From The Euros 2020 to the announcement of further lockdown easing this summer, June 2021 has been a busy month, filled with innovative and exciting creative PR work. Our creative PR team has been busy researching the biggest and best campaigns. Here’s a roundup of some of our favourite creative PR work from the past month, from powerful climate initiatives to strawberries and cream crisps.
NPD product stunt: strawberries and cream Doritos
With Wimbledon in full swing, Doritos have announced a rather unusual new flavour combination to coincide with the tournament. They took to Instagram to announce their newest crisp flavour, strawberries and cream; strawberries and cream of course being a Wimbledon staple.
Unsurprisingly, the stunt caused outrage amongst consumers. Some took to Instagram to voice their disgust at the new offering, whilst others suggested it felt like an April fool’s joke. However, with a release date still yet to be confirmed, it is likely this PR stunt was more about causing a stir and less about expanding Doritos’ flavour catalogue.
Packaging and PR: Bud Light boxheads
Football season is well under way and Bud Light have taken the opportunity to put a spin on the conventional beer box. By purchasing a box of 12 Bud Light beers, football fans can wear the box on their head with one side displaying an England football players face.
The launch of the new beer boxes received plenty of social media attention, garnering a number of headlines too.
Whether you find it funny or just creepy, this new product development is a great way to entice football fans to buy Bud Light and mess around with these boxes whilst cheering on the three lions this summer.
OOH Creative stunt: It’s coming home at Specsavers
Optical specialists Specsavers are yet another company adding their voice to the support of the England team at the 2020 Euros in the only way they know how. The household name created an optician’s chart with the words ‘It’s coming home’. Displayed on a large billboard, some Twitter users joked they couldn’t read the whole chart due to their poor vision.
By sending a popular message through the recognisable medium of an optician’s chart, this stunt ensures brand association and a clear brand identity, whilst successfully gaining coverage through hijacking a popular current event like the Euros.
Awareness building: Twisted Toys campaign
With 2020 being dominated by coronavirus and lockdowns, many of us have turned to the internet to maintain social contact with friends and family and to keep ourselves entertained. Whilst the internet has proven to be a powerful resource, it can also be a dangerous place, especially for children.
Twisted Toys have released a new collection of toys to highlight the dangers children face online. Satirical videos feature a “stalkie talkie” that “uses algorithms which match children with adult strangers” and a “pocket troll” that offers “personalised comments and mild psychological torture”. The campaign aims to highlight the dangers children face, using children’s imagery to communicate this message in an accessible yet resonating way.
Social Media Creative content: Jackie Weaver re-joins Zoom
The Zoom call that got the nation talking this year was the showdown on Handforth Parish Council’s zoom meeting, with the famous line “you have no authority here Jackie Weaver”. Well, Jackie Weaver is back causing chaos on zoom, this time joining forces with Disney+.
The streaming service have launched a new service to promote ‘The Walking Dead’ joining the streaming service, where you can be replaced in a Zoom call by a zombie. Jackie states that if you’re sick of Zoom calls, you can use the service to help you relax and enjoy Disney+; she even turns into a zombie during the promo video.
This stunt by Disney+ shows how big companies can use pop culture references within their PR strategies to engage with the audiences of these popular stars.
Christmas PR stunt: Pret’s early Christmas sandwich
Due to COVID restrictions around the Christmas holidays last year, many people missed out on the opportunity to tuck in to the hugely popular Pret a Manger Christmas sandwich line.
However, as this summer sees the lifting of COVID restrictions, Pret’s Christmas sandwich is hitting the shelves early. With the help of Slade frontman Noddy Holder, the band behind Christmas favourite ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’, people will be able to enjoy Pret’s Christmas sandwich a little earlier this year. Holder is even joining Pret’s Wardour Street branch in London to hand out the festive snack.
This unusually timed launch is effectively drawing attention to one of Pret’s most popular products months in advance.
Noddy Holder and Pret partner to bring Christmas sandwich to July (yahoo.com)
Purpose and Creative: Mastercard extinction gift cards
In an impactful campaign, Mastercard have released a series of gift cards featuring animals that are nearing extinction. The animals featured are set to be extinct before the expiry date on the card. By teaming up with Conservation International, Mastercard are helping to bring to light the pressing issue of animal extinction to the public.
To help to end this cycle of extinction, Mastercard have announced they will donate US$1 to Conservation International with the sale of every card. This is a perfect example of a creative PR campaign shining a light on a larger environmental issue in an authentic way.
Environmental responsibility: Cooling the capital
Renewable electricity provider E.ON unveiled a massive 16-foot ice sculpture to coincide with the announcement of a new £4 million zero carbon heating and cooling system in London. The sculpture is made up of five key London landmarks: Big Ben, The London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard and The Gherkin, and is larger than a red double decker bus.
The sculpture not only draws attention to the E.ON brand and their sustainable initiative, but also helps to showcase the importance of a continued commitment to eco-friendly energy, with the sculpture sitting on the site where the new heating and cooling system has been installed. Subsequently, the campaign has gained attention from the national media
