For brands to stay relevant in 2022, they must foster the authenticity and boldness that so many crave in a crowded and loud economy. Brands have to cater to their stakeholders — not just their investors, but the communities they impact, their employees, their customers, the press, and more. Public relations is a powerful (and budget-friendly) tool that helps brands connect with the audiences that matter.
Below you'll find our round-up of the best PR campaigns of 2022. If you're looking for more inspo, check out our pick of best campaigns in 2021 and 2023.
1. LEGO: empowering through play
LEGO believes in the power of play as a vehicle for children’s learning. They stand by the idea that playful experiences can support children in developing the skills to serve them and their communities.
“Play motivates the child’s natural curiosity and openness to try new, sometimes difficult, experiences. Because play facilitates a safe and comfortable “training space” for real-life events and consequences, it is a powerful way for children to develop their social and emotional skills.” - Lego Foundation
2. Keeping up with the Kardashians PR machine
They say the devil works hard, but Kris Jenner works harder. We normally wouldn’t be caught dishing the dirt behind this Hollywood-famous family, but we think this is an important PR campaign to mention, even if it is just speculation that there is someone behind it.
It all began on November 5, 2021, when a fatal crowd crush killed a total of 10 people at the Astroworld Festival, a music event founded by rapper Travis Scott. Scott is Kylie Jenner’s partner. Many concertgoers blame the rapper for not stopping the show while people were being injured. Others blame the event organizers for not implementing the necessary safety measures. In all cases, the event was investigated by the FBI and Travis Scott was heavily criticized in the media after the concert.
What followed this tragic event is a series of cover-up tactics and scandals that have distracted the public opinion from the Astroworld tragedy. Between poorly photoshopped images of kids, alternations to their body shapes, new relationships, pregnancies, engagements, and cheating scandals, it’s hard to keep up with the Kardashians PR machine. So many things have occurred in so little time, it seems like the news on the Astroworld investigation have flown under the radar.
It is speculated that it is the Kardashians themselves are the ones initiating the rumors for each of these scandals in an attempt to deflect public opinion. If you want the juicy details on each scandal, check out this podcast.
Want to know how?
3. Gender Pay Gap Bot
Every year, tons of companies hit their social media channels to show support on International Women’s Day. This year, a Twitter bot was set up to call out companies that congratulate the women on their team, but do not pay them fair wages. Any attempts of performative activism were shut down by the bot by highlighting the pay disparities between men and women in that specific company. The bot was set up by Francesca Lawson, a social media manager in Manchester, England, with her partner, Ali Fensome, a software consultant. The bot gathered information from a database published by the UK government, which in 2018, required organizations to report salary differences.
“The bot exists in order to empower employees and members of the public to hold these companies to account for their role in perpetuating inequalities.” Francesca Lawson told the New York Times. “It’s no good saying how much you empower women if you have a stinking pay gap.”
Whenever an organization tweeted about their International Women’s Day initiatives, the account responded by publishing the company’s gap. Some brands went on to delete their tweets after being called out. In other cases, the bot highlighted the work of companies that either pay women more or pay men and women equally.
4. Coinbase’s Super Bowl QR Code
The Super Bowl is probably one of the most important days of the year for communications professionals. This year was no exception. During the game, we saw ads from a wide range of companies like food delivery apps, SaaS providers, and of course, McDonald’s. It’s safe to say 2022 was the year crypto went mainstream.
Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, participated (and won) in this year’s Super Bowl with a very simple, yet efficient TV ad. A neon-colored QR code bounced around in a black screen, just like a DVD screensaver, while a generic techno song played. Viewers were persuaded to scan the QR code to receive $15 in free bitcoin. During the first minute after the ad aired, Coinbase’s website received more than 20 million hits – and later crashed. Regardless of this result, this is clear: if the objective of the ad was to raise awareness, it sure hit the spot.
Of course, we can’t mention the famous ad without the controversy that followed it. After the ad went live, Coinbase CEO, Brian Armstrong, hit Twitter to speak about the process of making the ad. He claimed that the idea behind the ad came after they had already bought a slot on the Super Bowl but hadn’t thought of an idea yet. Although some ideas were pitched by agencies, Armstrong says, they were all celebrity cameo-oriented or simply going for a laugh. A few minutes later, Kristen Cavallo, CEO at The Martin agency, replied to that thread stating that the idea had actually come from their advertising agency. After being called out, Armstrong acknowledged the “creative agency” that helped the idea come to fruition (but didn’t actually name them). Beyond intellectual property and credit, Cavallo was looking to create a positive change in the industry where agencies are truly valued for their creative contributions.
If there’s a lesson to be learned from this campaign it’s that DVD screensavers can get people excited like no other. Also, give credit where credit is due.
5. Airbnb for Ukraine
It’s easy to feel distraught by reading the news from Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. The only thing that helps ease the anxiety is action. Airbnb is stepping in to aid more than 10,000 Ukrainian refugees by offering short-term housing. Many users are using Airbnb as a donation platform in order to provide temporary shelter for refugees. If you’d like to host a refugee or donate money to emergency stays, here’s how you can help.
Another innovative way people are helping Ukrainian citizens is by making false reservations in Ukrainian cities, in order to get money to hosts quickly.
People are currently making false reservations in Ukrainian cities and immediately notifying their hosts that they won’t come. This way, the reservation fee is still wired to them immediately. Hilary Mak, a 57-year-old from Manchester, England told The Washington Post: “I have donated to charities, but I thought maybe this was a way to connect to people in an individual way … and to let them know that people are behind them and want to do whatever they can to help.”
6. Penguin Random House: The unburnable book
Across America and around the world, there is a growing movement to ban and even burn books. A recent report by PEN America showed that over a 9 month period, 1,586 books were banned in school districts across the US impacting 2 million students. Whether you agree with the motives or not, book banning is clearly a significant trend.
Concerned by the implications of the bans, Penguin Random House created the unburnable book. The book, a one of a kind copy of A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, was printed on fire resistant materials normally reserved for aerospace engineering. Penguin Random House explained the stunt, “[the book] is designed to protect this vital story and stand as a powerful symbol against censorship.”
After a period on public display, the book was sold at auction by Sotherby’s with all proceeds going to PEN America’s work on free expression.
7. Mars: removing Bounty from Celebrations
There is perhaps nothing that embodies Christmas in the UK more than a large variety box of chocolates. Nobody knows the reason it’s just a tradition and everyone knows that in Britain, you don’t mess with tradition. That’s why when Mars recently announced that they’d be removing one of the miniature chocolates (a coconut delight called ‘Bounty’) from their Celebrations box all Hell broke loose on Twitter. Celebrities and news reporters shared their outrage with their millions of followers, creative Tweeters produced memes and the debacle even featured in a segment on This Morning, a popular TV news program.
The controversial Bounty bars are to be removed from Celebrations chocolate tubs as part of a pre-Christmas trial after it was found 39% of consumers want the coconut-flavoured treats axed!
— This Morning (@thismorning) November 3, 2022
Are you a Bounty fan? 🥥 pic.twitter.com/TBJOgpzFdi
The real genius in the story is that Mars isn't even axing Bounty bars. Instead, they’re temporarily removing them from a small selection of boxes that will only be sold in Tesco supermarkets. One Tweet and a simple press release was enough to generate national news coverage and put their chocolates top of mind ahead of peak sales season. Did Mars pick on Bounty because of the word’s link to monetary rewards? This word nerd likes to think so.
Hungry for more inspo? Here are our top picks of best PR campaigns in 2021 and 2023.
