . in a matter of months it will be a reality. i owe it all to you. i am totally switching back from staples to paperclips.

Helen Leggatt said...

Amazing!! You're famous in New Zealand now!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! You made your goal! I hope you enjoy your new home!

Anonymous said...

Honestly, I didn't see how this would work. I couldn't fathom why anyone would trade anything for a simply red paperclip. Then as I read how it all came into being, I weas blown away.

One BRILLIANT publicity stunt and a great way to get a free house!

Do you know how many Americans, let alone Canadians, would die for an opportunity to trade a paperclip for a house?

Just blows my mind.

mumshens said...

congrats on the new house!

Anonymous said...

Hey i am navin from India, wow this is very inspiring and i am very happy for you. Wishing you more suprises in life.

Anonymous said...

I live in Japan, and you & the paperclip story were on national news! Nice work.

Anonymous said...

Great journey! You have shown the world , the sky is the limit!! To Your Success!!

Anonymous said...

Hello!
I just thought I would stop by and say I think this is all really cool what you are doing. I live in Japan and there has been a bunch of news about the `one red paperclip`. It is all the kids at school can talk about, haha.

<3 Peace out~

mcrilf said...

Superb! Well done. Don't you love the power of the web?!

thehealingroom said...

Wow,
You're talented, well-spoken and cute too!
No wonder the media loves you.

Have fun in Saskatchewan!

Anonymous said...

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You are more than welcome to visit my page.

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Ricardo A. Contieri said...

Hey man, you were in the brazilian tv too... Well, I'm brazilian and I was tracking your story a couple of months from now. And yep, you were news here...

And may I say that it was fast! Congrats!