Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Hello everyone, and thanks for many questions and answer in this site, they're really helpful for us all.

Here's the deal... We're in a probono project in which these local singer has recently released her 2nd record in order to make sure all profit the product makes is going to be used to open a shelter for kids with cancer.

The thing is that in 2 months in the market, in principal convenient and department stores, we've only sold 5000 copies, and that doesn't help us much with the donation for the fundation against cancer, that only covers all the work in launching the CD.

So, recently, since we're working really hard in advertising and PR releases, a very known cigarette brand has contacted us and told us he would sponsor the product and push it nationally, assuring they'll sell 100 000 copies more.

Like it's obvios at first sight, that could be very beneficial for the brand, because they would be sponsoring a project which principal claim is the fight against cancer, AND it's good for the fundation since all profit is going to the shelter and help the kids, which is great, BUT the image of this singer and the image of the project and the fundation itself would be seen affected negatively.

So the first answer was no, and we've kept trying harder with donations and ad work, but it's not going that well.

I'll accept all comments on this thing here, could it actually be done? Somehow? How could this sponsorship result positive even awared of the background and the obvious negative effect it would have on the fundation?

Many thanks since now.

Paola