Divorce list goes down a PR storm

The launch by a leading department store chain of a celebrity-inspired gift service for people getting divorced, which sparked public outrage and a media frenzy, has gone down a storm in the PR community.

Retail giant Debenhams hit the headlines with its divorce gift list service, claimed to be inspired by a number of recent high-profile divorces, in which celebrities such as Katie Price and Heather Mills celebrated their annulations with a party and presents.

The idea of the service is to help friends and family who have left the conjugal home to replace household items such as toasters, bedlinen and cutlery as they begin a new single life.

But the move inevitably triggered outrage from pro-family groups, who have accused Debenhams of a cynical attempt to cash in on the misery of people whose marriages have come under pressure.

Yet PR professionals have praised the idea and have been quick to point out that the divorce gift list itself is hardly likely to be the department store's biggest money-spinner.

Instead Debenhams clearly seeks to feed off the controversy it has created and is more likely to see the tills ringing in all departments simply on the back of some highly valuable media exposure.