Member Article

Stunts and PR: Risk and Reward

Stunts and PR: 85 years of risk and reward

Daniel O’Mahoney, Managing Director, Bradley O’Maoney Public Relations

Stunts. They’ve been a part of the PR industry since its very earliest days when the much studied ‘father of public relations’, Edward Bernays, almost singlehandedly made it acceptable for women to smoke in public in the 1920s, back when it was an arrestable offence. It’s not something that seems terribly moral now, but Bernays opened up this virtually untapped demographic through what has to still be one of the most successful PR stunts in history, the ‘Torches of Freedom’.

A masterstroke in profit driven social engineering, Torches of Freedom saw models lighting up their Lucky Strike cigarettes in the street during New York’s 1929 Easter Parade. After the parade, more and more women began to smoke in public, a trend that Bernays was expecting and capitalised on through selling the story as news. The increased sales of Lucky Strike, and cigarettes in general, allowed Bernays to position self-generated news as a stronger tool to carry a brand’s message than advertising.

These days, Torches of Freedom is viewed with a rather detached and critical eye that attempts to separate Bernays’ impressive work from the now reprehensible idea of promoting smoking and the prevailing reputational issue of Machiavellian PR. Whilst PR stunts rarely have quite the same lasting impact these days, they can certainly still be controversial.

Indeed, it would seem that to plan increased coverage through a one-off event is to court danger and risk in a manner akin to juggling with double-edged swords; when it all goes to plan the results can be spectacular but if it all goes wrong then you’d probably do well to hide your face for a while.

It’s a lesson that Morrisons learned the hard way recently, as the ailing super market chain invited the ire of the masses by projecting a gargantuan baguette across the wingspan of the much-loved Angel of the North. Unsurprisingly, those who prize art and iconography above the sale of continental bread were less than impressed, with public figures, news outlets and the people on the street lining up to give Morrisons a slap on the wrist. Still, it generated a lot of content, with its overall success hinging on how much you still believe the mantra that ‘all publicity is good publicity’. Only time, and sales figures, will tell.

In a similar move, Japanese drinks company Otsuka has this week announced plans to land a temporary billboard on the moon. Technically that is more advertising and marketing than PR, but the story has already taken hold, and it’s impossible to imagine that it would generate anything less than bucket-loads of coverage and discussion should the mission be a success.

So, what is the lesson here? Well, whilst stunts may continue to capture the imagination (especially now that social media and connected devices have allowed moments to be captured, shared, discussed and go viral instantaneously), they really do need to be imaginative in and of themselves to do so. It’s always good to reach for the stars, but use your common sense and only discount what the everyday person’s reaction could be at your peril. Ask yourself, how convinced are you that the only thing worse than being publicly derided is for people not to be talking about you at all?

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Technip Umbilical Systems .