As summer 2024 comes to end, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on the PR and marketing campaigns which have caught our eye over the past few months.
There’s a varied selection of campaigns here, covering everything from politics to Greggs, but what they’ve all got in common is that they’ve stood out from the crowd. The Liberty PR team takes a look at why.
Simon’s pick: British Heart Foundation
Lots of brands tried to hijack the biggest sporting event of the summer – football’s Euros in Germany. But nobody did it with more impact than the British Heart Foundation with its ‘Til I die’ campaign. The radio ad featured a crowd singing the popular terrace chant ‘I’m England ‘til I die’ and then the sound of a heart monitor flatlining before a solemn voice declared, “Claire was England… ‘Til she died.” When I heard it for the first time, it literally stopped me in my tracks. The voice was that of Claire’s father who went on to read out the shocking statistic that on average 12 young people every week are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK.
Adrian’s pick: Walkers Crisps
Once again, football did not come home. Gareth Southgate’s lads failed to lift the trophy at Euro 2024 – but Walkers Crisps played a PR blinder.
By reproducing the England flag using a crisp and a red background, the snacks giant tapped into the mood of nation.
The post on X, formerly known as Twitter, was dropped online at 4.30pm on 30 June – just half an hour before England’s knock-out game against Slovakia.
The striking image and simple words: “It’s time”, resonated with the country as two million viewed the post.
By full time, Saint George had been usurped by Saint Jude after his on-field heroics, while Walkers had it in the bag.
Yvonne’s pick: Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage
The Paralympics kept sports fans glued to their screens from 28 August to 8 September and the TV coverage on Channel 4 was, as always, promoted in an interesting and thought-provoking way.
This year the campaign bore the title ‘Considering What?’ and follows research commissioned by Channel 4 which showed that the majority of those surveyed (59 per cent) said they watched Paralympic coverage to see “athletes overcoming their disabilities” compared to 37 per cent who watch it to see “exciting sporting competition”.
The campaign featured a mural showing the words ‘AMAZING CONSIDERING’ with the word ‘considering’ being obliterated by a paralympic athlete speeding by in a sports wheelchair with a paint roller on their shoulder. A promotional film showed Paralympians battling gravity, friction, and time in the pursuit of sporting excellence – natural forces which affect all athletes regardless of disability.
The campaign challenged the idea that the Paralympians are only amazing when you consider their disability, getting the audience thinking and perhaps even reflecting on and adjusting their viewpoint.
Will’s pick: Southampton International Boat Show
Southampton International Boat Show has enlisted some serious talon(t) for this year’s show with Rufus, an American Harris hawk, brought on deck to deter the birds.
Named Head of Seagull Security by the show’s organisers, Rufus was on duty on Saturday 14 September, the first Saturday of the 10-day show. The show’s very own wing-fluencer was brought in to create a ‘safe chip zone’ where visitors could enjoy their food in peace.
This brilliant stunt sought to prevent what countless of seaside holidayers dread the most – seagull-stolen fish and chips – in a humorous, media-friendly campaign.
Not only did the show’s organisers headhunt the finest American Hawk in the UK, they also backed it up with research, with a specially commissioned survey that found that Southampton has one of the highest gull-related chip-theft rates in the UK, with 44 per cent experiencing this, more than other south coast seaside towns of Brighton and Hove and Plymouth, at 39 per cent and 32 per cent respectively.
Cue enough coverage to wrap your seaside cod and chips in!
Charlie’s pick: the ‘BRAT’ Summer
Brat summer has taken the internet by storm this year. The release of Charli xcx’s sixth album has become a cultural trend, with unapologetic chaos being a key message of the LP.
The slime-green colour has become synonymous with the ‘brat’ lifestyle, with many marketing professionals hailing the DIY vibe of the artwork a key element of its success.
The album has stimulated a cultural phenomenon built on authenticity, community, and a rejection of the ordinary. Brat Summer is a symbol of self-expression and individuality – it is ditching the predictable and embracing the chaos.
A multitude of brands have hopped on the trend, such as Flannels, Air Baltic, and even presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
National Trust has also taken part, posting a Brat-style image on Instagram, which stated ‘brat summer except we’re staying inside and eating scones’. A perfect example of a brand joining in the trend but sticking to their core message.
Brat is the perfect example of using simplicity to target Gen Z – and doing it right.
Rachel’s pick: Lib Dem election campaign
With 2024 the year of elections around the globe, there’s been no escape from political PR campaigns this summer. And less than two months since our own elections in the UK, it’s interesting to reflect on the aspects of the party campaigns which still stand out.
The Conservative campaign never recovered from its washed-out launch and then comparisons to a sinking ship in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, while Labour’s Change slogan and dogged repetition of its attack lines wasn’t necessarily inspiring but got the job done.
It was Sir Ed Davey’s campaign for the Lib Dems which really grabbed the media’s attention, whether he was falling off a paddleboard (or another of his activity-holiday-style stunts) or speaking movingly about his disabled son.
As well as generating prominent personal coverage, it effectively highlighted the topics he was campaigning on – such as sewage in our rivers or the state of social care. The results speak for themselves, with the Lib Dems winning 72 seats – their largest tally since 1923.
Ben’s pick: Greggs and Monzo: the world’s first ever sausage roll-dispensing cash machine
One PR campaign that went viral in July was Greggs’ pop-up ‘ATMmm’ machine in Newcastle city centre in collaboration with Monzo.
From 9am to 5pm on 18 July, queues formed outside a seemingly ordinary Monzo ATM machine on a typically busy Grainger Street – where legendary Greggs sausage rolls were dispensed for free.
On top of this, every 100th customer to use the ATM received a £50 Greggs High Roller gift card and the sausage roll packaging promised new Monzo customers a weekly Greggs treat.
As expected in Greggs’ hometown, crowds gathered to record yet another creative idea by the bakery chain, resulting in nationwide social media traction.
