He is the first North American pontiff to be elected leader of the Catholic Church
The Dos Equis beer brand made a series of commercials pushing forward the "most interesting man in the world." No add-ons needed. But not all campaigns are tailored with the same craftsmanship...
In 1999, 'The Blair Witch Project' team confused everyone, by spreading controversy and leading people to believe it was a real-life documentary. The truth was eventually revealed, and the film was a success! And the flashlight on a terrified face scene became more iconic than the film itself.
In 2004, the brand launched an online campaign featuring a man in a chicken suit, who would perform any command given to him. The bizarre campaign generated a lot of buzz, but was ultimately criticized for being tasteless and offensive.
Why have bread when you can have two slices of fried chicken? In 2010, KFC's Double Down campaign was extremely popular, selling over 10 million sandwiches.
In 2009, Burger King launched a campaign that encouraged users to delete 10 friends from their Facebook accounts in exchange for a free Whopper. The campaign was criticized for promoting antisocial behavior and violating Facebook’s terms of service.
Richard Branson was always a wild thinker. From flying around the world in a hot-air balloon, he went on to market his space tourism vision. Everyone thought it was ludicrous, but his idea has now escalated to new dimensions.
Clara Peller is the popular elderly woman in the Wendy's commercial. After being served a hamburger with a small patty, she promptly exclaims: "Where’s the beef?" The phrase became a cultural phenomenon, and Wendy's sales jumped 31% in a single year.
Space is the place to sell cars too, apparently. Remember when Elon Musk sent a Tesla car into outer space? It was a press success!
In 2018, IHOP decided to spice things up by changing its name to IHOb, leaving everyone wondering what the "b" stood for. It turns out it was all part of a marketing campaign to promote their new line of burgers.
In 2015, Burger King waved a white flag and proposed a collaboration with McDonald’s to create a hybrid burger: the McWhopper. The campaign was meant for World Peace Day, but the two fast food giants couldn’t find common ground, and McDonald’s ultimately declined the offer.
Lying is also a way to get publicity. Back in 1996, Taco Bell submitted press releases to major news outlets saying they were purchasing the Liberty Bell. Outrageous, but it worked, and Taco Bell got around US$25 million in free publicity from the stunt.
Talking about cringe PR moments, here's something for Kim Kardashian to regret. In 2010, she showed up to reveal the Charmin Restrooms location at New York's Times Square.
Sources: (The Drum)
In 2018, KFC released a series of ads featuring Colonel Sanders in a 'romantic comedy' set in the 1800s. The ads were widely criticized for being bizarre and tone-deaf. But the idea stuck, and resulted in a popular dating simulator with the Colonel himself, developed by Psyop.
Paul Marcarelli was the face of one the most successful campaigns in recent history, which lasted from 2002 to 2011. The 'test man' character traveled across the US asking "Can you hear me now?" to test Verizon’s signal. The catchphrase became widely recognized, and it's been linked to the Verizon brand ever since.
Relief App offers debt management services to working Americans. They teamed up with Wunder to create a campaign inspired by the Netflix series 'Squid Game,' and placed 10,000 'game cards' around the city centers of New York and Miami. Fortunately, they provide milder solutions for dealing with the issue!
Free press goes a long way. For instance, National Geographic had the idea to cruise the streets of London with a 'dead' T-rex. They got everyone's attention, and saved some big bucks on advertising.
Peeing on an IKEA ad for a discount?! Pretty gross, right? The sheet was actually a pregnancy test on their catalog! The brand encouraged women to pee on it to reveal a potential discount on a crib.
The gentleman's brand Suitsupply got into bad PR jail when they decided to push women's spicy imagery to sell men's apparel. The public didn't like it, and all the brand got out of it was a serious case of bad press.
Uber took its ride-sharing services to new heights when it started offering promotional helicopter rides to Uber users. It started the service in 2012 by chartering Uber helicopter rides from New York City to the Hamptons. It's now escalated to private jets.
The history of marketing is full of incredible stunts and wild ideas. In this gallery, we present a curated list of the most bizarre PR campaigns ever to grace the media landscape. A certain craziness is key to an idea that would never have belonged in a box. They are out there!
So, whether you’re a marketing buff or just someone who appreciates life's quirks, this list promises to entertain, educate, and maybe even inspire you. Without further ado, let's travel down memory lane and rediscover some unforgettable PR campaigns. Click on and enjoy!
Unusual PR campaigns that made history
Genius marketing stunts that captured the world's attention
LIFESTYLE Publicity
The history of marketing is full of incredible stunts and wild ideas. In this gallery, we present a curated list of the most bizarre PR campaigns ever to grace the media landscape. A certain craziness is key to an idea that would never have belonged in a box. They are out there!
So, whether you’re a marketing buff or just someone who appreciates life's quirks, this list promises to entertain, educate, and maybe even inspire you. Without further ado, let's travel down memory lane and rediscover some unforgettable PR campaigns. Click on and enjoy!