Globespotting July
PR Campaigns & Stunts
BECKMANN CLEANS UP
What?
Brazen Live took on its most ambitious shoot to date, recreating the iconic Levi’s Laundrette ad for Dr. Beckmann
Who and When?
Guest star Shaun Williamson (a.k.a. Barry from Eastenders) stole the show, stripping down to his tighty-whities to showcase Dr. B’s Colour & Dirt Collector
Where?
The story cleaned up with coverage across the board including The Sun, The Mirror and The Star, thousands of views on social media and generated mass talkability
Why?
It takes a Brazen approach to make laundry sexy and turn a colour collector into a headline-grabbing tabloid sensation
A STEP UP FOR CROCS
What?
Love them or hate them, Barbie-pink Stiletto Crocs have become the internet’s latest sell-out fashion craze
Who and When?
Balenciaga sparked a press frenzy & mass social media debate when it shared a photo of the brand’s new Crocs stilettos, described by many as fashion ‘Marmite’
Where?
The story crossed media boundaries, appearing everywhere from fashion mags and Ladbible to national titles including the Daily Mail & Independent online
Why?
In the world of high-fashion where outlandish designs are the norm, only the most unexpected ideas can hope to get tongues wagging
SHOWCASE SHOOTS, SCORES AND SETS NEW WORLD RECORD!
What?
Kicking off World Cup fever, Brazen client, Showcase Cinemas smashed a Guinness World Record for ‘popcorn keepy uppy’ to announce the screening of all World Cup matches across its 21 cinemas nationwide
Who and When?
The cinema chain challenged freestyle footballer and keepy uppy king, John Farnworth, to set his most ambitious record yet, by kicking pieces of popcorn and catching them in his mouth
Where?
The story and video footage scored blanket national coverage as well as being championed on influential social media sites; LADbible and Unilad
Why?
This simple but engaging stunt cut through the World Cup noise and perfectly positioned Showcase as the place to go to watch the matches – resulting in bums on seats during the, typically, quieter summer months!
ENGLAND SQUAD GAIN CAR PARK SPACE
What?
For the first time since 1966, the England squad reached the World Cup semi-final
Who and When?
Lidl jumped on the back off their success and gave the 2018 team their own permanent car parking space at the budget supermarket
Where?
The story was funny and brought a bit of everyday normality to the world Cup. It led as a picture story and was featured in nationals including the Metro and the Sun, with regional press for each team member
Why?
An incredibly simple idea that just shows how a brand can drive coverage with nothing but a lick of paint…
Trends
FIFA WORLD CUP
We may have mentioned the World Cup as a trend in June, but seriously it was pretty tricky for other PR campaigns to get cut-through amongst all the footie-fuelled fun.
TFL renamed (Gareth) Southgate tube station in honour of the now-legendary England Manager, Capital North East replaced signage in a local IKEA with ‘Football Etskömmånhjöme’ name plates and Three rebranded its store-fronts with three crying lion emojis after England’s unfortunate semi-final defeat.
TRUMP’S VISIT
With Brits less-than-enthusiastic about the US President’s first official state visit to the UK, brands were quick to jump on a cheeky newsjacking opportunity.
Paddy Power installed an ‘Oprah for President’ wax figure outside parliament, Tennant’s lager introduced a special can ‘for tiny hands’, the Stylist team hit the streets with ‘Let’s start a pu**y riot’ placards and one audacious agency even created a ‘F**k Trump’ crop circle (in Russian) under the President’s flight path.
SUSTAINABILITY SAVIOURS
Brands took bold steps to reduce waste in July, eager to win over eco-conscious customers.
First, Starbucks hit the headlines by introducing a 5p charge on single-use cups, nicknamed the ‘latte levy’.
Next, Iceland launched its #TooCoolForPlastic campaign, swapping plastic carrier bags for paper or reusable alternatives, and IKEA became the latest brand to ban plastic straws.
#PRFAIL
BUILD A BEAR BREAKS HEARTS
What?
Build a Bear launched a pay your age day, aimed at young children who could purchase a bear for the price of their age – considerably less than usual!
Who and When?
The shops opened to thousands of people queuing and many stores had to close early due to safety fears, leaving many grizzly children disappointed
Where?
The story was covered by national press including The Guardian, The Sun and The Mirro
Why?
This story highlights why brands should never promise more than they can deliver to customers – great idea in theory, just poorly executed
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