Our Most Loved PR Campaigns of All Time

February is the month of love. So, to celebrate, we’ve put together a list of our team’s most loved PR campaigns of all time. From classic lessons in brand building to innovative new activations that have taken social media by storm, there’s plenty of inspiration to be taken from some of the world’s most successful campaigns.

“Launched 20 years ago, the Real Beauty initiative began with Dove replacing the models in its adverts with real women of all ages, shapes, and sizes. What started as a PR campaign has evolved into a brand mission – to promote body positivity and make beauty a positive experience for all women. Now, this core message feeds into every aspect of its brand and has sparked countless other purposeful initiatives over the last two decades.

“The results? Dove is now a multi-million-pound business with a loyal global community of customers. Plus, it’s played a pivotal role in overturning unrealistic beauty standards, helping to improve the self-esteem of women across the world. I’d say that’s pretty successful!

Beth, Account Director

“Last year, cereal brand, Surreal, made waves with a billboard campaign, featuring a lineup of famous names like Serena Williams, Dwayne Johnson, and Michael Jordan. However, there was a catch. Because they couldn’t afford to hire A-list celebrities, Surreal found regular people off the street who shared the famous names!

“I liked this campaign because it showed innovative and creative thinking. It also showed that you don’t need a huge budget or swathes of famous influencers to get people talking about your brand. Being clever and developing well-thought-out campaigns that you know your target audience will engage with can be enough.”

David, Account Director

“Persil’s Dirt is Good marketing strategy is yet to be bettered in my opinion. Nearly 20 years on and it is still delivering.

“The PR tactics add weight to the strapline by looking at things like play malnutrition, and ideas such as ‘free the kids’ – finding that kids spend less time outside than prison inmates.”

Susannah, Deputy Managing Director

“In 2004, Travelodge offered couples named Mary and Joseph a free night stay over the Christmas period.

“This campaign was such a neat, easy-to-execute idea. It generated so much coverage at the time because it was timely, shareable, and personal – the trifecta of a good PR story. It just goes to show that PR campaigns don’t need to be extravagant to be effective.”

Jade, Account Manager

“This is a really interesting campaign that I haven’t been able to forget since I saw it as a teenager. The video, commissioned by the lifejacket company, simulates the user drowning, forcing them to scroll upwards frantically to keep the person alive. Ultimately, the user can’t win, and the person drowns.

“I found it very impactful. The campaign really hit home and effectively conveyed the company’s message about boat safety.”

Adem, Account Manager

“When I think of PR campaigns, Share a Coke immediately stands out to me. It’s probably the first campaign I remember seeing.

“Coke is such an iconic brand that consumers can recognise advertising simply from the colour red but this particular campaign got the public excited, sending everyone wild trying to find a ‘personalised’ bottle. A very smart initiative to get people talking about Coke and ultimately encouraging people to buy bottles, not just for themselves but for friends and family too.

Molly, Junior Account Executive

Whilst our favourite PR campaigns span decades, audience demographics, and locations, they all have some key ingredients in common. Every campaign effectively communicates the brand’s key messages, is aligned to its core values, and – crucially – is rooted in a deep understanding of its audience and what engages them.

Ready to discuss your brand’s next campaign? Get in touch below or email louise@energypr.co.uk to find out how we can help.