Lessons on styling a celebrity PR crisis
In quelling a public relations crisis, especially in a field as image-driven as show biz, what the embattled have to say isn’t the only thing that matters—how they appear saying it can be just as crucial.
Earlier this month, Maris Racal, amid mounting pressure, broke her silence on the cheating controversy that she unceremoniously found herself in. Kibitzers were all ears, parsing and meticulously crafting timelines out of the actress’ side of the story.
But for a few others, it was her styling that sparked the most curiosity.
Racal faced the camera in a cozy white sweater. And though somber and understated, she looked young and quite winsome with little makeup. Her hair she simply wore down. Her eyebrows, as eagle-eyed social media users pointed out, were drawn relatively straight, giving them a softer appearance.
And when Racal confessed that the whole ordeal had left her feeling like “a woman naked” whenever she’s outside, the decision to put on a turtleneck suddenly made the most perfect sense.
“It conveyed a feeling of wanting to shield herself from the public’s scrutiny,” Lendl Fabella, a PR professional who has worked extensively with celebrities for years, told Lifestyle.
The choice of color—or the absence of it, rather—is also a key element. In appearing before or addressing the public, celebrities embroiled in a controversy—breakups, tell-all interviews, court cases—typically go for white, or at least something neutral and muted.
It’s a page straight out of the show biz playbook, something we have seen numerous times before from the likes of Kris Aquino to Gretchen Barretto, KC Concepcion to Heart Evangelista, Coco Martin to Paolo Contis.
Honesty and purity
While part of it is undoubtedly deliberate, there’s also something “instinctive” about it, veteran television host and talent manager Boy Abunda noted. And the reason is as simple as it is obvious.
“We associate colors with different meanings. You can’t go wrong with white, because for many people, it means honesty and purity. It can be cultural or religious, even. It’s seen as angelic. We traditionally wear white to a baptism. It’s the color of a priest’s sutana, for instance.
“And in terms of public speaking, it can signify clarity. It says that you’re coming clean,” he told Lifestyle.
Abunda, of course, has conducted countless controversial celebrity interviews—including that memorable, innuendo-filled one with Concepcion, who wore a simple white tee in her tell-all about her breakup with Piolo Pascual on “The Buzz” in 2011.
“I didn’t coach her to wear that. But I think it’s almost natural for most celebrities to go for something simple, especially if the intention is to provide clarity,” he said.
Fabella echoed Abunda’s sentiments, saying that wearing white or muted tones during crucial moments of damage control is preferable, because it “evokes calmness and transparency.” “The colors subtly reinforce an image of someone who’s open, honest … someone willing to take accountability,” he said.
This is something Fabella is all too familiar with because he has employed this same strategy many times in the past, most notably back in 2014, when he and his colleagues at GMA 7 prepared Mark Herras—then headlining a high-rating soap opera “Rhodora X”—to admit, and finally put to rest, speculations that he had already fathered a child.
When Herras appeared on “Startalk” to make the admission, he did so in a simple white polo shirt. “We wanted to align his outfit with the moment, speaking about his new blessing from God. We wanted him appear open, sincere and heartfelt,” recalled Fabella, who has also worked for Regal Entertainment.
Zero distractions
But the outfit doesn’t necessarily have to be white.
In some instances, celebrities wear black, as if grieving—something Aquino used to great effect when she sat down with “TV Patrol,” backed by her three sisters, to talk about her spat with ex-husband James Yap in 2013.
And in the mother of all Kris Aquino interviews—the one in 2003 about her acrimonious falling out with Joey Marquez that drew a 47.2 percent rating on primetime—she had on a plain, almost drab-looking brown shirt, something you would have never seen her wearing on television.
But almost always, the women are barefaced, or close to it; the men, well-groomed or clean-shaven, as simple as they can possibly look. Because sometimes, Abunda pointed out, it’s not about the color and what it represents, but making sure that there’s close to zero distractions to the narrative.
At the end of the day, the message is the message is the message. “If not white, I would encourage my artists—as a manager—to wear something that’s not distracting or disruptive. It also applies to your hair and makeup,” Abunda said.
“Aside from the qualities we associate with colors, you want to dress down because it’s your story you want to highlight… because you’re seeking a resolution to a conflict or dilemma,” he added.
Genuine messaging
But the question is: Does it actually pay to be intentional with styling or color choices amid a PR crisis?
In terms of storytelling, Abunda believes that it does help. “It’s only logical and sensible. It’s easier to listen to a person who’s not dressed flashily… when there are few accessories competing for attention,” he said.
While this approach can be effective, Fabella noted that many viewers these days—perhaps due to the immediate feedback social media cultivates—have become “increasingly discerning” and “quick to pick up on curated attempts to manipulate perceptions.”
“While effective, such strategies must be paired with genuine messaging and authenticity to resonate with the public,” he said.
The audience will surely stop and listen. But whether or not they will be swayed is still up to the jury. “Either way, everyone will have something to say. And whether you’re right or wrong, there will surely be a reaction,” Abunda added.
