Every year, we take a look at the past year’s hot takes of the PR world. We give credit where it's due, and are always a little bit jealous
OutHorsing
Iceland’s Ministry of Tourism was featured in last year’s blog too, when they roasted Mark Zuckerberg’s awkward presentation of the MetaVerse, which doesn’t seem to be picking up much. This time, the Land of Ice and Fire created a campaign whereby, upon booking a vacation in Iceland, you can choose that your email address gets automatically connected with a band of Icelandic horses, who, using a huge-sized keyboard, take revenge on anyone who dares to disrupt your vacation. The band of horses treats your colleagues to their very own version of an “out of office” email. Jrfuerhjfdjndfg.
The allegory of the alligator
The London Zoo is one of the most popular tourist sites in the world. The Zoo’s staff wished to call the world’s attention to the industry’s usage of extinct animal’ skins, that are prohibited from being exported. A bag, made of a Siamese Crocodile’s skin and confiscated in Heathrow Airport, was put on display in a crocodile enclosure. Simple and extremely powerful.
Losing is winning
The toys-giant Hasbro launched a PR campaign in Holland, dealing with the commonly known experience of many, in which family games, unlike their idyllic depiction, often end up in family feuds and children’s temper-tantrums when losing. Joining forces with Child Psychologists, the campaign presented enraged, aggravated and out-of-control children as a natural and even healthy outcome of experiencing failure. They say that failing is the only way to learn, ain’t it?
Corona and its creeping shadow
Corona, the Mexican beer, was hit hard with the spread of the deadly pandemic bearing its name. On a yellow painted wall in the UK beach town of Brighton, hangs a small, single-poster advertisement. When the sun advances toward the west, a unique inscription appears from in-between a carefully trimmed ivy clinging to the wall. And? What’s the message? It’s natural, baby.
Seventy-two bare truths/My body my choice
Adidas UK decided to go all the way and put out a billboard ad that clearly violated the do’s and don'ts, leading to the campaigns sanctioning. The campaign featured dozens of female breasts of various colors, shapes and sizes. Adidas’ statement was an outcry against the strict controlling of women’s breasts in uniformly designed sports bras. Every woman deserves a uniquely fitted bra, said the campaign. And of course, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. They got all the attention they wanted.