Top of the PR pops: February's edition

It’s top of the PR pops time again! Here are the campaigns, stunts and happenings from the world of PR, social and digital that have got us talking during the month of February...

 

Score!

Is this every football fan’s dream? Breaking into Charlton Athletic’s football pitch in London to have some private time on the centre line...

At first the club denied any knowledge of the incident and announced an investigation.

This Vine has hit over 8 million loops already, with the hashtag #SextraTime trending. It was quickly picked up by the media, followed by plenty of speculation about the origin of the footage.

It was later revealed to be a hoax promoting Charlton’s #HireTheValley campaign, promoting their exclusive pitch hire service available during May. If you look at the footage (now published on their official account with marketing messages), you can smell the stunt from miles away since the video is heavily edited. But this didn’t stop people from watching it. Charlton's PR people obviously know which strings to pull to boost their marketing. Sex sells, right?

Their campaign definitely succeeded, it manage to get people like me who don’t follow football to become aware that Charlton’s football field is available to hire. Score!

I wouldn't be surprised if curious couples may attempt to break into rival football fields with their camera phones. Then we will be talking!

Reebok escalates to new heights

In times of crisis, a superbrand is usually close at hand...

A mature lady was severely injured in Stockholm underground following an escalator malfunction. The escalators in ten underground stations were stopped for weeks, leaving annoyed commuters to tackle 180 static steps as part of their morning exercise.

Reebok and The Viral Company stepped to the rescue, hiring crossfit practitioners from a local gym to go and help people scale those stairs. “We like to lift heavy things”, Reebok’s PR spokesperson commented. In the video we see people, dogs and bags being carried up the static escalator.

It’s impressive just how quickly Reebok reacted, something which many brands are improving at. The event is part of the BeMoreHuman campaign, which celebrates the joy of tough fitness and pushing one’s boundaries. They have a clear message: exercise makes better humans.

I hope their humanity extended to sending a thank you card to the unfortunate lady who broke her leg. Without her, they may never have had that coverage.

Everything is Awesome - for Lego at least

Lego reported a 13 % increase in sales for 2014, thanks mostly to The Lego Movie released last year.

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LEGO’s record results delighted CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp so much he could hardly contain his joy. He celebrated by singing the infamous ‘Everything is awesome song’ from the LEGO movie…at a press conference to an audience of stunned journalists.

His performance is funny in an awkward way - almost like a headteacher trying to be cool - and we love him for that.

Perhaps it wasn't planned to be a PR stunt, but people in Denmark loved it, and we have it on good authority (our friends in Mynewsdesk Denmark) that LEGO attracted a lot of positive attention. It's almost appropriate for Lego to have their figurehead add some playful levity to what is usually a formal event.

Beware Eurovision Song Contest, this might kickstart a CEO song contest. Most Eurovision fans know that often passion wins over style. Keep on practicing, Jørgen!

...and a PR tip:

We at Mynewsdesk have been busy planning this year's coolest PR events for comms people.

And now, here's a tip for you, PR peeps. 

The biggest PR event of the year, FutureComms15 takes place on 18th of June in London bringing PR pros together to study the latest industry trends. 

In order to join the flagship event as affordable as possible, pre-register and you'll be eligible for the early bird rate.

Watch what other PR professionals said about last year's event here. We are publishing 2015's speaker lineup in April, and it's going to be epic.

Click, click!