A PR stunt can often elevate your reputation to new heights, capturing the attention of the media and public alike.
But a stunt needn’t cost the earth and be a big expensive 'float something down the Thames' extravaganza.
The best and cleverest stunts drive news of your brand, product or service by tapping into the agenda, springing off from a cultural or topical moment. They are creative and bold, generating column inches by targeting people's imagination, senses, emotions or feelings, while communicating your message at the same time.
Stunts are also a great alternative way for challenger brands and startups to make their mark. The bigger the brand, the more risk averse they usually are so startups and SMEs can - and should - be more brazen and cheekier. The rewards (if done right) outweigh the risks of being brave and disruptive.
To help you understand what we mean, here are seven of our favourite stunts from across the world as examples.
Czech Republic: Look Who’s Talking
The largest pet insurance company in the Czech Republic, Ceska Pojistovna, trained an African Grey parrot to sell pet insurance. Well, they actually trained it to say the words 'pet insurance' - or rather ‘pojinštêní zvírarat’ in the bird’s native tongue.
They then set it up with a preloaded iPad in the middle of a pet shop.
Who says working for peanuts is a bad thing?
You can read more about it here.
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Sweden: Spare Time
The Folkoperan opera house in Stockholm sent 10 performers out onto the street disguised as homeless people to promote their spring show God Disguised.
The performers held signs which told passers-by they were performing in the show and that they had two free tickets to give away.
The aim was to prove how disadvantaged groups are ignored by society - a theme of the play - and the stunt illustrated this perfectly as it took a whopping 12 hours for anyone to claim the first tickets.
You can read more about it here.
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Japan: Shell We Move?
A lack of suitable housing isn't just a problem for cities, Japanese hermit crabs share this struggle as due to environmental degradation they can often be found walking the beaches of Japan in bottle caps - not an ideal living situation.
Real estate company Suumo came up with an ingenious solution with the help of the Marine Science and Technology students at Tokyo University, engineering the perfect synthetic shell made of environmentally-friendly potato starch.
Bright green and embossed with the Suumo logo, these walking billboards were hard to miss, a great example of successful brand PR.
You can read more about it here.
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UK: The 'Self-Destructing' Artwork
In 2018, Banksy's famous 'Girl with a Balloon' artwork mysteriously 'self-destructed' at a Sotheby’s auction in London, straight after it was sold for a staggering £1,042,000.
The sudden twist was the canvas slid down its frame into a shredder leaving onlookers in the auction room shocked and it caused a social media and press uproar.
By creating something so unexpected, it generated a massive storm and this was reported across the globe.
You can read more about it here.
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USA: The World's Largest Unboxing
Imagine being a three-year-old boy and unwrapping not a toy truck but a 80’x14’x18’ box with a new Volvo VNL truck weighing 18,044lbs inside?
This stunt, involving filming Jovine's reaction to that gigantic pressie, was a response to the trend for unboxing videos on YouTube, which can get millions of views each time.
This went viral and was a success with trade media and consumers alike, watched nearly 25 millions times over a two week period. With a bit of creative thinking alongside a tried-and-tested trend, you can make your own unique PR magic.
You can watch the story behind it here.
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UK: From Vandals to Message of Hope
This is an example of how a 'stunt' isn't always fun or frivolous - this one had a serious and societal edge - nor does it have to bey physical. A stunt can simply be an intent or a clever statement. It comes courtesy of Munch, the boutique PR agency our founder launched pre-Nibble.
Munch turned a negative into a positive for a Jewish theatre that was vandalised ahead of an LGBT play being staged by getting the lead actor to make a statement saying he wanted to invite the vandals to watch the show. He put two free tickets at the box office for them.
Coverage appeared in all of the London, theatre and LGBT media, the right mix of publications for raising awareness of the show to encourage people to buy tickets.
You can read more about it here.
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UAE: The Highest Pop-up Restaurant in the World
Etihad Airways wanted to change the perception of airplane food, something so many people hate about travelling. By doing so, it set a new world record and raised money for charity.
Inflight chef Sanjay Thakur created and served dinner for guests at the highest pop-up restaurant in the world, located at Everest Advanced High Camp - 20,8000ft from the ground!
By illustrating the skill of the airline's chefs and their menus, and placing that in an extreme and unlikely location, it challenged the status quo of people's thinking around a dislike that is common to so many.
You can read more about it here
Now do you see what we mean?
So when you're looking for your perfect PR match on Nibble, you might want to ask them whether stunts will be part of the strategy they would choose for you.
With the right person, the right idea, and the right execution, you can really get people talking.
Ready for some top-notch PR? Match with highly recommended freelance PRs who’ve got a track record for knocking it out the park. Get started here.
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