The year 2020 was a historical anomaly in more ways than one. The most obvious one being the global pandemic. It has impacted all industries greatly and forced businesses to act accordingly. What we saw come from this were a number of cunningly creative marketing stunts that, like 2020 itself, were unpredictable! Here’s a list of our favourites… The Top 10 PR Stunts of 2020…
Playstation 5 – London Underground
To launch the highly anticipated PS5, Sony produced an absolutely textbook example of how, sometimes, the simplest of concepts often end up being the most effective.
Sony installed a number of re-shaped tube signs at underground stations in London to match the buttons of the PlayStation controller. Putting the iconic image of London tube station signage into a melting pot with the globally recognised X O □ ∆ of the PlayStation controller was a recipe for success and it took the internet by storm!
Check out some of the pictures below…
Oral-B – Drone Deliveries
We designed and execute a PR stunt for the release of Oral-B’s brand-new, high-tech Oral-B iO toothbrush. We came up with the COVID safe idea of sending out a fleet of Oral-B’s very own delivery drones and robots to deliver the product to press & influencers with zero human contact.
The drones and robots were fitted with bespoke-made delivery mechanisms that enabled them to carry the package, through the air, and along the ground, straight to the recipient’s doorstep. The complimentary nature technology in the product and stunt, paired with the innovative idea to adhere with covid guidelines put this in our top 10 PR stunts of 2020.
Find out more on the full case study page…
Specsavers – Should’ve Gone to Barnard Castle
If you’re British, the chances are that you’d have heard of the Dominic Cummings fiasco. The Prime Minister’s chief advisor at the time was spotted in Barnard Castle, a long way out of London, during lockdown. He stated that he’d made the drive to test his eyesight and the public had a LOT to say about his response.
Specsavers began advertising free eye tests in the Barnard Castle area, even on parking tickets! This hilarious media buy ended up on social media and had the internet in hysterics… absolutely nothing beats a hilarious stunt like this in our eyes.
Sky Arts – Everyone Together
Sky Arts celebrating themselves becoming a free channel with a very bold stunt that involved hundreds of naked people from all backgrounds, generations and generations, arranged to form a socially distant human art installation!
The installation took place in the grounds of Alexandra Palace and intend to reflect the ways the pandemic has forced us to reconsider connectivity and our proximity with strangers.
We think it’s a very interesting concept. Have a look at the pictures…
Netflix – Enola Holmes
To celebrate the premiere of Netflix’s brand new film ‘Enola Holmes’ in 2020, we were asked to install 5 sculptures in 5 different locations across the UK. Each of which celebrating the under-looked sisters of historically respected men.
The film tells the story of Enola, sister of ‘The World’s Greatest Detective’ Sherlock Holmes, and her own investigative prowess. The idea behind this promotional campaign was to shed light on the equally talented and influential sisters of historically celebrated figures.
The artwork on each sculpture was designed to reflect the sister’s area of influence. The 5 celebrated sisters were; Mary Hardy – Headmistress and Sister of Thomas Hardy, Princess Helena – founding member of the British Red Cross Foundation and sister of King Edward VII, Maria Anna Mozart – accomplished composer and sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frances Dickens – Royal Academy of Music student and Sister of Charles Dickens.
Check out the case study on our What We Do page or click here.
Time Out In London
As a result of new restrictions enforced by the British government, we were all instructed and advised to remain indoors as much as possible to help prevent the spread of the virus and keep infection rates low. The slogan ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’ was drilled into us. Time Out London made the decision to temporarily change their name to Time In London.
They began to shine a light on the interesting digital events that London had to offer, for people to enjoy from the safety of their homes. It was a positive move to make during a time that was so difficult for many of us.
Badoo – Flick for Victory
For the cheekiest campaign of the list (and probably the year), Badoo installed some pretty naughty billboards encouraging people to take sex into their own hands… literally!
Badoo used these billboards as a ‘thank you’ note to the nation for those abstaining from sexual relations with people outside of their household during lockdown and as a reminder to everyone that masturbation is a viable alternative in the meantime.
Burger King – The Stevenage Challenge
English League Two football club Stevenage were approached by Burger King for a kit sponsorship deal that would tie into a global campaign aimed at gamers and sports lovers around the world!
The Stevenage Challenge invited people to play as Stevenage on FIFA and share videos of their goals online to win themselves Burger King prizes! Sure enough, Stevenage was all over Twitter, Facebook and YouTube with tens of thousands of entries that led to almost 1.2 billion impressions! Absolutely astonishing figures for both parties.
nhow Hotels Chameleon – Amsterdam
After the wildly successful London campaign, nhow Hotels tasked us with producing an equally attention-grabbing stunt with the giant chameleon to launch their newest Amsterdam RAI hotel.
A brand-new nhow hotel had been built in the Amsterdam area and, to promote its opening, we took to the canals in true Amsterdam fashion. Patch, the chameleon, was installed onto a fully branded, motorized pontoon that sailed through the city and lit up during the night.
Tourists and locals all had the chance to snap a picture of the giant, colour changing sculpture. They could use their image to enter a competition for a free stay at the new hotel, by sharing it on Instagram and using the hashtag #changenhow. The hosts from the launch event were also out in the city, following the chameleon, gifting bags to pedestrians as well as explaining what this stunt represented and how people could get involved.
Read more here…
Starbucks – #WhatsYourName
Starbucks released a TV advert showing the struggles that transgender individuals face when beginning their transition. It shows a young boy’s discomfort constantly being referred to by their female birth name.
Starbucks cafés are well known for writing down their customers names onto their cups and as the young boy orders his drink the barista asks for his name. His eyes light up as he gets his chance to take control of his true identity and tell someone who he really is.
It’s a heart-warming message of acceptance and support from Starbucks to LGBTQ+ people and all other communities. We absolutely love this message!
Watch the full advert for yourself below…
