2024 will not only go down in history books as a year of ballots and breakdancing firsts. This year has also delivered some unforgettable PR stunts — and a few jaw-dropping missteps.
Keen to grow your brand? Then, take inspiration from the seven best publicity stunts of the year (so far).
What, exactly, Is a PR Stunt?
Let’s quickly pause to define a PR or publicity stunt, so we’re all on the same page.
A PR stunt is a planned event or action that attracts public attention and media coverage for a brand, product, or cause. These stunts are often creative, unconventional, or provocative.
Red Bull Stratos is one of the most famous publicity stunts of the past two decades. In 2012, Red Bull sponsored Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking freefall jump from the stratosphere. The event garnered massive media attention and reinforced Red Bull’s association with extreme sports.
Innovative PR Stunts: Learn from the Best
A well-executed PR stunt can get your brand the attention it deserves. But it takes a good deal of creativity and careful planning to create a stunt that works.
Take your cue from this year’s seven best stunts, as selected by the PR.co team.
The Ordinary’s Sailing Stunt
The first exceptional PR feat on our list of killer stunts comes from skincare brand The Ordinary.
The cosmetics giant recently made a splash in central London by floating a colossal model of their bestselling skincare product down the city’s waterways.
While sailing objects down the Thames isn’t a novel concept, The Ordinary combined the stunt with a giveaway for maximum impact. Anyone who snapped a photo of the giant bottle and tagged @theordinary could claim free products in any of their London stores.
The Ordinary also ensured the bottle and the boat it rode on adhered to their trademark minimalist aesthetic, tying the publicity stunt into a more extensive campaign to revolutionize how the beauty industry relates to its audience.
Why it works: The Ordinary took a tried-and-tested concept and added a new spin. Combining an unmissable event (at least for those who live and work around the Thames) with a clever social media campaign and the promise of free merchandise created several brand touchpoints and a positive brand journey among target customers. Sad you missed out on the freebie? Precisely.
The Prada Double Club
Another tactic that will get your brand the buzz it deserves is showing target customers how to have an unforgettable time. 🥳
This is precisely what iconic fashion house Prada did when they opened a pop-up nightclub in a Los Angeles warehouse. Carsten Höller’s Prada Double Club in L.A. was the third version of this fun concept, following London (2008) and Miami (2017).
The 2024 club featured live, sensual music (curated by Drake) and vintage amusement park rides designed by artists Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and David Hockney.
For this publicity stunt, Höller continued his exploration of “doubleness,” transforming the warehouse in the city’s Arts District into an imaginative, ephemeral landscape.
Prada also carefully timed the club’s opening to coincide with Oscar Week, tapping into the glitz of Hollywood’s biggest event to give their PR stunt more exposure.
Why it works: Prada’s Double Club is a masterclass in boosting brand appeal by combining a well-timed event, experiential marketing, and star power. It’s an excellent reminder of the value of using celebrities — in this case, Drake, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Pedro, Bianca Lexis, DJ Reflex, and DJ Pee — to give your PR stunt the attention it deserves.
The Oreo menu
Not every publicity stunt has to take place in real life. Mondelēz International’s “Oreo Menu” campaign is a fantastic example of what you can accomplish in cyberspace.
The masterminds behind this campaign reimagined the website hamburger menu icon as an Oreo cookie. Subsequently, the brand invited the public to use any hamburger menu element found online as a promo code for Oreo discounts at Kroger stores in the United States.
This clever PR stunt forged a link between Oreo cookies and a ubiquitous web element. The attached reward also incentivized social media users to share the campaign, amplifying its reach.
Why it works: Linking the Oreo brand to one of the most recognizable internet icons immediately captured the public’s attention and leveraged a symbol familiar to all internet users. Including an entertaining “treasure hunt” in this publicity stunt added an engaging, gamified dimension, encouraging participation. Finally, the promise of a special offer was a strong motivator, further incentivizing consumers to get involved.
Michal CeraVe Campaign
While CeraVe’s Michael Cera campaign isn’t easily replicated, this PR stunt deserves a place on this list — it’s simply too good to ignore.
Reddit users noticed a resemblance between CeraVe’s brand name and actor Michael Cera. CeraVe’s PR team then capitalized on the coincidence, crafting playful ads highlighting the connection.
They further amplified the buzz by engaging entertainment influencers in speculative discussions and orchestrating a publicity stunt where Cera was spotted carrying CeraVe products around New York City.
The campaign culminated in a Zoolander-style ad aired during the Super Bowl, which humorously revealed that the brand’s creation was, in fact, unrelated to the actor. CeraVe finally debunked the claim, closing the loop on one of the funniest, most memorable PR stunts we’ve seen.
Why it works: The campaign showcases the power of leveraging social media chatter and tapping into an unexpected connection with a celebrity to create a PR stunt that’s hard to ignore. Partnering with a celebrity not typically associated with skincare products made this PR stunt particularly memorable and effective
Burger King's Million Dollar Whopper
Involving your audience in brand or product development is a smart way to foster a stronger connection and a sense of ownership. Burger King’s Million Dollar Whopper challenge takes this tactic a step further by combining it with cutting-edge AI, user-generated content (UGC), and a cash prize.
Earlier this year, Burger King launched an AI-powered platform where customers could design custom Whoppers by inputting their ideas for toppings. The AI visualized these creations, enabling users to share their unique burger concepts on social media. While the results were both appetizing and terrifying, they generated significant buzz for the iconic brand.
The contest was still ongoing when we published this article. The final three customer-created burger concepts will soon be featured on menus at Burger King locations throughout the United States. The ultimate decision on the winning Whopper design — and recipient of the million-dollar prize — will be determined by public vote.
Why it works: This PR stunt succeeds by harnessing cutting-edge technology (GenAI) to engage customers innovatively and creatively. Incorporating a contest that demands public participation also guarantees sustained buzz and discussion around the brand.
The Nissan Qashqai Chimney Stunt
(Source: Nissan)
Another excellent tactic for getting your brand noticed is creating a spectacle that literally stops people in their tracks. Nissan applied this approach in a recent campaign for their new Qashqai model, “parking” a replica of the car on the chimney of London landmark Truman Brewery.
The installation forms part of Nissan’s broader “elevate the urban drive” campaign, which includes a series of slick CGI videos documenting the car’s “journey” from Nissan’s Sunderland factory.
In a related stunt, Nissan set a Guinness World Record for the highest car bungee jump. The goal? To cement the manufacturer’s reputation for pushing boundaries and creativity to their limits.
Why it works: By showcasing its new model in unexpected ways, Nissan effectively communicates that it’s far from ordinary. Whether you appreciate the PR stunt or not, placing a replica on an iconic landmark ensures your brand stays top of mind for everyone who passes by.
Duolingo on Ice
If you’ve ever missed a Duolingo language lesson, you already know why the green owl has garnered a reputation for being both cute and creepy. The people behind the brand embraced public opinion, as is evident in their recent April Fool’s Day publicity stunt.
Duolingo unveiled their ad for Duolingo on Ice – billed as a “four-hour shocking spectacle with no intermission” – on April 1st, following a teaser released in late March. The ad for the fake “multilingual musical” featured a host of Duolingo characters skating and singing multi-language songs with hilarious names and phrases (e.g., “Spanish or Vanish”).
The PR team added authenticity to the prank by implementing a functioning ticket-booking system, creating a fair amount of buzz and leaving a surprising number of people clamoring for a real-life version.
Why it works: This PR stunt aligns seamlessly with Duolingo’s reputation for quirky, offbeat humor. By introducing a hint of awkward self-awareness, the brand mascot also creates an authentic connection with the target audience, all of whom are learning a new language.
Check out our list of top PR campaigns from 2024 for more creative inspiration.
PS: Did we miss a great PR stunt? Help us create the ultimate guide to publicity stunts – give us a shout.
