How to create a killer publicity stunt

A publicity stunt, or PR stunt, is an orchestrated event used to attract attention to a person or to tell a brand’s story. As you might imagine, this could go very well or very poorly depending on how it’s executed (which we’ll discuss later on in the blog).

Marketing stunts are sometimes considered controversial because the outcome is a gamble. An example of a famous PR stunt was the Red Bull Stratos marketing campaign in 2012. As part of this stunt, also known as the “Mission to the Edge of Space,” Australian skydiver Felix Baumgartner aimed to set a record for the highest fall from space. In this case, the stunt was successful, and the mission broke World Records—helping Red Bull soar to new heights (literally!). Some other beverage companies such as BrewDog are known not to refrain from using marketing stunts as a go-to marketing strategy.

Read on to learn more about what makes a good publicity stunt. We’ll also provide tips on how to create a PR stunt, how Artlist assets can help, examples of memorable marketing stunts, and how publicity stunts can work for or against your brand.

What makes a good publicity stunt?

A good publicity stunt is one that’s creative, well-thought-out, and well-timed. To grab people’s attention, you must think outside the box and devise a unique idea. The media, press, public opinion, website and social media traffic, and sales will ultimately determine your success.

Celebrities, athletes, and politicians often use publicity stunts, but also advertisers. The PR stunts that work best are usually part of a larger marketing campaign that aligns with a brand’s story. When an individual or company does something that elicits a “shock” factor, audiences are bound to turn heads.

Tips on how to create a publicity stunt

The following tips can help you successfully plan your own PR stunt:

1. Define your objective and identify your audience: Consider what you want to accomplish with the PR stunt and make sure there is potential for success.
2. Craft a unique idea that connects with your brand: Your idea should be original, authentic,  and one that will create a lasting impression.
3. Choose which online or social platform(s) you want to use: The platform you use should be highly visual and already have a large following. Video platforms such as TikTok and YouTube are ideal for promoting your business. Using the right social media management tool to share your campaign is also key.
4. Make your event visual, bold, and unexpected: For a PR stunt to work well, the campaign needs to be memorable and something that will be talked about for years to come.
5. Create goals that can be evaluated: Set key performance indicators (KPIs) such as reach and engagement, so that you can measure the campaign’s results.

How Artlist assets can help you create a marketing stunt

Incorporating strong visual assets into your PR stunt is key, which is why you should integrate video into your marketing strategy. Artlist offers an expansive library of high-quality royalty-free assets, including video, music, sound effects, and more.

Some of the best marketing stunts are those that leverage video content to tell a brand’s story while also “wowing” their audience—ultimately increasing engagement.

Examples of memorable publicity stunts

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

In addition to the aforementioned Red Bull Stratos campaign, another publicity stunt that I won’t soon forget was the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease and is a disorder that can cause problems with breathing, speaking, and swallowing.

The premise of this PR stunt was for individuals to pour a bucket of ice water over a person’s head. The reason this campaign went so viral is because it not only promoted awareness, it encouraged research and helped raise money to fight the fatal disease.

Taco Bell Buys the Liberty Bell

Another memorable publicity stunt was “Taco Bell ‘Buys’ the Liberty Bell” in 1997. Although an older marketing stunt, it is still revered as one of the best. Taco Bell submitted a series of press releases to major news outlets (including The New York Times and USA Today), announcing they had bought the Liberty Bell as a joke on the nation.

This stunt was considered one of the funniest pranks of all time because Taco Bell stated they had renamed the Liberty Bell the “Taco Liberty Bell.” The reason this campaign worked so well was because of the shock factor and how ridiculous the idea was—a Mexican fast-food restaurant buying America’s symbol of freedom. Taco Bell reportedly made around $25 million in free publicity from this stunt!

Companies that use this technique

All different types of companies use publicity stunts for a variety of reasons. Typically, the driving force behind executing a PR stunt is to generate news and awareness of a brand, product, or service. It’s also about capturing attention and creating a buzz—with the ultimate goal of increasing audience awareness and engagement.

Other companies known for using PR stunts in their marketing campaigns include Burger King, Tinder, Jaguar, Uber, Coke, and Reese’s. Publicity stunts can be risky, but when executed effectively, can also be a game changer for your brand.

How publicity stunts can work for or against your brand

As previously mentioned, publicity stunts can go one way or the other for your brand. If managed well,  PR stunts can work in your favor and help you to:

• Reach and engage with a wider audience
• Create a buzz and get people talking about your brand
• Encourage community involvement by sharing and contributing to a cause
• Leave a lasting and memorable impression
• Gain the media’s attention

On the flip side, publicity stunts can also work against your brand if not carried out well. Some reasons why PR stunts fail include:

• Poor planning and organization
• Controversial campaigns that damage credibility
• A shock value that is not well-received and yields an unexpected response
• Negative publicity or bad reviews on social media
• Word of mouth that hurts a brand’s reputation

Wrapping up

In short, publicity stunts can be an extremely effective way to put your brand on the map. But, it’s important to get it right the first time. Proper execution of a PR stunt requires a great deal of planning and strategy. This type of marketing campaign is multifaceted and needs to be executed to perfection.

If you think you’re ready to kick off a publicity stunt, make sure that you have a solid idea and a content strategy in place that aligns with your brand. PR stunts can be both shocking and unforgettable, but at the end of the day, your brand’s reputation is on the line, so be sure that you’re working with a team you can trust.

“The best stunts are surprises that grab the audience’s intellectual or creative interest. My favorite kinds of stunts are when brands attempt to pull off some incredible, never-been-done-before feat using their product or service, so this would require putting a lot of trust in the team to execute perfectly.” — David Racine, Punch PR