The Fame Game: A tasty tribute, a special Ed-ition, and correcting the internet

Special PR’s Head of PR & Influence, Kelly Grindle, selects five of the most attention-grabbing campaigns that made a difference this month. 

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A tasty tribute to Sir Graham Henry

Watch the video here.

Sir Graham Henry is a bloody legend.

Throughout his career, he has managed to take the All Blacks and the Black Ferns to World Cup glory.  But could he do the same thing for “Team Rugby” at the T20 Black Clash?

Sir Graham Henry was dragged out of retirement to coach the team to victory, so to pay tribute to this Kiwi legend and his decorated career, event sponsor Charlie’s Drinks rebranded their trusted OJ from Charlie’s to Henry’s.

Charlie’s managed to convince Sir Graham to leave his Waiheke abode and participate in a tongue-in-cheek promotional video, showcasing Sir Graham’s iconic frown. He even goes as far as to claim that he ‘doesn’t know why they called it Charlie’s in the first place’.

The limited edition run of 5,000 drinks was available exclusively at the Black Clash, and quite naturally, hijacked the attention of New Zealand’s media and influencers.

With more than 20 sponsors, how the hell do you manage to break through a clever activation?  By leaning on a clear cultural insight and shifting the onus from a brand onto a personality.  Both of which, Charlie’s (or should we say Henry’s) did superbly.

The result was dozens of unpaid endorsements from sports legends, as they raised a glass of OJ to Sir Graham Henry – not to mention the voice of Sir Graham rang out across radio, broadcast and online titles, including the likes of 1News at 6, The Hits, Radio Hauraki, and TodayFM.

Cheers to you, Sir Graham.

Thanks…I got it off Trade Me

Trade Me and high fashion often wouldn’t fit in the same sentence… or so you thought. 

To turn this common conception on its head – and showcase how second-hand fashion could be beneficial for both your planet and your pocket – Trade Me executed Aotearoa’s first ever second-hand, biddable fashion show:  The Everyday Runway.

New research for Trade Me’s Circular Economy Report looked at Kiwis’ attitudes toward second-hand fashion and uncovered some interesting results, including that each Kiwi has seven pre-loved clothing items in their wardrobe, valued at $ 300 million across Aotearoa.

But how could you shift perceptions of this clothing from being a second-hand charity pick-up to something truly desirable?

The answer was simple: to bring together a group of New Zealand’s most beloved fashionistas and throw together an epic event that forced New Zealanders to reappraise their perceptions of what “second hand fashion” really looks like.

The result was a beautifully integrated activation, that lit-up social feeds and newsrooms across the country – and crucially, delivered a perception shift which will only help the brand in the long run….

Can we correct the internet?

Watch the video here.

Who has won the most goals in international football?  The internet says Cristiano Ronaldo, but the facts say Christine Sinclair.

This beautifully simple insight has been turned into a full public campaign:  the internet has learnt our bias, and now it is time to correct it.

The “Correct the Internet” portal is a website committed to righting the internet’s wrongs. Via the Get Correcting page, users are given access to a step-by-step guide on how to share pre-drafted feedback with the internet to alter sexist bias in sports.

This is a topical conversation, with robust insight, and a slick execution to match.  

It’s certainly one of those campaigns that will live on your CV and clear up at the global awards circuit (which is obviously a thought shared by DDB, given the daily promotional posts that have flooded LinkedIn for weeks on end).

I wish that this had been sold to a company and had the might of a brand behind it.  Imagine how powerful it would be if Sky used this ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.  Or those internet renegades at Orcon had reconnected with their historical punk-rock spirit?

That aside, it is in many respects flawless.  The question now will be: “Can we correct the internet?”  I certainly hope the results match the hype, because as far as hype goes, it’s a sure-fire winner.

I won’t be Sheeran this Special Ed-ition chocolate bar with anyone…

Whitakers has done it again…

Everyone’s favourite ginger, Ed Sheeran, dissed New Zealand chocolate back in 2015. But on his latest visit to the windy capital, Sheeran took back his claim, stating on Instagram that New Zealand chocolate is “actually alright, isn’t it?”

Seeing an opportunity and running with it, Whitakers responded to Ed’s change of heart by creating a Special Ed-Ition’ Ed Block’, which was shared on the brand’s Facebook page.

Not many New Zealand brands would be able to get one of the world’s biggest names to respond publicly to a newsjacking stunt like this. But there, clearly, isn’t much Whitakers can’t do.  

Turning this light-hearted social interaction into a full-blown PR stunt, Whitakers and Sheeran teamed up to list five limited Ed-Ition Ed-Block bundles for sale, with all proceeds going towards Auckland flood recovery.

Perhaps it speaks to the relevant freedom and flexibility of New Zealand brands to give it a go, consequences be damned.  I know far too many global conglomerates that couldn’t possibly act in this way, in-case they risk the wrath of an over-inflated legal department.

But we all know that PR exists in culture, not a vacuum, and time and time again the best PR hits are “of the moment” and can’t survive protracted legal wrangling.

Sheer(an) genius….

IKEA and Shelter team up for a harrowing exposé

New Zealand is (yet) to experience the sheer joy of an IKEA – beautifully styled retail showrooms, paired with cheap canteen meatballs that are in some cases accidentally made from a horse.

If you forgive their culinary faux-pas, their stores are wildly inspirational and beautifully curated.

So how would you feel if you moved from a styled room, to an elevated loft, to… a slum?

The popular home furnishings company remodelled four showrooms in their flagship store to highlight the precarious and cramped conditions people are currently faced with due to the UK housing crisis – standing in stark contrast to what we usually see in an IKEA showroom.

The anti-room sets were designed off the back of a recent survey by IKEA, which revealed that one in every 208 people in English is experiencing homelessness, with over 11 million adults in the UK worried about losing their current home.

Turning concern into action, this campaign is a beautiful example of how large corporations have the power to tackle significant issues and raise awareness, to generate positive change.

This speaks clearly to the need to be disruptive in the charity and causal marketing space, and once again, I tip my hat to IKEA – one of the best PR brands on the planet. 

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Submissions for the 2023 column are welcome – PR, influence and activation case studies can be sent to Kelly.grindle@specialgroup.co.nz

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