Today in social media brand wars, two longtime competitors face off on Twitter…with (sort of) hilarious results. In case you didn’t know, both @Priceline and @Orbitz claim to offer travelers the lowest available prices on tickets, rental cars and other accessories by “negotiating” with providers.

Priceline recently started an election-themed “Negotiator for President” promo campaign with the usual prizes and such–and Orbitz ran a similar “Vacation Party” campaign. Let the social media mockery begin:

“Hey #Negotiator4President, glad you threw your hat in the ring. Mine was there first. And it’s a sombrero.” – Walt #OrbitzVacationParty

— Orbitz (@Orbitz) November 1, 2012

It only got sillier from there. Read more

Go ahead, make fun of Germany’s infatuation with David Hasselhoff. But before you scoff at how campy an entire culture can be, let’s direct our attention inward and examine America’s infatuation with William Shatner—who, incidentally, will be returning as Priceline’s “negotiator” in upcoming ad spots.

That’s right, Priceline knows that America has a strangely loyal relationship with Shatner. The fact that his character will return as spokesman after literally dying in a fiery crash earlier this year brings us a level of joy we haven’t felt since the return of the McRib. PR experts, of course, want to capture the secret behind America’s love for Shatner so they can replicate it, package it and profit from it over and over again.

But we’re hard-pressed to define or explain our nation’s collective affinity for a man who has taken us to the final frontier and back for more than 40 years. Read more

Priceline’s spokesperson “Negotiator,” played by William Shatner, has died a fiery death, but we can all laugh about it.

Shatner has played the role for 14 years. But, Priceline’s CEO Christopher Soder says, with a new focus on fixed price offerings, the Negotiator just wasn’t relevant to the company any longer.

Just like Priceline’s previous ads, Shatner never comes out of character, even when he’s falling off a bridge.

[via Business Insider]

Frank Liberman had quite a run in the PR business. The well known Hollywood publicist has passed away at 92, after a career that spanned more than 60 years.

Liberman represented Bob Hope for 41 years. Additional clients have included Henry Fonda, Nat “King” Cole, Tony Bennett, Jack Paar, Harry Belafonte, Steve Allen, Charles Bronson, Nick Nolte and William Shatner. The Hollywood Reporter has more.

[image cred]