The power of the web--"We need your help"

I love to use Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasonings to cook with. One of the great things about the web is how easy it has made it for me to keep stocked up on such a specialty product. Like Chef Paul's personal style, the site somehow makes me feel connected to the business.

So this morning I get an email from his website entitled "We need your help". Thinking its a customer survey or opportunity to spead the word about his products, I open the email. Its actually a missing person appeal!

The email states that James Cockman is a personal friend of Chef Paul's and was apparently abducted 9/14/04 when trying to complete the sale of a Suburban in Greenville, SC. The email honestly states its purpose is to get enough publicity that the case can reach national news, insofar as listing phone and email contacts at major news outlets.

An interesting and bold use of a marketing voice/tool, huh? For whom would you do this? Do you have enough of a relationship with your customers to do so?