The American Association of Advertising Agencies has tapped global PR heavyweight GolinHarris, an Interpublic Group company, to burnish its reputation with reporters and other influencers.

4As president-CEO O. Burtch Drake,outlined possible tactics during a meeting between the two groups on Sept. 6, including the idea that agencies could feed news to the Golin team, which would gather the information and pull together trend stories to pitch to the media, writes AdAge (via MediaBuyerPlanner). Consumer participation and changes in technology have called into question the role of ad agencies and the 30-second TV spot. And the agency world is getting negative press for its lack of minority staff among its ranks.

According to Julie Thompson, co-chair of the 4As PR committee and communications chief at Leo Burnett, "Our industry has had a reputation problem the past few years." However, she adds, the tide has been turning with the excitement around new media.

The tactic could be risky, according to Thompson. For example, the last time the 4As hired a PR agency, in 2004, it was to help promote Advertising Week. The result was a Fortune story titled "Nightmare on Madison Avenue," which included plenty of negative digs at the industry, such as this: "Nearly every ad agency head repeats the same mantra: There's never been a more exciting time to be in the advertising business. That is true - but most of the thrills are the result of things they would rather not talk about."

As for the current campaign: "No risk, no reward," Thompson is quoted as saying.