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Top 100 Publicity Stunt Trends of 2012

From Inside-Out Body Campaigns to Projected Publicity

— January 18, 2013 — Marketing
Flash mobs gained popularity in 2011, but in 2012 publicity stunt trends show viral, tech-infused, boundary-pushing initiatives on part of the most creative ad agencies and sometimes, brand-obsessed consumers out there.

It's a great time for branded stunts, as it's almost guaranteed that, given your stunt is odd enough, it will be recorded, put online and thus, drive tons of organic word-of-mouth marketing to your brand. Trend Hunter saw loads of viral stunts this year, including the memorable inside-out body campaigns, ambient zombie stunts, googly-eyed crosswalks and steamy male-stripping flash mobs.

Though the option to develop new technology for advertising your brand and buying ad space is still available, these publicity stunt microtrends may convince you that this affordable, effective and most of all fun method of marketing is what's best. To get a more in-depth idea of what this could mean for your brand, check out the Trend Hunter Publicity Stunt Trend Report.
6.6
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
97
Birthday Flashmob Stunts
Birthday Flashmob Stunts
Itubaina Pays Homage to Sao Paulo
<
96
Playful Potty Campaigns
Playful Potty Campaigns
The Potje Pissen Campaign by ACHTUNG! Marketing Turns Urination into Sport
<
95
Undead Television Pranks
Undead Television Pranks
The Thinkmodo Zombie Experiment NYC Video Scared Unsuspecting Residents
<
94
Brit-Themed City Clean-Ups
Brit-Themed City Clean-Ups
Ted Baker 'Midtown Abbey' Stunt Had Maids & Butlers Tidying Up NYC
<
93
Clamor-Collecting Campaigns
Clamor-Collecting Campaigns
The Cheering Truck by Coca-Cola Records Fans' Love for the Soccer Team
<
92
Tasty Twitter Followings
Tasty Twitter Followings
'Sweet Tweet' is Uniform's Marketing Twist for Gaining Followers
<
91
People-Made Engine Noises
People-Made Engine Noises
'Domino's Pizza Safe Sound' Had Listeners Laughing
<
90
Burger-Eating Train Schedules
Burger-Eating Train Schedules
The McDonald's Hamburger Timetable Shows 'Enough Time To Eat'
<
89
Free Cash Experiments
Free Cash Experiments
Ice Customer Rewards Tries to Catch the Eyes of Consumers
<
88
World-Whipped Wonders
World-Whipped Wonders
Julius von Bismarck 'Punishment' Project Cracks at the Earth's Landmarks
<
87
Majesty-Formed Florals
Majesty-Formed Florals
The 'Royals in Bloom' is a Flower Pot Fit For a Queen
<
86
Toy Block Sporting Stunts
Toy Block Sporting Stunts
The LEGO Reenactment of the Felix Stratos Jump is a Stellar Success
<
85
Supercharged Social Media Activism
Supercharged Social Media Activism
The Kony 2012 Video Looks to Save "Invisible Children"
<
84
Broken Bed World Records
Broken Bed World Records
850 Human Mattress Dominoes Fall to Take Guinness Top Spot
<
83
Fast Food Launchers
Fast Food Launchers
The Taco Cannon is Extreme Eating at its Finest
<
82
Secretive Android Campaigns
Secretive Android Campaigns
GE's Brilliant Machines Campaign is a Clever Hoax
<
81
Viral Virus Awareness Videos
Viral Virus Awareness Videos
'Mix Against Aids' Commercial Documents a Thoughtful Campaign
<
80
Musical Beer Pranks
Musical Beer Pranks
The Red Stripe Prank is a Cleverly Executed Publicity Stunt
<
79
Profane Paperback Publicity
Profane Paperback Publicity
Simon Spurrier Recites Made-Up Swear Words
<
78
Blown-Up Soda Fountain Stunts
Blown-Up Soda Fountain Stunts
The Sprite 'Refresh Your Ideas' Drink Dispenser Spread Brand Awarnes
<
77
Extremely Tedious Sampling Machines
Extremely Tedious Sampling Machines
The Delite-O-Matic Shows How Dedicated Humans Can Be
<
76
Underwater Nightclubs
Underwater Nightclubs
The TechnoMarine Watches Promotional Stunt Bubbles with Excitement
<
75
Giant Footwear Vehicles
Giant Footwear Vehicles
The L.L. Bean Bootmobile Celebrates the Brand's 100th Anniversary
<
74
Floating Perspective Photo Booths
Floating Perspective Photo Booths
The Paulig Brazil LINKO Booth Captures You in Mid-Air
<
73
Candid Credit Card Campaigns
Candid Credit Card Campaigns
NAB Shows its Good Nature by Rewarding People for Their Honesty
<
72
Star-Studded Fashion PSAs
Star-Studded Fashion PSAs
The Fashion's Night Out PSA Features Jubilant Celebs
<
71
Ancient Smartphone Stallions
Ancient Smartphone Stallions
The 'Ascend D Quad' Pegasus Statue Will Channel Power from the Gods
<
70
Chivalrous Chocolate Pricing
Chivalrous Chocolate Pricing
The Anthon Berg Generous Store Accepts Good Deeds as Payment
<
69
Epic Fighter Condom Ads
Epic Fighter Condom Ads
The Prime 'Samurai, Viking, Gladiator' Campaign is Effective
<
68
Viral Movie Mad Dashes
Viral Movie Mad Dashes
Unlock the 007 in You with the James Bond 007 Skyfall Coke Zero Video
<
67
Fainting Flash Mobs
Fainting Flash Mobs
The 'Worst Breath in the World' Had People Falling Over for Miles
<
66
Abrasive Restaurant Adverts
Abrasive Restaurant Adverts
The Assim Assado 'Pork Beef Chicken' Marketing Campaign is Candid
<
65
Realistic Elevator TV Pranks
Realistic Elevator TV Pranks
The LG 'So Real, It's Scary' Campaign Involves a Deathly Illusion
<
64
Voyeuristic Peeper Potties
Voyeuristic Peeper Potties
The Boom Boom Room Restroom Provides an Intimate View
<
63
Headless Street Trotters
Headless Street Trotters
Pprofessors 'Red People' project Adds Comedic Color to Moscow
<
62
Banksy-Inspired Ads
Banksy-Inspired Ads
This IKEA Street Art is Reminiscent of the Anonymous Artists
<
61
Map-Completing Campaigns
Map-Completing Campaigns
The Toyota iQ Street View Fills in What Google Missed
<
60
Mismatched Banner Campaigns
Mismatched Banner Campaigns
The Kenzo Spring/Summer 2012 Advertisements are Eclectic
<
59
Badass Children's Eyewear Campaigns
Badass Children's Eyewear Campaigns
Very French Gangsters Recruits Rebellious Youngsters
<
58
Extra-Terrestrial Dining
Extra-Terrestrial Dining
Sushi in Space Promotes Out-of-This World Taste
<
57
Tricky Toilet Stunts
Tricky Toilet Stunts
The IKEA Porta-Potty Promotes Bathroom Product Line with Humor
<
56
Instant Pizza Buttons
Instant Pizza Buttons
Order Pie With a Push of the VIP Fridge Magnet
<
55
Seatless Pro-Fitness Perches
Seatless Pro-Fitness Perches
The Motivational Nike Bench is Poignant Enough to Keep You Running
<
54
Clever Theft Ads
Clever Theft Ads
This LG Slim TV Commercial Has a Surprise Ending
<
53
Imaginary Chocolate Lands
Imaginary Chocolate Lands
Cadbury's Joyville Promotes the New Dairy Milk Bubbly
<
52
Personalized QR Code Stickers
Personalized QR Code Stickers
The Heineken 'U-Code' Sends Customized Messages
<
51
Futuristic Sport-Inspired Art
Futuristic Sport-Inspired Art
The Nike Innovation Hunt is a Search for Cutting Edge Art in Tokyo
<
50
Tricked-Out Zambonis
Tricked-Out Zambonis
The Target Corporation 'Big Red Basket' is a Redone Rink Classic
<
49
Faux Fish Packaging
Faux Fish Packaging
Gomes Da Costa Wraps Canned Goods and Depicts It as Fresh Fishy Goodness
<
48
Auto-Burning Contests
Auto-Burning Contests
MINI Belux ‘Fan the Flame' Advertising Campaign
<
47
Camera-Worthy Campaigns
Camera-Worthy Campaigns
Catch the Flash Allows Nike to Just Click It
<
46
Scandalous Male Stripping Flashmobs
Scandalous Male Stripping Flashmobs
A Nivea Advertisement Turns Up the Heat to Promote its Product
<
45
Eco-friendly Light Festivals
Eco-friendly Light Festivals
Panasonic Goes Green during Japan's Tokyo Hotaru Festival
<
44
Googly-Eyed Crosswalks
Googly-Eyed Crosswalks
New York LOOK! Campaign Wants to Make the Streets of the City Safer
<
43
Oversized Fashionista Campaigns
Oversized Fashionista Campaigns
The 'Little Marina' Stunt for Missoni x Target is Hard to Ignore
<
42
Chopstick Dragon Sculptures
Chopstick Dragon Sculptures
Cafe Asiatage Promotes Grand Opening With a Wooden Beast's Roar
<
41
Engaging Unauthorized Ads
Engaging Unauthorized Ads
Underground Supporter Posters Express Enthusiasm for the 2012 Olympics
<
40
Balloon Disc Launches
Balloon Disc Launches
Jack White Shares His New Record with Floating Freebies
<
39
Artistic Appliance Campaigns
Artistic Appliance Campaigns
The ComEd MetamorFridges Project is Eye-Catching
<
38
Ambient Zombie Stunts
Ambient Zombie Stunts
The AMC Apocalypse Guerilla Marketing Campaign is Based on the Walking Dead
<
37
Intimate Music Experiences
Intimate Music Experiences
American Express UNSTAGED Dinner & Usher Concert Screening
<
36
Billboard Auto Battles
Billboard Auto Battles
Audi vs. BMW Presents Aggressive Marketing Techniques
<
35
Delicate Iridescent Pavilions
Delicate Iridescent Pavilions
The DUS Architects Bubble Building is Strikingly Fragile
<
34
3D Elevator Illusions
3D Elevator Illusions
London Shoppers Hold on to Dear Life at the Southside Shopping Centre
<
33
Creative Drama Doodles
Creative Drama Doodles
The Mad Men Falling Man Posters Encourage Fan Creativity
<
32
Human Torture Activism Campaigns
Human Torture Activism Campaigns
LUSH Cosmetics Use Humans to Fight Animal Testing
<
31
Prison Replication Inns
Prison Replication Inns
The Intimidating Hotel Alcatraz Pops Up in London
<
30
100-Person Paddle Boats
100-Person Paddle Boats
L.L. Bean Creates a 500-Foot Kayak to Celebrate Its 100th Birthday
<
29
Shoe Street Art Festivals
Shoe Street Art Festivals
Off Canvas Graffiti Festival by Converse to Grow Following in China
<
28
Flash Dance Videos
Flash Dance Videos
Trend Hunter’s Kevin Young Discusses the Best Flash Routines
<
27
Pizza Box Proposals
Pizza Box Proposals
The Pizza Hut Proposal Package Provides Everything Needed to Pop the Question
<
26
Instagrammed Iconic Kids Parks
Instagrammed Iconic Kids Parks
The Disney Parks Photo Project Brings Fantasy to Life
<
25
Reflective Marketing Campaigns
Reflective Marketing Campaigns
The Riviera Hotel Uses Mirrored Stickers for Promotion
<
24
Social Media Road Races
Social Media Road Races
The 'BMW South Africa: Interactive Video Projection' is Simply Effective
<
23
Roadkill Canine Ads
Roadkill Canine Ads
Society for Abandoned Animals 'Dead Dogs' Campaign Takes it to the Streets
<
22
Self-Reflective Fashion Campaigns
Self-Reflective Fashion Campaigns
The Ports 1961 Spring/Summer 2012 Advertisements are Mirrored
<
21
Ironic Advertising Blogs
Ironic Advertising Blogs
The Depressed Copyright Tumblr Offers Clever and Sardonic Posts
<
20
Guerrilla Graffiti Footgear Campaigns
Guerrilla Graffiti Footgear Campaigns
The Converse 'Just Add Color' Projects Keeps Things Bright
<
19
Plug-In Pop-Up Ads
Plug-In Pop-Up Ads
The Japanese Pop Trio Perfume's Creative Promotional Strategy is Interactive
<
18
Word-of-Mouth Marketing Charts
Word-of-Mouth Marketing Charts
The Viral Marketing Cheat Sheet is Your Guide to Hitting it Big
<
17
Soaring Human Stunts
Soaring Human Stunts
'Flying People in New York City' Promotes Upcoming 'Chronicle' Movie
<
16
Subway Tunnel Housing
Subway Tunnel Housing
'The Apartment' by IKEA is Located in a Parisian Metro
<
15
Cat Pin-Up Posters
Cat Pin-Up Posters
The Jupiter Drawing Room Presents Saucy Felines
<
14
Hamburger Eyeshadow Adverts
Hamburger Eyeshadow Adverts
The Netherlands Burger King Ad Boasts Beefy Makeup
<
13
Sun Dial QR Codes
Sun Dial QR Codes
E-mart Sunny Sale Campaign Uses Fun Ways to Boost Sales
<
12
Haute Barbie Hairdos
Haute Barbie Hairdos
The Mattel 'Play with Fashion' Initiative Shows Off Chic Looks
<
11
Street Art Sauvignons
Street Art Sauvignons
The Piece Wine Packaging Dresses Premium Drinks for a Youthful Demographic
<
10
Handmade Colossal Movie Posters
Handmade Colossal Movie Posters
150ft The Dark Knight Rises Ad in Manhattan Generates Mad Hype
<
9
Clever Science Campaigns (UPDATE)
Clever Science Campaigns (UPDATE)
Science World Billboards Teach Funky Facts
<
8
Liquid Detergent Artwork
Liquid Detergent Artwork
The Skip Installation is White and Pristine
<
7
Pseudo Supernatural Promotions
Pseudo Supernatural Promotions
China Has its Own Teleporting Girl Superhero
<
6
Hacked Public Spaces
Hacked Public Spaces
Florian Riviere Creates Spontaneous Interactive Everyday Environments
<
5
Unbreakable Ad Displays
Unbreakable Ad Displays
The 3M Security Glass Window Puts Money on the Line
<
4
Face Tattoo Fundraising
Face Tattoo Fundraising
Uwe Troschel Sold Off Sections of His Mug Shot
<
3
Computer Box Bureaus
Computer Box Bureaus
The HP Z1 Workstation Accommodates Your Desktop and Your Desktop Computer
<
2
Inside-Out Body Campaigns
Inside-Out Body Campaigns
The National Health Service's Donation Stunt is Bloody Brilliant
<
1
Illuminated Public Sculptures
Illuminated Public Sculptures
The Luminous Field Installation Turns Cloud Gate into a Disco Ball
<