Hails & Fails – March 17th 2023
It’s been another busy week in PR! From fascinating research to happy hounds and the return of a certain TV presenter to our screens, there has been lots to shout about.
Sleep brand Silentnight landed some incredible coverage for its amazing study into the nation’s napping habits, car manufacturer Skoda received a round of ap-paws for a genius canine campaign, and the BBC and Gary Lineker finally came to an agreement. But it was a bad week for Ticketmaster after the brand was blasted by rock royalty for exorbitant fees.
HAILS
Generation Zzzzzz
Brazen’s Newsroom landed front page coverage in the nationals for its client Silentnight by revealing controversial research around the nation’s napping habits. The story uncovered, ahead of World Sleep Day, that Gen Zs are more likely to take a cat nap than older generations, sparking mass coverage and huge talkability and cementing Silentnight’s position as the experts in sleep. The perfect combo of a simple but newsworthy angle and timely relevance… newsjacking done right.
Turn up the sub-WOOF-er
Car manufacturer Skoda partnered with a canine behaviour specialist to create the ultimate driving playlist – for dogs! The ‘Happy Hounds’ song list on Spotify includes relaxing renditions from the likes of Bob Marley, Frank Sinatra and Adele, after research found that soothing sounds have a calming effect on the delicate sensibilities of our furry friends, with six in ten dogs suffering from car anxiety.
Barking mad and genius all in one!
Lineker back on air
The saga surrounding the Match of the Day commentator dominated headlines last week, providing one of the nation’s most controversial news stories of the year. The presenter’s future with the BBC appeared to hang in the balance before it was announced this week that the two parties had come to an agreement. Questions will continue to be asked of the BBC over the handling of the matter but, for now, football fans can breathe a sigh of relief – with Lineker back on air for Match of the Day this weekend.
FAILS
That’s (not!) the ticket
Ticketmaster was blasted this week after it emerged the site was charging exorbitant fees that were, in some cases, adding up to more than the price of a ticket. The controversy erupted when Robert Smith, frontman of English rock band The Cure, received screenshots from fans showing the enormous fees. He responded saying he was “sickened” by the “debacle”, prompting Ticketmaster into an embarrassing backtrack, with some customers receiving a refund.
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