Once the Classics were launched, their popularity spread coast-to-coast.  Two days after their premier at the John Bartlett fashion show in New York, Harry Connick, Jr. wore a pair (he "borrowed" from Bartlett) on "The Tonight Show" in Los Angeles. 

Jeff, working with J. Walter Thompson Public Relations, created a self-feeding PR strategy -- making sure events like the Bartlett show spread quickly to the fashion, consumer and entertainment press.  They used the testimonies of third-party endorsers, rather than conventional advertising, to fuel the Classics flame.

The gambit worked.  Hush Puppies reached an emotional center in its early-adopters who were eager to wear, endorse and promote Hush Puppies.  Newspapers ran Hush Puppies banners above their mastheads.  NBC styled its stars in Hush Puppies for publicity and advertising shots.  Fashion designers and stylists clamored to get the product for their shoots and shows.  Pundits used Hush Puppies to describe what works in American business.  The brand received over 3 billion consumer impressions from its publicity efforts.

Jeff and the publicity team managed core Hush Puppies values through strong publicity, never abandoning its "fun, comfortable, genuine style heritage despite being at the center of high fashion and celebrity fame.