Student magician Cameron Ramsay

Student magician performs tricks for product promotion

By: Chloe Thompson

Posted: 4/25/07

04/25/07 - When people think of magic, the image of levitation, cheesy rabbit tricks and hot assistants might come to mind.

But for 20-year-old University of Rhode Island junior Cameron Ramsay, it's a jumpstart for his career and has given him a chance to meet the Red Sox, among others.

"Three or four years ago I performed for Grady Little, the manager at that time," the communications and business major said. "For them, I did card tricks and comedy acts."

He added that after his act he received autographs and had drinks with the Sox.

"If I could get Red Sox season tickets for doing tricks the rest of my life, then I'll do it," he said with a laugh.

Ramsay, who started doing magic when he was 7 years old, now uses his talent in the corporate world as a gimmick in advertising.

"A lot of what I do is corporate work, and that's selling the message of the product," he said. "Instead of having girls in bikinis giving out toothpaste, they have a magician, in a suit, hopefully, giving out toothpaste."

Ramsay said in order to give a proper presentation, it takes a lot of research on his part to successfully sell products, which have ranged from dental hygiene items to baseballs to various fundraisers. He uses various tricks to make the product look more appealing to the buyer.

"You have to associate the product with the message," he said.

Ramsay specializes in a variety of acts including card tricks, mind reading and "slight of hand." He demonstrated one trick for a reporter as he pulled a previously chosen card with writing from a stack of cards and transferred the writing to another card, which had been sitting in front of him with a paper clip on it the entire time.

"[My magic] started as a snowball. Then it grew and became a big snowman," he said with a laugh.

Ramsay has performed across the country, including in Los Angeles and New York City, at trade shows and hospitality suites, and has met a variety of people.

"I had dinner on Saturday night with a magician from Portugal, one from France ... I was the only American there actually," he said Monday.

Ramsay has also met magicians David Copperfield and David Blaine, both whom he listed as mentors. But he said his primary way of learning about magic is through reading.

"You learn a lot from history," he said. "Most people are surprised about how far back [magic] goes. It's really, really old."

Ramsay, originally from Tiverton, R.I., said he doesn't plan on dedicating his entire life to magic - he eventually wants to be a motivational speaker in the corporate world - but he said these shows were "another thing to add to my experiences, so who knows where it will go."

The magician is firm in the difference between show business and the corporate world. "You really have to use your business skills and your entrepreneurial skills," he said. "I never thought I'd learn about the business skills I have now [through magic]. It's all about the business, the magic is show business, the tricks are probably only 15 percent of the industry."

He added that people shouldn't believe in such tricks as levitation or sawing people in half.

"If anyone says they can walk on water, it's not true," he said. "You have to understand that there's tricks, slight of hand, psychology, but don't believe anyone who says they can float in the air."

As for his taste in what some might call an unusual hobby, Ramsay said, "If you want something, you might as well keep pursuing it and not give up. If I was good at basketball, I'd be doing that."

For now, Ramsay is continuing his college education while performing at national championships. He has one Sunday in Worcester, Mass. at the DCU Center, which follows his win at a competition in Providence, R.I. in January. Ramsay will be the youngest performer in his age group.

In regard to why students haven't seen this magician's act on campus, he said he's never been asked to perform for students.

"If they ever asked me," he said. "I'd love to."