Publicity Stunts: What They Are, And How They Work

In December 2024, pictures began circulating online of a laughable mistake that sportswear  brand Puma had apparently made. A storefront in Bangalore had the banner misspelt as  “PVMA” instead of “PUMA”. And over the next few days, more banners with that misspelling  were spotted. Had Puma suddenly retired their copy checking team?  

Turned out, it was a deliberate move — a tribute to badminton star PV Sindhu, whom Puma had  just signed on as their new brand ambassador. Suddenly, the whole country was applauding  them — and all it took was swapping out one letter. It was a smart, creative, and audacious  move on the brand’s part, and the perfect example of a publicity stunt done right.  

So, what is a publicity stunt?  

A publicity stunt is a planned action designed to provoke conversations and interest among the  target audience. It often involves an act that is quirky, unusual or downright shocking, and is  used to draw attention to a brand or an individual.  

Publicity stunts can often simply involve interesting costumes or advertisements. For instance,  prior to the release of the Netflix series “The Handmaid’s Tale”, actors dressed up in the  trademark red gown and veil were posted at public places in metro cities. Others can be at a  much grander scale, such as National Geographic shuttling a model of an injured  Tyrannosaurus rex around London to promote Jurassic Week. Some individuals may execute  publicity stunts to boost their own brand, as with Richard Branson going on a round-the-world  tour in a Virgin Atlantic hot air balloon to demonstrate the balloon’s safety for long distances. 

Are publicity stunts a good option?  

There’s a reason the phrase “publicity stunt” has negative connotations in people’s minds. It  conjures up an image of celebrities doing odd things simply to make it to the front page, and  without actually meaning any of it. And this has happened as a result of a long history of public  figures announcing romantic relationships or endorsing unconventional views, only to confess to  faking it later.  

In the corporate context, several ambitious publicity stunts have backfired over the years,  leading to negative brand sentiment and skepticism about the brand’s intentions. And incidents  like the Poonam Pandey controversy — where an influencer faked her own death to try and raise awareness about cervical cancer — only serve to harden public receptivity towards  anything out of the ordinary.  

As a result, many companies choose to stick with the conventional. While regular marketing  may not grab as much attention, it will at least have a lower chance of being misunderstood.  

Publicity stunts done right  

That being said, publicity stunts do have the potential to work — as the Puma rebranding  demonstrated. And over the years, many PR campaigns have entered the popular imagination  for their bold takes.  

Consider, for instance, the ice bucket challenge. This 2014 campaign was designed to raise  awareness about ALS, and involved sharing videos of oneself being doused with a bucket of ice  water. The challenge quickly went viral, with celebrities around the world hopping onto the trend,  and it helped to raise $115 million worldwide.  

Then there’s the “accidental” publicity stunt by Visible Mobile. On one of its billboard ads, it  misspelled “messages” as “massages”. While this began as a genuine mistake, Visible Mobile  capitalised on the extra brand attention to set up a pop-up booth that offered free massages to  people passing by. It was an excellent example of a brand being able to take a joke against  itself while offering an unconventional service, thereby boosting its reputation.  

Another famous publicity stunt tapped into audience aspiration in a delightful way. Prior to the  release of the 2023 Barbie movie, fans were stunned to see “Barbie’s Dreamhouse” listed as an  option on Airbnb in Malibu. Mattel had created this limited-edition experience to give fans an  opportunity to actually live like Barbie. And the movie went on to be one of the most successful  of all time, sparking a resurgence in the popularity of Barbie products among young and old  alike.  

So what does this tell us? When done with tasteful intentions, publicity stunts can have a  massive impact. All of these campaigns hit the sweet spot of being unconventional, eye catching, relatable, and fun at the same time. And that’s why people still appreciate them long  after.  

How to make your own publicity stunt work  

As is no doubt clear by now, there’s a fine line between provocative and distasteful when it  comes to publicity stunts. If you’re planning to go big with your next campaign, here’s what to  remember.

Have a clear intention  

What exactly are you seeking publicity for? Be crystal clear about your intention, and make sure  all your stakeholders are aligned on what it is. Otherwise, your publicity stunt risks being  perceived as a stunt for its own sake. 

Do your audience research 

To be successful, a publicity stunt must spark the right kind of intrigue among your target  audience. Spend some time understanding what they find interesting, what their aspirations are,  and what would motivate them to talk about your campaign or take part in it. 

Tap into the power of psychology 

When you’re looking to build publicity at a grand scale, you need to go deep. It’s a good idea to  invest in AI-powered tools that can conduct sentiment analysis on your target population to give  you as granular a perspective as possible on what’s likely to excite them. Your PR partner can  help you select the right ones.  

Be mindful of social nuances 

Different communities, cultures, and demographics have different ideas of what is considered  intriguing versus what they find inappropriate/offensive. Design your campaign with those  nuances in mind. If you are unsure about what is appropriate, you can consult with an expert or  a test group from your target demographic first.  

Keep it simple 

A publicity stunt only works if people are talking about it long after they’ve seen it. Make sure  that the “shock” factor of your campaign is easy to understand and easy to share. Often, this  would involve coming up with a catchy hashtag your audience can use when posting about the  campaign.  

Choose your launch date wisely 

Typically, publicity stunts aren’t built up to in advance like a regular marketing campaign. This  means you need to choose a date and time when you can be certain of maximum eyes on your  campaign. If you’re starting out, a good idea is to capitalise on an ongoing festival or sports  season, when people naturally pay more attention to ads or marketing events.  

Have a plan for afterwards  

You pulled off your stunt, your audience is talking. Now what? Have a comprehensive marketing  strategy for how you will build on your initial move and keep the interest going. Critically, this  includes having a crisis plan in place in case the campaign backfires — if your audience is  unhappy, you need to be the first to step up, acknowledge the situation, and make suitable  changes.

Final words 

At the end of the day, a publicity stunt is like any other PR strategy — it needs planning and  foresight to work as intended. Rather than trying to grab eyeballs just because, think about how  you want your audience to respond to your campaign. Do you want them to embrace a social  cause? Feel a greater sense of community? Experience a fun new product or service? Take a  positive step for their health and wellbeing? A good campaign is about people first, accolades  second. Stick to that principle when drafting your strategy, and you’ll build a brand that lasts the  course.  

If you need a professional eye to oversee things, Star Squared PR would be happy to help. As a  digital PR agency, we’ve worked on a wide range of PR campaigns that have garnered  nationwide interest and driven long-term revenue for our clients. Reach out to book your first  session with us today.