Publicity Stunts for the Y Generation

In 2009 T-Mobile was inspired by Improv Everywhere's freeze mob in NYC so they staged their very own flash mod in Liverpool Street Station in London. After a video of the dance was posted on YouTube, the video quickly went viral and even spread to evening news stations. T Mobile was able to promote their name in a creative way.  People who were in the actual station were taking pictures and videos to send to friends and probably discussed the phenomenon with everyone they knew.  The stunt isn't going to necessarily make you cancel your current cell phone plan and join T Mobile but it will definitely make you remember their name.   

In 2007 PETA released with winter anti-fur campaign featuring the popular actress Eva Mendes.  For the ad Mendes posed completely naked with the tag line, "I'd rather go naked than wear fur."  The ad was displayed most in Times Square, around the rest of New York and eventually made its way to the billboards of Los Angeles.  After Mendes took it off for PETA, other celebrities like Naomi Campbell and Khloe Kardashian followed suit.  The ad was extremely controversial but it grabbed the attention of fur wearers across America.  There is no way to judge if the ad actually stopped people from wearing fur but it helped to publicize PETA and all its celebrity endorsers. 

 I'm pretty sure everyone remembers the Balloon Boy publicity stunt of 2009.  A mid-western family pitched a television pilot about the family of storm hunters and was denied.  As a result, the family notified local authorities that their six year old son was missing and apparently in a balloon soaring above them.  The family became big news because government officials were called in to help get the boy safely out of the sky.  The hoax was exploited on Larry King Live when the 6 year old claimed "You guys said we did it for the show."  The parents were mortified and tried to play it off like he didn't know what he was talking about but it was apparent that the entire event had been planned by the family in an effort to get a television show. 

One of my favorite publicity stunts was performed by the Beatles in January of 1969.  As a farewell performance, The Beatles set up a stage on the roof their Apple Label Records office.  The show generated a lot of attention from the people on the streets of London.  Word spread quickly of the impromptu show and a crowd of anxious fans quickly formed.  The show was eventually shut down by the police but the photo taken that day is still famous today.  Many musicians have tried this publicity stunt after The Beatles with an effort to recreate the publicity that followed the performance but none have been able to top The Beatles.