Hails & Fails – December 2nd 2022
World Cup fever continues to ramp up as England reach the knock-out stages, but there have been some brilliant non-football PR campaigns in the headlines this week.
Rugby League’s Rob Burrow is set to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story, Booking.com has given Mariah Carey fans a dream Christmas opportunity and Virgin Media O2 has launched a campaign to make the cost of living crisis easier for Big Issue vendors. It was not such a good week for craft ale company BrewDog though, after the firm lost its ethical certification.
HAILS
Rugby League's Rob Burrow to read CBeebies Bedtime Story
Former Rugby League player Rob Burrow is set to read the CBeebies Bedtime Story on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Rob, who used to play for Leeds Rhinos, lives with motor neurone disease (MND) and will be using an eye-controlled computer to read the story.
The computer recreates the words in his own native Yorkshire accent.
He was joined in the CBeebies studio by his wife Lindsey and two of their children, Maya, 7, and Jackson, 3.
Coverage everywhere!
All I want for Christmas is Mariah Carey
Booking.com has teamed up with pop icon Mariah Carey to give fans Mariah’s Ultimate Holiday Experience in New York City this month.
A pair of guests will be get a weekend-long experience specially curated by Mariah, including a three-night stay at The Plaza, a Fairmont Hotel in New York, in a luxury room fit for the ‘Queen of Christmas’ herself.
The lucky bookers will also be treated to an epic itinerary filled with holiday attractions around NYC, including a cocktails and Christmas card photoshoot at a private space in Mariah’s gorgeous New York City penthouse apartment. The experience also comes complete with flights and airport transfers.
And Mariah fans have gone nuts over on social media – expect a bunfight!
Big Issue sellers get free sim cards
Big Issue sellers will get free sim cards and data vouchers to help them cope with the worsening cost-of-living crisis.
Virgin Media O2 is working with the Big Issue Group to support all the magazine’s vendors.
Last year, O2 gave more than 200 Big vendors free data plans, enabling them to take contactless payments, providing vital support at a time when half of magazine sales are via contactless.
This year the company will be offering monthly data to the magazine’s entire network of vendors.
And the firm’s generous Christmas gesture has rightly won plaudits everywhere.
FAILS
BrewDog in trouble over ethical credentials
Beer brand BrewDog has lost its status as a B Corp less than two years after joining the scheme.
The B Corp certification reinforces a company’s ethical commitment to the environment, community and staff.
The self-styled ‘punk’ brewery has come under fire and had to apologise after current and former employees signed an open letter alleging a “culture of fear” in which workers were bullied last year.
And this week it was confirmed their B Corp status was no more, following a BBC documentary which highlighted issues with its workplace culture.
Ouch!
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