Comment: Best PR Stunts of 2018

Industry experts from Amplify, Benefit Cosmetics, Hearst Magazines, Identity, and Initials Marketing spoke to The Drum about their favorite brand activations of the year. All members of the panel are judges for The Drum Experience Awards.Jonathan Emmins, founder, Amplify

Sometimes brand experiences need to communicate and convey complex stories and messages - but not always. There’s been a run of clever, incredibly simple, easily accessible and most importantly memorable activations blurring the lines between brand experience, advertising, PR and media.

Google went global with its Home Mini ‘Size of a donut. Power of a superhero’ campaign – a simple play on how much the Home Mini looks like a donut.

All around the world saw incredibly well executed pop-up Donut shops that encouraged people to experience and embrace a Home Mini to win one, or worst case win two donuts.Despite being weeks in advance of the actual holiday, Burger King has already bossed Halloween with their ‘Come as a clown, eat like a king’ trolling McDonald’s – doling out free whoppers to those dressed as clowns. It’s an incredibly low-cost experience that shouts volumes.

However, sometimes the best ideas don’t even need a strapline. Placing 84 statues of men on the top of ITV’s Southbank building to raise awareness of 84 male suicides per week kicked off a debate we all needed to have – supported by an overwhelmingly thorough and well thought-out amplification campaign. Was it a brand experience? Maybe. Was it the best activation I’ve seen this year? Undoubtedly. Hats off all involved.Read the rest of the insights here