Globe Spotting – August
PR CAMPAIGNS AND STUNTS
A WHEELY GOOD IDEA
What?
AutoTraderhas unveiled the world’s first contactless vending machine for cars, offering customers a haggle free way to buy a new car
Who and When?
Autotrader conducted a survey that found Brits think they are bad at haggling so they installed the vending machine in London’s Spitalfields Market with a “buy-and-go” option to buy a car at a pre-haggled price
Where?
The stunt has been picked up by Mirror Online, Campaign Live, PR Examples, City A.M. and a series of motoring titles
Why?
Unusual vending machines, like our human Secret Santa vending machine for wilkolast Christmas, are a great way to engage consumers, get tongues wagging and generate headlines
ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
What?
A 40ft helter-skelter has been installed inside Norwich Cathedral in a bid to get more visitors and improve tourism to the historic building.
Who and When?
Revd Canon Andy Bryant came up with the idea after visiting the Sistine Chapel in Rome which reminded him of how beautiful Norwich Cathedral’s ceiling is.
Where?
The story was picked up by The Guardian alongside other national titled such as The iand The Telegraph.
Why?
The best stunts are unexpected and unusual – and this ticked both boxes. A great way to get eyeballs on and visitors to the Cathedral.
DIRTIEST FILM EVER
What?
Adult film website Pornhub has filmed a porn movie on a litter-ridden beach to raise money and drive awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Who and When?
At the end of August, amateur pornstarcouple, Leolulu, starred in the adult film which is set on one of the most plastic polluted beaches in the world.
Where?
The story was picked up by Independent Online alongside male focussed titles such as Men’s Health and JOE.com.
Why?
While some questioned Pornhub’s motive and authenticity, you can’t argue that any brand who uses its voice and platform to drive positive change should be applauded.
WINNER WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!
What?
Nando’s offered students free chicken on GCSE and A Level results day to celebrate (or commiserate) their achievements.
Who and When?
High street peri-peri chicken chain Nando’s offered any student, with their exam results with them, a free quarter chicken or item on the Fire-starter menu on results day only.
Where?
The stunt made blanket national coverage including Mail Online, Daily Mirror, The Sun, Evening Standard and Independent Online.
Why?
Nando’s free chicken hijacked the media agenda perfectly with a footfall driving stunt aimed squarely at its target audience… finger lickingood*
*whoops, wrong brand!
TRENDS
PLASTIC AIN’T FANTASTIC
Landfills are larger, beaches are closed due to increased pollution and throughout August brands highlighted change is needed.
Millennials love to pose on beaches and knowing this, Brita shone a light on the current issue by doctoring 21 influencer idealistic beach shots with a polluted post apolitical look into the future. Brewer drinks also announced they are to remove plastic packaging from Carling and Coors Light brands and Tesco announced a bold move to ban brands that excessively wrap their products in plastic.
IT’S ASHES TIME!
The Ashes may not generate the same crowds and media attention as other sporting events, but this doesn’t stop brands from taking a swing.
During the test and tries, numerous brands took advantage of reactive opportunities, such as Vegemite who publicly shamed Marmite (in a full-page national spread) for sampling products during the event, which resulted in an equally visible response resurfacing old cricket wounds…
MANCHESTER PRIDE
With Ariana Grande returning to our city for her only Manchester date, this year’s Pride was arguably bigger and better than any other year, celebrated by countless high profile figures and brands.
Rainbows were visible throughout the city… Metro Link wrapped its trams with the LGBTQ+ flag, Primark rebranded its storefront logo with the rainbow colours and Brazen’sChill Factoreclient showed its support for the LGBTQ+ community by inviting one of the UK’s most famous drag queens to put on a breath-taking display, skiing down the slope in full regalia!
#PRFAIL
#KNIFEFREE NUGGETS? REALLY?
What?
A behavioural change campaign set to raise awareness surrounding UK knife crime that resulted in confusion, anger and accusations of racism.
Who and When?
The UK Home Office launched their #knifefreecampaign where well-known designs of fast-food chicken boxes were replaced with anti-knife messaging during the school summer holidays.
Where?
Distributed across a number of takeaway shops across the UK, the campaign was picked up and debated by regional and national press, including The Guardian and The Mirror, and featured on Good Morning Britain.
Why?
Not only has The Home Office shown its lack of understanding and appeared to be out of touch with youth culture, it has also been accused inciting racist stereotypes.
UAE PR CAMPAIGNS AND STUNTS
VEGAN JUNK FOOD BRUNCH
What?
A twist on the iconic Dubai brunch scene with a one-off event, hosted by Dubai Vegan Day. The activation showcases traditional junk food transformed into vegan dishes and is Dubai’s first fully vegan brunch.
Who and When?
The brunch has been curated by blogger and vegan foodie, Zendy Marsam, for 7th September at ROVE Healthcare City.
Where?
Coverage appeared in top publications such as ShortList UAE, Caterer Middle East & Time Out Dubai.
Why?
The vegan trend has rapidly taken over the F&B scene in the UAE. Dining outlets have created exclusive vegan menus, offers and dishes to cater to the needs of this market. Later in the year Dubai will open the largest vegan restaurant in the world.
VR DRIVER TRAINING
What?
Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) utilisedVR technology in training and qualifying bus drivers as part of a road safety campaign, making them the first government entity in the Middle East to use technology in this field
Who and When?
RTA launchedthe initial stage of virtual reality in early August. The second phase, will use VR technology in basic and follow-up training courses later this year
Where?
Coverage appeared in publications such as Gulf News, The National and Time Out
Why?
The UAE hopes to improve passenger transport training. Due to numerous accidents across the region the RTA strives to bring sustained improvements in monitoring and assessing drivers’ performance.
FLY FOR FREE WITH IMG!
What?
A summer of surprises, IMG Worlds of Adventure gives visitors a chance to convert their Dh299 theme park ticket into a free round trip flight to a destination of their choice.
Who and When?
The Dubai-based theme park, part of the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group, launched its ‘Fly Free with IMG’ programme, kicking off what has been described as this year’s “biggest summer promotion” in the country.
Where?
Coverage appeared in top tier publications such as The National, Khaleej Times, What’s On and Ahlan.
Why?
Citizens in the UAE look to travel during the summer months or prefer to stay indoors. Offers such as the ‘Fly for Free’ program bring visitors to the theme park and also give them a cheap holiday out of the country.
DTCM X TIKTOK
What?
Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) partnered with TikTok, a mobile application for short-form video, to promote the emirate to a wider and younger audience.
Who and When?
The campaign took place during the summer months where participating bodies included Mall of the Emirates, Burj Khalifa, Skydive Dubai, Uber and Atlantis, The Palm, amongst others.
Where?
Coverage appeared in top tier publications such as Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Arabian Business.
Why?
The challenge was part of TikTok’s #TikTokTravel global campaign to encourage travellers to creatively capture and share their travel moments, which attracted a total of 1 billion views.
TRENDS
THE 90’S NOSTALGIA TREND
With the 25th anniversary of the 90s TV phenomenon FRIENDS, brands have utilised the nostalgia to create capsule collections.
Pottery Barn released a limited furniture range and IKEA UAE had an award-winning ad campaign where they re-created the iconic apartment of Monica and Rachel.
CONSUMERS #OBSESSED WITH TIKTOK CHALLENGES
TikTok has become the latest platform where new social crazes emerge.
The #Obsessed TikTok challenge encourages its users to perform a mini dance routine to Mariah Carey’s song “Obsessed.”
SUSTAINABLE DINING
Due to an acute awareness of where their food and drink comes from, consumers across MENA are actively prioritising ethical and sustainable concepts.
This has heavily effected the F&B scene with a rise in meatless meat options with restaurants opting to use plant based alternatives.
#PRFAIL
JAWS DROP WITH RANDOM PARTNERSHIP
What?
E-commerce platform Shopee announced its partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo, unveiling him as its newest brand ambassador
Who and When?
The digital campaign was launched in early August to promote the e-commerce brand and went viral for all the wrong reasons
Where?
Coverage appeared in top Asian publications such as The Strait Times, Branding in Asia, Asia One and Indy 100
Why?
Shopee attempted to tap into the footballer’s celebrity status and combine it with another viral trend the ‘Baby Shark’ phenomenon. This misplaced synergy failed to impress and was dubbed ‘the worst advert of all time’.
Want more information? Contact us here
About the Author
