In order to stand out, brands are constantly competing for space in headlines, minds and conversations. Press releases and social media posts do well, but still only achieve limited results. PR stunts are a higher-risk, higher-reward option for generating press coverage.
Even if publicity stunts are good for nothing else, they are at least fun to see from the audience's perspective. When they are executed correctly, they can be one of the most effective ways for brands to draw attention to themselves and get publicity.
However, there are always dos and don'ts when it comes to such campaigns.
media update's Joreke Kleynhans points out why brands need to stay within certain lines when strategising for publicity.
What Publicity Stunts Are
A publicity stunt is a planned event or campaign that is staged by a brand that wants to gain traction in the media or public attention.
The most common day for publicity stunts is April Fool's Day. Pulling such a stunt on the first day of April slightly reduces the risk of going rogue because lots of brands take part and people are in a jokey spirit anyway.
A great example of a publicity stunt that created a global buzz is Burger King's Whopper-flavoured toothpaste, launched in 2017.
Balancing Impact and Ethics
Publicity stunts can be effective in reaching new audiences and bringing a brand's name to the front of people's minds. They work because they are usually so absurd or unexpected that they become the centre of people's conversations, trending media coverage and social media feeds.
Boldness, in other words, is key if a brand wants a high ROI. However, this can cause brands to be so ambitious that they prioritise impact over ethics.
There is a (debatable) saying that "there's no such thing as bad press," but in 2025, audiences have significant power over brands' success and crossing a sensitive line can come at an immense cost.
If an audience feels outraged rather than surprised, or disappointed rather than awed, those negative emotions translate into a negative association with your brand.
Therefore, brands need to avoid the following when pulling publicity stunts:
- religious or political topics
- violence and crime
- discrimination — explicit and implicit, and
- sensitive topics or events.
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