The most engaging November 2015 publicity stunts prove that there is always a creative way to go about a promotion. The most unusual campaigns include McDonald’s Japan giving away free meals to people who share a name with one of its new burgers, benches that give away chocolate bars and record-breaking pitchers of iced tea.
Some of the best publicity stunts of all happened on Back to the Future Day, where brands across all industries stepped up to reference time travel with special cars, spoofs and limited-edition releases of all sorts. Universal released a fake trailer for 'Jaws 19,' while Uber and Pepsi launched DeLorean rides in London and Google "leaked" plans from a high-tech car from a mysterious 'Project Flux.'
With December and the release of the newest Star Wars film coming soon, there will definitely be plenty more pop culture publicity stunts to come.
Top 60 Publicity Stunt Ideas in November
59
Candy-Dispensing Public Benches
The Kit Kat Bench Rewarded Those Who Rested for 60-seconds
58
People-Powered Billboard Ads
63 'Red Hat' Employees Built the Many Messages on This Billboard
57
Captivating Fan Experiences
A Series of Wasserman Interactive NFL Experiences Hit London
56
Giant Iced Tea Pitchers
Lipton's 'Be More Tea' Festival Broke a World Record for Largest Iced Tea
55
Charitable Coat Donations
Macy's Clothes4Souls Partnership Offers a Buy One, Give One System
54
Social Media Rum Tastings
Appleton Estate Rum Recently Held a Live Twitter Tasting Experience
53
Co-Branded Car Promotions
Uber & BMW are Teaming Up to Provide Free Rides in the New 2016 7 Series
52
Seatbelt-Enabled Taxi WiFi
The Fiat WiFi System is Accessible When Passengers Buckle Up
51
Digital Basketball Exhibits
Sports and Art Collide at Nike's Museum 23 Tokyo Installation
50
Professional Headshot Tours
LinkedIn is Touring the US to Give Profile Advice and Headshots
49
Technology-Testing Events
Microsoft's Device Night Invites People to Eat, Drink & Try New Products
48
High-Speed Taxi Services
Uber is Offering Free Rides in a $1 Million Mclaren P1
47
Anti-Shopping Retail Campaigns
The REI Opt Outside Hashtag Celebrates Being Closed on Black Friday
46
Rainbow-Colored Commuter Slides
Oreo's WONDERFILLED Campaign Brought Colorful Slides to London
45
Chocolate Fortune Booths
Cadbury's 'Joynormous' Chocolate Giveaway Features Freddie Flintoff
44
Cannon Ball Liquor Stunts
Captain Morgan Will Celebrate 'Cannon Blast' with a Human Cannon Ball
43
Television-Themed Retreats
This Monastery Lets Consumers Binge Watch Their Favorite Shows in Peace
42
Friendly Retail Robots
Pepper the Robot Suggests Wine Pairings and Interacts with Shoppers
41
Fan-Powered Racing Events
This Electric Motor Racing Event Lets Fans Give Racers More Power
40
Charitable Cat Deliveries (UPDATE)
UberKITTENS Encourages People to Adopt Kittens After a Playtime
39
Time-Traveling Car Blueprints
A Mysterious Tweet Released Google's Drivable Time Machine Plans
38
Soda-Sponsored Mobile Kitchens
PepsiCo's 'NSPIRE' is a Touring Kitchen on Wheels
37
Unusual Burger Promotions
McDonald’s Japan is Giving Away Free Meals to People with Certain Names
36
High-Stakes Burrito Competitions
This 30-Pound Burrito Comes with a 10% Don Chingon Share
35
Appreciative Oatmeal Campaigns
This Company is Celebrating National Oatmeal Day in a Big Way
34
Mobile Tea Trucks
This David's Tea Shop on Wheels Drives Around and Doles Out Tea Samples
33
Futuristic Taxi Services
Pepsi and Uber Offered DeLorean Rides on Back to the Future Day
32
LEGO Movie Sets
This LEGO Ghostbusters Firehouse Set Has Ghosts Lurking Within
31
Beer-Pouring Typewriters
Czech Beer Brand Staropramen Created the First Type-Controlled Draught
30
Cultural Cat Festivals
Montreal is Hosting Its First-Ever Festival for Cats and Their Owners
29
Galactic Marketing Events
This Campaign Lined Up 500 Stormtroopers on the Great Wall of China
28
Refugee Search Engines
'Google Fortunetelling' Sneakily Raises Awareness About Refugees
27
Wrap-Around Alert Billboards
This Interactive Digital Billboard Warns What's Around the Corner
26
Racy Spy Snack Ads
This Risque Ad Suggests That It's Time for Bond to Take a Break from the Ladies
25
Movie-Themed Newspapers
USA Today Will Bring Back to the Future's Fake News into Reality
24
Floral Confession Booths
Moonpig's Shed-Inspired Installation Promotes Its Flower Delivery Service
23
Indoor Sledding Stunts
North Face's Dog Sledding VR Experience Launches a Real-Life Race
22
Android Army Publicity Stunts
Stormtroopers Overran the Great Wall at This Chinese Star Wars Event
21
Posessed House Pranks
This Paranormal Activity Prank Spooked Unsuspecting Home Hunters
20
Horror Film Video Games
The VR Paranormal Activity Video Game is Being Shown on the Big Screens
19
Headlight-Shining Billboards
This Audi Billboard Spotlights Pedestrians at Night to Keep Them Safe
18
Burger Giveaway Stunts
Burger King Locations in France Swapped Fresh Tomatoes for Free Whoppers
17
Cupcake-Trading Stations
Zappos' Product Giveaways Have People #PayWithACupcake
16
Live Streaming Pizza Screens
This Interactive Billboard Was Connected to a Restaurant's Kitchen
15
Creative Sandwich Competitions
Jarsberg Cheese Called on Fans to Create an 'Impossible' Sandwhich
14
On-Demand Zombie Experiences
This Halloween, Lyft Will Dispatch Zombies to Un-Liven Up Parties
13
Time Travel Rideshares
These Free Delorean Time Machine Rides Celebrate Back to the Future Day
12
Anti-Pollution Insurance Deals
This Car Insurance Campaign Gave Out Fake Tickets to Polluting Cars
11
Futuristic Film Beverages
These 'Pepsi Perfect' Bottles Celebrate Back to the Future II
10
Slum Apartment Stunts
For This Poverty Campaign, a NYC Apartment Rental is Styled Like a Slum
9
Unexpected Airline Adventures
Westjet Provided Customers with an Upgraded Vegas Experience
8
Serial Vodka Campaigns
Smirnoff's 'Exclusively for Everybody' Ads Have a Serial Progression
7
Eye-Shutting Billboards
This Car Insurance Ad Shuts Its Eyes to Mimic a Good Night's Sleep
6
Automotive Trunk Theaters
The 'Mini Teater' Provides Entertainment from the Trunk of a Car
5
Car-Powered Cafes
The 'Toyota Barista' Stunt Demonstrates How Much Energy Brakes Generate
4
Stuntperson Candy Campaigns
This Cadbury Campaign Searches for the Next Milk Tray Man (or Woman)
3
Vacation-Rewarding Campaigns
Expedia Rewards Vacation-Deprived Canadians with Well-Deserved Trips
2
Time-Traveling Car Promotions
Ford Building a DeLorean-Like Flux Capacitor in Focus & Fiestas
1
Shark Saga Spoofs
This Trailer for 'Jaws 19' Celebrates the Back to the Future 30th Anniversary
Related Ideas
Sci-Fi Series QSR Meals
The McDonald's Stranger Things Happy Meal is Arriving in May
National Holiday Marketing Campaigns
Revlon Debuted a Month-Long National Lipstick Day Celebration
Series-Inspired Newspaper Pop-Ups
Peacock Featured a Custom Newsstand for ‘The Paper’
Gamified Fast Food Challenges
McDonald's Side Missions Encourage Fun, Spontaneous Detours
Basketball-Inspired Complimentary Menu Promotions
Wendy's Offers Free Fries and Frosty on April 7
Sci-Fi Show QSR Meals
The Mcdonald's x Stranger Things Menu Introduces Collectible Figures
Festival-Inspired Luxury Fashion Campaigns
Burberry Celebrates the Energy of British Music Culture
Pristine Fast Food Campaigns
McDonald's All Flavour, No Mess Spotlights a Tidy Snack
Quirky Pasta-Defying Campaigns
Cup Noodles x Top Ramen Launch a National Noodle Day Initiative
Show-Inspired QSR Menus
The Stranger Things Meals Campaign Introduces Two Parallel Food Options
Sci-Fi Fast Food Meals
KFC x Stranger Things Reimagines the Brand as Hawkins Fried Chicken
Authentic Connection Campaigns
Heineken's Hijack Socialization Encourages Out-of-Home Gatherings
Next-Gen Jelly Bean Campaigns
Jelly Belly Bean Appétit Entices a New Generation of Fans
Film Franchise Pizza Collaborations
Papa Johns and Disney Launched Its Toy Story 5 Personal Pizzas
Gamified Holiday Promotions
Starbucks for Life Merrython Blends Gameplay with Prize Giveaways
Wishlist-Spotlighting Billboards
Sephora Canada Features Customer Wishlists on Holiday Billboards
Telecom Event Ticket Campaigns
Verizon and David Beckham Teamed Up for the FIFA World Cup 2026
Fiesta-Focused Food Campaigns
Ortega® Extends Cinco de Mayo Celebrations with Seis de Mayo
Night QSR Campaigns
The Mcdonald’s Night Posters Turn Post-Party Cravings into Glowing Urban Art
Gen Z-Themed Soda Campaigns
Pepsi Relation-Sips Showcase Small Gestures This Valentine's Day
Glow-in-the-Dark Marshmallows
Jet-Puffed Jumbo Stars are Extra-Large & Come in Novelty Packaging
Cinematic Soda Campaigns
Diet Coke and The Devil Wears Prada 2 Partnered for a New Campaign
Glam Pet Adoption Pop-Ups
Uber Showcats Puts a Spotlight on Rescued Cats Available for Adoption
Cheeky Passenger Princess Campaigns
Dutch Bros Coffee Marks National Passenger Princess Day
Gourmet Lunch Pop-Ups
Uber Eats' Sandwich Studio Elevated the Classic Combo Meal
Brighton Retail Launch Ads
IKEA Brighton Uses Seagull Splatter Campaign to Win Local Attention
Chicken Wing QSR Campaigns
McDonald's Australia and Wieden+Kennedy Launch a New Chicken Campaign
Cheeky Sports-Inspired Diaper Campaigns
Huggies Aligns Family Planning with a Major Sports Event
Real-Food Entrée Giveaways
The Chipotle Realest 30 Will Share a Text-to-Claim Code on Game Day
Modern Hustle-Inspired Food Campaigns
StarKist Co. Positions Itself as Fuel for the Modern Hustle
Experiential Student Activations
Just Eat's Hey U Up Campaign Coincides with Freshers’ Week
Cheeky Food-Focused Soda Campaigns
The 'Share a Pepsi' Campaign Encourages Pairing with Food
Last-Minute Travel Campaigns
easyJet Drop Everything Encourages Spontaneous Trips
Celebratory Soccer QSR Campaigns
McDonald’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Campaign Has Meals and More
Festive Scratch-and-Sniff Billboards
Subway's Interactive Ad Shares the Aroma of Stuffing
Interactive Treat Campaigns
DQ Canada Launches its Loyalty-Based 'Falling Treats' Campaign
Timely Delivery-Centric Billboards
Pizza Pizza Creates a Truck-Side Billboard Inspired by the LRT
Social Media Follower-Celebrating Initiatives
Streets of Toronto Marks 600k Instagram Followers
Chocolate Chip Cookie-Inspired Billboards
Tate's Bake Shop Debuts an Ambitious Marketing Campaign
Music Scene-Informed Luxury Campaigns
Burberry Taps Twiggy for Spring 2026 Advertising Campaign
Cultural Mullet Campaigns
Mcdonald’s McMullet Campaign Turns a Viral Joke into a Live Activation
Anniversary-Honoring QSR Campaigns
The Jack in the Box 75th Anniversary Campaign Launches in 2026
Limited-Run QSR Releases
Weekly Wingstop Drops Share a Taste of Drop Culture
Entertainment-Powered Retail Experiences
AT&T Brings Toy Story 5 to Interactive Store Activations
Basketball Championship-Themed Convenience Promotions
7-Eleven is Offering Deals for March Madness
Jerky-Inspired Promotional Campaigns
Jack Link's Hosts a National Jerky Day Blowout
Paparazzi-Style Cereal Shots
Photos of William Shatner Eating Raisin Bran Tease a Big Game Ad
Cheeky Anti-Food-Sharing Campaigns
KFC Promotes Its Bucket for One with a Special Campaign
Playful Hockey Campaigns
Beard in a Box Campaign Lets Hockey Fans Join the Playoff Beard Tradition
Burger Ad Campaigns
Burger King’s New Campaign Suggests Even Babies Can’t Resist the Whopper
Twelve-Day Promotional QSR Events
QDOBA Mexican Eats is Running Diptember in September
Athlete-Backed Beverage Campaigns
PepsiCo and NFL Players Debut 'Tailgate Crashers'
Chicken Wing Teasing Campaigns
This Pizza Hut Wings Campaign Pokes Fun at Competitors
Culture-Driven Product Launches
Church’s Texas Chicken launches Churchie Sauce with a local event
Social-First Gameshows
This Year's Walkers' Do Us a Flavour Campaign Was Reimagined for TikTok
Coordinated Convenience-Focused Promotional Campaigns
7-Eleven Runs Promotions for Two Events
Throwback Grocery Campaigns
Economic Nostalgia Inspired Instacart's Summer Like It’s ‘99
Experiential Grocery Campaigns
No Name launches a multi-city grocery goss campaign
Superhero Movie Snack Partnerships
Rollover and Warner Bros. Partnered to Celebrate Superman
Complimentary Coffee Campaigns
Krispy Kreme and Joe Jonas Partnered for National Coffee Day
Retro Sports Drink Revivals
Gatorade partners with Stranger Things to relaunch its 1987 campaign
Basketball Film-Inspired Pizza Campaigns
Pizza Hut Debuts Space Jam-Inspired Menu Bundle & Recipes
Single-Day Promotional Sandwich Campaigns
Subway Embraces the Numerical Alignment of 2/6/26
No-Nonsense Frozen Snack Campaigns
Yasso's Foolproof Freezer Challenges April Fool's Day Pranks
Photocopied Fast Food Campaigns
McDonald's Office Delivery Ads Scanned Popular Menu Items
Sports-Themed Beer Campaigns
This BrewDog Promotion Offers the Chance at a Year of Free Beer
Localized Game-Day Food Activations
Martha Stewart Joins Pepsi’s Bay Area Local Eats
Nostalgic Brand Ambassador Revivals
Dos Equis Reintroduces the Most Interesting Man in the World
Nordic QSR Campaigns
McDonald's Launches a New Campaign Inspired by its Dedicated Fans
High-Energy Chip Campaigns
Doritos Loaded Teams Up with Gordon Ramsay & George Russell
Vibrant Cafeteria-Inspired Campaigns
Lunchtime Becomes a Joyous Time in 'The Lunchables Effect'
Illusory Ice Cream Pop-Ups
Häagen-Dazs Celebrated St. Patrick's Day with an O'Häagen's
Complimentary Cheeseburger Promotions
Honest Burgers is Giving Away Burgers to Mark its Success
AI-Enhanced Y2K Ads
Starwash by Carl's Jr. Recalls a 2000s Ad with Paris Hilton
Bartering-Focused Frozen Pizza Promotions
RED BARON® Launches the Stuff for Stuffed Campaign
Interactive Traveling Marketing Initiatives
Heinz Pllayfully Spotlights the Heinz Ketchup Zero
Mexican Cuisine Halloween Promotions
The Chipotle Chip-or-Treat Promotion Offers Free Rewards
Customized Restaurant Campaign Platforms
OpenTable Has Launched OpenTable Media
Humorous Beans-Forward Campaigns
Bush's Beans Debuts a First-Of-Its-Kind Ticket Exchange
Limited-Time Protein Promotions
Subway Launches the Meteor Deal Featuring Protein Picks
Soccer Tournament-Timed Snack Promotions
TokyoTreat Announces a Special World Cup Promotion
QSR Eating Contest Promotions
The Burger King One Pounder Challenge 2025 is Only in Japan
St. Patrick's Day Promotions
7-Eleven Celebrates the St. Patrick's Day Holiday
Thanksgiving Run Burrito Campaigns
The QDOBA Turkey Trot Challenge Offers Free Burritos for a Year
Condiment Portfolio Campaigns
Kraft Heinz Debuts Its United Tastes of America Campaign
Superhero Restaurant Promotions
This Chuck E. Cheese Superman Promotion Celebrates the Movie
Outdoor Cooking-Focused Campaigns
Solo Stove Debuts the 'Squash the Beef at the Big Game' Campaign
Subway Cabin Makeovers
British Airways NYC Subway Turns Commute into an In-Flight Experience
Post-Game Breakfast Campaigns
McDonald's Flipped Its Ads Sideways for Super Bowl Recovery
Fan Culture Activations
StubHub Launched Its World Cup Cuts a Multi-City Barbershop Campaign
Co-Branded Family-Oriented Events
Disney and Formula 1 Launch Fuel the Magic Campaign
Thrill-Seeking Jet Ski Performances
Monster Energy Amplifies St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
Celebrity-Supported Luxe Fashion Campaigns
BOSS Taps Renowned Public Figures for Fall 2025
Gamified Discount Events
Build-A-Bear Uses Mystery Offers to Drive Engagement
Rideshare St. Patrick's Day Campaign
Uber and Mother Launched an Irish Exit Safe Ride Campaign
Burger Brand Graduation Giveaways
The Big Boy Graduation Giveaway Will Reward a Lucky Grad
Plant-Based Cuisine QSR Campaigns
This Burger King UK Campaign Stars Pete Wicks
Halloween-Themed Qsr Menus
Burger King Reveals a Monster Menu with Vampire Nuggets and Mummy Fries
Multi-Level Cancer Awareness Campaigns
The United Breast Cancer Foundation is at Times Square
Joint Holiday Pizza Promotions
Stoner's Pizza Joint is Marking National Pizza Day and V-Day
Candy Delivery Campaigns
SKITTLES® Partners with Elijah Wood for a Game Day Spot
Co-Branded Holiday-Inspired Burgers
Irv’s Burgers & Smash Kitchen Boasted the Friendsgiving Burger
Festival Season Refreshment Campaigns
The Capri-Sun Festival Feeling Campaign is Running in the UK
Cheeky Wrap-Focused Campaigns
Jimmy John's Introduced the Wrap Exchange
Whimsical Desk Rituals
Starbucks Created a Small, Celebratory Post-CNY Activation
Destination-Branded Transportation
Themed Taxis Promote Scottish Travel During Major Soccer Events
Cheeky Cow-Inspired Qsr Campaigns
Chick-Fil-A Continues Its Iconic Eat Mor Chikin Campaign
Local Restaurant Activations
Pepsi Hosts Community Events to Drive Restaurant Discovery
Music Festival Refreshment Campaigns
This Lipton Summer Campaign Offers VIP Festival Experiences
Workday Break-Focused Campaigns
KitKat Debuts the 24/7 Teams Meeting Campaign Concept
Christmasy Customer-Rewarding Retailer Campaigns
The One Stop 2025 Christmas Campaign Gives Back
80s-Style Telethon Campaigns
Doritos' Telethon for Hawkins Invites Stranger Things Fans to Call In
Personalized Present Campaigns
The Wonderbly Everyone’s Got Favourites Campaign is Rolling Out Now
Celebrity-Backed Luxe Fashion Campaigns
Burberry's Holiday Film is Dubbed ’Twas the Knight Before…
Holiday-Themed Restaurant Events
Dave & Buster's Debuts Holiday Events and Promotions
Ice Cream-Celebrating Campaigns
Ben & Jerry's Great Summer Bar Drop Offers Free Ice Cream Bars
Seasonal Reservation Street Installations
Uber UK Launches 'Reserve' by Mother
Collaborative Beauty Events
Stoney Clover Lane X Hello Kitty and Friends Host a Pop-Up Event
Omnichannel Seasonal Support Campaigns
Bestway Wholesale Launches 'Buzz About the Sweetest Deals'
Small Business-Honoring Events
Fairfax City Economic Development Brings Back Small Business Month
Summer-Forward Food Billboards
Waitrose Launched its 'Let Your Summer Side Out' Campaign
Summer-Long Pizza-Celebrating Campaigns
Pizza Hut Debuts the Hut Originals Platform
Winning Comment Campaigns
Dos Equis Invites Fans to Submit Legend Lines to Appear in a Commercial
Hot Dog Subway Campaigns
Nathan’s Famous Launches “Follow the (F)rank Line” Subway Campaign
Adventurous Restaurant Promotions
bb.q Chicken Canada Debuts Goals to bb.q Chicken, Wings to Korea
Social-to-Outdoor Campaigns
Tribesigns Extends TikTok's Super Wish Campaign to Times Square
Appreciative Brand Anniversary Activations
T-Mobile Launched a Thankiversary Celebration
Sci-Fi Film Burger Menus
The J.S. Burgers Cafe Back to the Future Menu Marks the 40th Anniversary
Cheesy Mayhem Campaigns
Cheetos Named Wednesday's Thing as Its New "Spokeshand"
Halloween Season Candy Campaigns
World Business Chicago is Promoting Chicago-Based Candy
Charitable Qsr Campaigns
A&W Canada is Running the Burgers to Beat MS Day Campaign
Anniversary-Celebrating Sweepstakes Campaigns
Swig Marks Its 16th Anniversary with a Sweepstakes
Brandless Packaging Campaigns
McDonald’s Tested a Name-Free 'Famous Order' Promotion
Nostalgic Slap Bracelet Giveaway
The Human Bean Gives Slap Bracelets With its 90s-Inspired Drinks
Cheeky Prom-Inspired Contests
Duck Brand Hosts Its Annual Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest
Guaranteed Prize Dining Campaigns
Hot Head Burritos Cinco de Montho Campaign Will Offer Rewards
Purpose-Driven Brand Contests
Publicity for Good is Supporting Goodness with Its Contest
Alternative New Year Celebrations
Premier Protein & Michelle Buteau Set a New Start to the Year
Celebratory Artisanal Pizzas
The California Pizza Kitchen National Pizza Month Promotion is Tasty
Multi-Level Cancer Awareness Ads
The United Breast Cancer Foundation is at Times Square