What is a PR stunt?
A PR stunt is an unusual, attention-grabbing activity or activation designed to generate publicity, media coverage and social sharing for a brand, product or campaign.
How does a brand elevate itself above the competition in a crowded market? By creating something tangible that will not only get remembered but shared with new audiences on social media and beyond.
So, how does a PR stunt help achieve this?
In a world with so many distractions, your marketing has to earn the attention of your audience, and that is why PR stunts, such as an immersive event, are increasingly being used by brands.
What makes a great PR stunt?
There is no single formula for a great PR stunt, but some common elements include:
Celebrity or influencer involvement
Oversized or eye-catching props
A transformation, such as a full brand takeover
An interactive photo opportunity
A clear connection to the brand
Newsworthy or culturally relevant timing
This is not an exhaustive list, merely some suggestions.
Is a PR stunt an experiential event?
Not necessarily. A PR stunt is generally designed to generate publicity and attention for a brand, while an experiential or brand activation focuses on building a relationship with customers through a physical experience.
However, the two often overlap. An experiential activation can become a PR stunt when it creates a newsworthy or shareable moment that people want to photograph, post about and talk about.
Recent example of a PR stunt
Beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury launched its plumping lip gloss supported by a campaign comprising some oversized inflatable lips and lip gloss, on a branded plinth. The tour was accompanied by brand ambassadors and a competition to encourage photography and sharing on social media.
If you are looking for a similar setup, At Last Events can help with bespoke manufacture, installation and touring logistics.
What goes into making a PR stunt happen?
An effective activation doesn’t happen by accident. Creating a successful stunt takes planning.
Concept & Creative What is the purpose of your PR stunt and what will success look like?
Design Turn your concept into a tangible activation, considering the audience, location, materials, practical requirements and how success will be measured.
Fabrication & Manufacture Creating a memorable PR stunt will often require bespoke and branded props. The manufacturing time required will depend on the complexity of the project. This could include branded products, oversized props, signage and banners, or even the fitting out of an airstream caravan!
Installation When does your event begin? Do you need help setting up overnight? Is a bigger team than your event staff required to set up?
Event Support If your event is interactive, do you need on-site support?
De-rig / Removal When is your event ending? Do you have time constraints that will require all hands on deck to ensure your installation is removed in time?
Touring Can your staff set up and remove the installation, or will you need assistance?
Common mistakes
The biggest mistake we come across is leaving planning too late or not signing off designs early enough.
For complex bespoke builds, we recommend allowing at least three months wherever possible. This allows time for materials to be sourced, designs to be finalised, any issues to be rectified and production and installation to be properly planned.
Equally, changing your mind about prop sizes or materials once manufacturing has been started not only reduces manufacturing time, but creates significant waste and could result in additional costs.
Conclusion
A great PR stunt might start with an idea, but bringing it to life requires the right production partner. Bespoke props need to be designed, manufactured, finished, transported and installed to exact specifications - often against tight deadlines and complex logistical requirements.
That's where At Last Events can help. Our in-house design, fabrication, manufacturing and installation teams work with brands and creative agencies to turn ambitious experiential concepts into physical activations - from oversized props and branded structures to complete event installations and touring campaigns.
