Stunts of the Month

Stunts can be a blessing and a curse for a PR agency. Sitting from the safety of our desks, we dream of mass coverage, trending #hashtags and a universal outpour of love for our ideas. Sometimes though the best laid plans can fall flat and fail to create the desired buzz. On other occasions a throwaway idea can quickly build momentum and become a steaming success. Often you’re at the mercy of the news agenda, a stroke of good timing or a lucky break. A well-planned and constructed stunt though can be a game changer for a brand; here are a couple of our favourites from the last month:

• Airbnb take a trip down river. If you’re looking to target a London audience, the meandering allure of the Thames can often be tempting to focus on. While there’s no point shoehorning the river into your campaign, if you can find the right way to include the Thames, it can have a big visual impact. Late in May, Airbnb took another step towards global domination when they floated a house downstream. Yes, an actual two bedroom house, complete with a working bathroom and a garden.  All in the name of highlighting new rules on home sharing for Londoners, the stunt had a big impact on social media and in the press, showing the benefits of a big visual idea.

• Powerade make commuters sweat. As well as making a visual impact, a great of way engaging your potential audience with your brand is to encourage them to interact with your campaign. Last month, Powerade introduced interactive billboards to the streets of Berlin that allowed passers-by the chance to climb, punch or weight-lift on their way to work. Those who took the challenge received a free Powerade afterwards and it demonstrated a great way of promoting the ethos of a brand in a clever and interactive way. With 57,000 views on YouTube the smartly produced video also means that the stunt has legs beyond the city limits of Berlin. Take a look at the video here: https://youtu.be/mJB4DJpq4mw

Tim Thackray