Money has not won the image war

When he was still the king of the world, Oscar Pistorius knew how to work his image - a smile as he crossed the finish line, or the way he posed on the red carpet.

"Brand Pistorius" was growing by the day: endorsements worth millions rolled in; he was voted South Africa's sexiest man in a magazine poll ...

But on Valentine's Day it all changed and a string of public relations gurus was hired to struggle with the near impossible task of rescuing the image of the golden boy.

In contrast, the parents of Reeva Steenkamp had never been in the limelight.

When the media descended on their home in Seaview, outside Port Elizabeth, they chose to stay indoors. June Steenkamp rarely stuck her head out of the kitchen door and Reeva's dad, Barry, ignored the cameras on his outdoor smoke breaks.

But now the Steenkamps have decided to start talking. They have signed up with a British distribution company and an in-depth interview is due to air tomorrow night.

In contrast, Pistorius's PR machine has gone quiet recently, only responding to deny some media reports it deemed to be negative.

Immediately after the shooting, Vuma Reputation Management was roped in to help with the thousands of requests for interviews and comment - and then to deal with the fallout from dad Henke Pistorius's claims that the ANC was failing to protect whites.

In an effort to show Pistorius's grieving side, it was announced that the athlete was holding a private memorial for Steenkamp. It did not go well: many accused the star of seeking sympathy.

When Vuma's contract ran out, the family appointed former journalist Anneliese Burgess to help deal with the media.

A statement claiming that "there is not a moment in the day that Oscar does not mourn for [Reeva]" backfired when the Sunday Times revealed that he had partied at an upmarket Fourways nightspot days before the statement was issued.

And then there were the "Pistorians" who defended the athlete on Twitter.

The group, mostly women, took it upon itself to campaign ruthlessly for the double amputee and members often attacked Steenkamp.

Pistorius is said to have been upset and has condemned the behaviour of these supporters.

His official website continues to draw messages of support from around the world - for now at least.