What Is a PR Stunt? Plus Our Top 10 Examples
In this blog, we’ll discuss PR stunts and their impact, and present a curated selection of the top 10 most remarkable examples. These will showcase the ingenious ways brands have captured attention, generated attention, and left a lasting impression on the world. So, what is a PR Stunt?
A PR stunt is a carefully planned event or action aimed at gaining attention, generating buzz, and shaping public perception for a brand or individual. PR stunts often involve unconventional or extraordinary tactics to leave a lasting impact on the consumer and influence their future purchase decisions.
Read on to find out more about what a PR stunt is, what the benefits are, and our top 10 examples of innovative PR stunts.
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What is a PR Stunt?
A PR stunt is a strategic communication tool used to captivate attention, generate excitement, and shape public perception for brands, individuals, or organisations. By employing unconventional tactics, PR stunts create memorable and lasting impacts on target audiences and the media. These carefully planned events or actions break through the noise of today's media landscape, where audiences are inundated with messages.
What Is the Objective of a PR Stunt?
The main objective of a PR stunt is to create a buzz that attracts media coverage and amplifies brand visibility. Through unique and attention-grabbing experiences, PR stunts generate organic publicity and social media engagement. They spark conversations, generate viral content, and reach a wide audience online and offline.
PR stunts manifest in various forms, such as:
Outrageous performances
Breathtaking challenges
Unexpected collaborations
Public demonstrations
Success relies on surprise and the ability to evoke emotions. Some PR stunts aim to educate, raise awareness, or promote social causes, while others focus on launching new products, rebranding efforts, or building a positive brand image.
Behind every successful PR stunts lies 3 things:
Meticulous planning
Strategic thinking
Flawless execution
PR professionals collaborate with creative teams, event planners, and sometimes celebrities or influencers to ensure the stunt aligns with the overall PR strategy and effectively conveys the desired message.
Overall, PR stunts are powerful tools in the public relations arsenal, capable of creating lasting impressions, capturing attention, and shaping public perception. By leveraging unconventional tactics and generating widespread attention, PR stunts transform brand images and leave a remarkable impact on audiences.
What Makes a Good PR Stunt?
A good PR stunt possesses several key elements that contribute to its success and effectiveness. Here are the characteristics that make a PR stunt stand out:
Creativity
A good PR stunt showcases originality and creativity in its concept and execution. It should be unique, innovative, and capture the attention of the target audience.
Relevance
The PR stunt should be aligned with the brand, individual, or organisation's values, message, or objectives. It should resonate with the target audience and be relevant to their interests or current trends.
Memorable
A successful PR stunt leaves a lasting impression on the audience. It should be memorable, creating a strong emotional impact or evoking a sense of awe, surprise, or amusement.
Viral Potential
PR stunts with the potential to go viral are highly effective. They should be shareable, generate buzz, and spark conversations both online and offline. The stunt should have elements that encourage social media sharing and generate organic publicity.
Authenticity
Authenticity is crucial in PR stunts. The audience appreciates genuine experiences and connections. A good PR stunt reflects the brand's identity, values, and messaging in an authentic and transparent manner.
Strategic Planning
Successful PR stunts require careful planning, considering all aspects such as timing, location, logistics, and media engagement. A well-executed strategy ensures that the stunt achieves its desired objectives.
Measurable Impact
It is important to define measurable goals and objectives for a PR stunt. Whether it's increased brand visibility, media coverage, social media engagement, or sales, a good PR stunt should have a measurable impact that aligns with the overall PR strategy.
Positive Brand Association
A good PR stunt enhances the brand's image, reputation, or perception. It should create a positive association and reinforce key brand messages or values.
By incorporating these elements, the best PR stunts can generate significant attention, generate excitement, and effectively shape public perception, resulting in a successful and impactful campaign.
How Much Does a PR Stunt Cost?
The cost of a PR stunt can vary greatly depending on several factors such as the scale of the event, the complexity of the concept, the resources involved, and the desired outcomes. PR stunts can range from small-scale, low-budget endeavours to large-scale productions with significant financial investments.
Low Budget PR Stunts
In some cases, a PR stunt can be executed with minimal or no direct financial cost by leveraging creativity, collaboration, and existing resources. For example, a clever social media campaign or a grassroots event organised by passionate individuals may require little monetary investment but can still generate substantial buzz and media coverage.
High Budget PR Stunts
On the other hand, more elaborate and ambitious PR stunts that involve extensive planning, production, and logistics may require a substantial budget. These could include hiring specialised event agencies, securing venues, obtaining permits, engaging celebrities or influencers, creating custom props or installations, or coordinating media outreach. The cost can also escalate if the PR stunt involves travel, accommodation, or other related expenses.
It's important to note that the cost of a PR stunt should be evaluated in relation to its potential return on investment (ROI). While some PR stunts may have a significant upfront cost, their impact in terms of media coverage, brand visibility, and audience engagement can lead to long-term benefits and a positive ROI.
Ultimately, the cost of a PR stunt is highly variable and depends on the specific goals, resources, and scope of the campaign. PR professionals and organisations typically assess their budgetary constraints and strategic priorities to determine the appropriate investment for a PR stunt that aligns with their objectives.
What Are the Benefits of Publicity Stunts?
There are many benefits to a well executed PR stunt. These benefits come in many forms, and will often be specific to the organiser in question and the aim of the stunt. Here, we’ve covered some of the main benefits that will apply to the majority of PR stunts.
Increased Brand Visibility
Publicity stunts have the potential to generate significant media coverage and attention. By creating a memorable and attention-grabbing spectacle, a well-executed stunt can attract the interest of journalists, bloggers, and social media influencers. This heightened exposure can lead to widespread brand visibility and recognition, reaching a larger audience than traditional marketing methods alone.
Enhanced Audience Engagement
Publicity stunts often generate excitement and spark conversations among the target audience. They have the power to captivate and engage people's attention, leading to increased audience interaction and participation. This engagement can extend beyond the event itself and spill over into social media platforms, where audiences share their experiences, photos, and videos. This amplifies the impact of the stunt and creating a sense of community around the brand.
Positive Brand Association and Perception
Well-executed publicity stunts can shape public perception and create a positive brand association. A clever or impactful stunt can demonstrate a brand's creativity, innovation, or commitment to social causes. It can generate positive emotions and associations with the brand, fostering a favourable image and building trust among the target audience. This positive brand association can contribute to long-term brand loyalty, increased sales, and a competitive edge in the market.
It's important to note that the success of publicity stunts relies on strategic planning, relevance to the target audience, and the ability to align with the overall brand messaging and objectives. When executed with creativity, authenticity, and a clear understanding of the target audience, publicity stunts can offer significant benefits in terms of brand visibility, audience engagement, and positive brand association.
How Can You Create a PR Stunt?
Creating a PR stunt can seem like a complicated process for those that are unaware of what steps to take. While it can take a high level of marketing skill and knowledge to understand what needs to be done to achieve your goals, completing the steps can be much more simple. We’ve created this step by step guide to help you understand the PR stunt process.
Define Your Objectives
Determine the purpose of your PR stunt. Identify specific goals and objectives you want to achieve, such as increasing brand awareness, promoting a product, or generating media coverage. Clear objectives will guide your planning and evaluation process.
Understand Your Target Audience
Research and understand your target audience's demographics, interests, and preferences. This knowledge will help you tailor your PR stunt to resonate with them effectively, ensuring maximum impact.
Develop and Refine Creative Concepts
Brainstorm innovative ideas with your team, evaluating their feasibility, impact, and alignment with objectives. You can then select the most promising idea for execution based on feedback and stakeholder input.
Develop a Detailed Plan
Remember to create a comprehensive plan that outlines the execution of your chosen PR stunt. Define the key elements such as event logistics, location, timeline, budget, media engagement strategy, and any necessary collaborations or partnerships. Ensure that all aspects are well-coordinated and align with your objectives.
Execute with Precision
Put your plan into action, ensuring that each element is executed with precision. Pay attention to details, maintain open communication with team members and partners, and address any challenges or contingencies that may arise. Capture photos and videos of the stunt for documentation and future promotional use.
Amplify the Impact
Leverage various channels to amplify the impact of your PR stunt. Coordinate media outreach and engage social media influencers or brand ambassadors to generate wider coverage and audience engagement. Encourage sharing and user-generated content to maximise the reach and virality of the stunt.
Evaluate and Measure Success
Monitor media coverage, social media metrics, and audience response to gauge the success of your PR stunt. Analyse the results against your pre-defined objectives and metrics. Learn from the experience and identify areas for improvement in future PR strategies.
Top Tip
Remember, creativity, planning, and adaptability are key throughout the entire process. By following these steps and continually refining your approach, you can create a PR stunt that captures attention, generates buzz, and achieves your desired objectives.
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Top 10 PR Stunts
1.Carlsberg - The Best Poster in the World
In 2015, Carlsberg revealed the 'best poster in the world' in Brick Lane, London. It came equipped with a Carlsberg tap and glasses so that passers-by could help themselves to beer directly from the poster. As simple as it was, the concept perfectly captured the essence of the brand. The stunt garnered a lot of attention on social media, with the hashtag #probablythebest generating over 3 million Twitter impressions in just one day.
2. ASB Bank - Good Ball Boys
ASB Bank sponsors the ASB Classic, a major tennis event in New Zealand. A friendly match between Venus Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova was organised for the ASB Classic in Auckland in 2015 as part of the promotional activities leading up to the Australian Open.
For this special event, ASB organised for three dogs to play the role of ball boys, dressed for the part. Their participation in the event helped promote the ASB Classic tournament, as Oscar, Ted, and Super Teddy were trained to fetch loose balls during the match. Good boys.
3. Sky Atlantic - Polar Bear in the Metro
Fortitude, Sky Atlantic’s exciting new crime drama came out in 2015. The brand unleashed an eight-foot automaton polar bear in unexpected places such as the London Underground, parks in London, and landmarks. The stunt gained even more impact due to the juxtaposition of London’s urban environment and the animal. The bear took two months to build by 19 designers, and was operated by two War Horse puppeteers.
4. Epson & Triflare - Swimming in Ink
As part of a marketing campaign in New York’s Times Square, in 2016, Epson collaborated with Triflare, a sportswear company. Members of the US synchronised swimming team performed once an hour in a 75,000-litre tank broadcast live on giant LED screens.
The event, "Swimming in Ink", featured Epson's brand-new printers with two years' worth of ink. Promoting Epson's Ecotank printers, the event also allowed Triflare to showcase its special swimsuits printed with Epson's dye-sublimation transfer printing technology.
5. Warner Leisure Hotels & Bompas & Parr - Anti-ageing Gin
In 2016, Warner Leisure Hotels collaborated with food and drink experts Bompas & Parr to create the world's first 'anti-ageing gin'. The drink, Anti-aGin, contained gin with skin-boosting ingredients like collagen, antioxidants, and botanicals that are claimed to help reduce cellulite and sun damage.
The collaboration generated huge buzz and publicity for Warner Leisure Hotels, despite the lack of scientific evidence to support the drink's purported benefits. Following the campaign, the product experienced a notable increase in sales at its hotel bars in the UK.
6. KFC - Spaceman
In an innovative move back in 2016, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) created the first-ever advertisement visible from space. The fast food company built a humongous mosaic of Colonel Sanders' head. The image was seen on google earth and was trending on social media with vast numbers of people trying to see it for themselves online, as no one could in the real world.
The mosaic was built in Rachel, Nevada, the home of Area 51, which led to KFC’s president at the time quipping if extraterrestrial beings existed, they would probably choose KFC as their first dining destination.
7. Red Bull - Flying Red Bull Air Force
In March 2018, Red Bull organised a PR stunt in Los Angeles called the New Moon Party. The party was planned in commemoration of the last supermoon of the decade, and celebrating the ‘vernal equinox’. At sunset, participants equipped with sparkling mechanisms glided down over the city, giving the impression that comets or UFOs were approaching.
Red Bull’s aerial stuntmen jumped from a helicopter 4,000 feet above the city wearing branded suits inspired by flying squirrels. The jumpers flew past Los Angeles Downtown hotel - the tallest building west of Chicago - covered with LED lights and pyrotechnics, creating a stunning effect against the night sky.
8. Oral-B - PR and Safety First
Oral-B devised a PR strategy during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to guarantee that the Oral-B iO, a high-tech toothbrush, would be delivered safely. To ensure the toothbrushes were distributed without human interaction, the company dispatched a fleet of drones and robots.
The new toothbrushes were introduced to their new owners via drones and robots in August 2020. During the four-day operation, the drone and robot fleet successfully delivered 50 iO toothbrushes across the UK.
9. L’Auto - The Tour de France
In 1903, Géo Lefèvre, a writer for the French cycling magazine L’Auto, came up with the idea of a bike race around France in order to raise the profile of his publication. It captured the imagination of the public, doubled the circulation of L’Auto and eventually put its rival paper Le Velo out of business. The Tour de France is now the biggest cycling race in the world and is broadcast in 188 countries.
10. Sony - Going Underground
In November 2020, Sony customised Oxford Circus underground station, changing the iconic circular signs to represent the PlayStation's famous controller symbols. Three of the signs have been transformed to depict a square, triangle and cross in Sony's signature purple, green and blue colours. Fortunately, Sony didn't have much work to do for the fourth sign – it's already a red circle.
The stunt was to promote Sony’s new PlayStation 5, which released to much fanfare at the end of 2020. Sony’s sales figures suggested the stunt was a success as the PS5 was declared the largest launch in PlayStation history.
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Publicity Stunt FAQs
1. Is It Worth Doing a PR Stunt?
Whether a PR stunt is worth doing depends on the specific goals and context of the situation.
If executed strategically and aligned with the company's objectives, a well-thought-out PR stunt can generate significant media attention, brand visibility, and engagement, potentially leading to increased public awareness, customer interest, and business growth.
However, if not carefully planned or executed, it could backfire and harm the brand's reputation. Careful consideration of the potential risks and rewards is essential before deciding whether to pursue a PR stunt.
2. How Should You Prepare for a Publicity Stunt?
Preparing for a publicity stunt involves several key steps:
Define clear objectives and desired outcomes.
Thoroughly research the target audience and ensure the stunt resonates with them.
Plan the logistics and ensure safety measures are in place.
Identify potential risks and develop contingency plans.
Collaborate with the right partners and influencers for maximum impact.
Generate buzz through teasers and pre-event marketing.
Evaluate and track results to measure the stunt's success and learn from the experience.
3. What to Do When a Publicity Stunt Goes Wrong?
When a publicity stunt goes wrong, act quickly. As an organisation, you need to acknowledge the failure and apologise if necessary. Communicate openly, mitigate the damage and, most importantly, learn from the experience. Following on from that, re-evaluate your strategy, rebuild trust among your stakeholders and seek professional advice if needed.