Globe Spotting – September
PR CAMPAIGNS AND STUNTS
DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD
What?
Burger King announced that it would be scrapping all plastic toys from its kids’
meals in a ‘Meltdown’ campaign which also offered free food for returning old ones
Who and When?
Fast food giant Burger King made the eco-friendly decision after a petition, set up
by two young sisters, highlighted how much plastic waste the toys created
Where?
The news hit the national headlines and was covered by The Guardian, Sky News
and Daily Mirror to name a few and the clever attached video content was shared
heavily across social
Why?
Any brand making positive changes should be hailed and this is a prime
example… a flamin good PR campaign
BA FLIES HIGH
What?
British Airways has paid for a 7-year-old cancer survivor to go to Disney World
Florida after his trip was cancelled following Thomas Cook’s collapse
Who and When?
UK airline giant, British Airways are sending survivor Connor Kitching on his
dream trip on October 2nd
Where?
The kind gesture was picked up by both national and regional titles including The
Independent and Evening Express
Why?
In a sea of negativity surrounding Thomas Cook’s collapse, British Airways took
the opportunity to fly high, winning hearts, minds (and column inches) in the
process
LISTEN LIKE IT’S 1999
What?
Spotify launched its new campaign ‘Listen Like You Used To’ – calling out the
cultural differences of the last decade
Who and When?
The music streaming platform unveiled a series of witty building banners,
digital signs and other platforms have been unveiled to well deserved praise on Twitter
Where?
The campaign made waves across both traditional and social media
Why?
The painfully accurate but simple ads turned an advertising campaign into a viral sensation
HEIR BNB
What?
Airbnb listed stately home, Highclere Castle AKA Downton Abbey, on its website,
offering fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to stay in the iconic castle, and set, of the popular TV series
Who and When?
To celebrate the release of the new Downton Abbey film, the Earl and Countess of
Carnarvon announced they would be opening their home
Where?
The announcement tied in with the launch of the film which helped it secure an
array of national coverage, from Sky News to The Sun
Why?
PR stunts at their best – simple, timely and effective!
TRENDS
THOMAS COOK’S COLLAPSE
Airline giant Thomas Cook went into liquidation leaving thousands either jobless, stuck in a foreign country or with their holidays cancelled – not to mention the thousands of suppliers also affected.
Sadly, some airline brands have taken full advantage of the collapse by hiking their prices up as holidaymakers are forced to change their plans last minute.
But not all brands are as mercenary…Manchester Airport did its bit by hosting a job fair, connecting those who were made redundant with brands who had thousands of vacancies to fill.
GENDER
Various big names used their platforms to shine a spotlight on the issues surrounding gender.
Toy giants Mattel announced that it was creating a range of gender inclusive, label free dolls, World Dolls. While Hasbro launched a feminist version of its iconic Monopoly game whereby female players earned more than men when passing go!
And singer Sam Smith was also part of the conversation announcing that they is changing their’s pronoun to they / them, as they did not affiliate with either male or female.
BACK TO SCHOOL
September marks the start of a new school year, so along with the usual ‘back to school’ guides for mum & dad, our news feeds were inundated with celebs showing how down to earth they really are by taking their kids to school.
And, as per unwritten rule for good parenting 101, famous faces such as Holly Willoughby, Rochelle Humes and Frankie Bridge joined the great unwashed by sharing shots of their little ones going back to school.
And parents, everywhere, breathed a sigh of relief!
#PRFAIL
A JERKY MOVE FROM IKEA
What?
Ikea added jerk chicken with rice and peas to its menu, but received a tonne of backlash for getting the recipe wrong some accusing the company of ‘cultural appropriation’ and exploitative marketing
Who and When?
The Swedish furniture company made a grave error in its creation of the classic Caribbean dish by completely misinterpreting what authentic rice and peas actually consists of, forcing the company to apologise
Where?
As the public were outraged, this made national headlines across the country. The story ran in The Sun, the Daily Mail, the Metro and more!
Why?
There’s a fine line between a brand celebrating diverse cultures with its customers and spuriously cashing in on cultural moments for commercial gain
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