Top 100 Publicity Stunts in 2017

From Tequila Drinking Fountains to Pizza-Ordering Parkas

— January 27, 2018 — Marketing
From tequila drinking fountains to pizza-ordering parkas, these publicity stunts in 2017 demonstrate how brands are thinking outside the box to increase consumer engagement.

The examples range from wacky, attention-grabbing stunts like Bompas & Parr's sausage Séance, to creative public demonstrations, like Nintendo's entirely free in-airport gaming station. Other brands opted for a more humorous approach, such as the New York coffee shop that filled its interior with motorized chairs and surprised its guests with an impromptu race to promote Amazon's motoring series, 'The Grand Tour.' Personalization played a key factor in these stunts, which was exemplified through Heineken's creative attempt to compete with microbreweries, by offering young tourists a personal beer, branded with their name on it.

While most of the stunts had a small-scale impact, others aimed to gain global attention, like Samsung's promotion of its Galaxy 8 phone, in which it transformed Ireland's Samuel Beckett Bridge into a real, functional harp. Other examples include the Empire State building's yellow glow to celebrate World Emoji Day, or Budweiser's 'Bud On Mars' stunt, in which the beer brand will send barley to space.
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Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
95
In-Bar Kissing Campaigns
In-Bar Kissing Campaigns
Cider Maker Westons is Setting Up Mistletoe Inside of UK Pubs
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94
Charitable Menu Readings
Charitable Menu Readings
Neil Gaiman Agreed to Read the Cheesecake Factory Menu to Aid Refugees
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93
Humorous Youth Travel Promotions
Humorous Youth Travel Promotions
Student Flights Shows Why People Should Travel Early in Life
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92
Creatively Patriotic Songs
Creatively Patriotic Songs
A Musician Recorded Poutine and Maple Syrup for RBC's 'Make 150 Count'
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91
Celebrity-Studded Streaming Service Ads
Celebrity-Studded Streaming Service Ads
The 'Netflix is a Joke' Ad Features Four Famous Comedians
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90
Fake Snow Deliveries
Fake Snow Deliveries
TK Maxx is Helping Families Create an Artificial White Christmas This Season
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89
TV Series-Themed Car Rides
TV Series-Themed Car Rides
Lyft's 'Strange Mode' Features a Spooky Stranger Things-Themed Makeover
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88
Massive Gum Giveaways
Massive Gum Giveaways
For #SamHasMentosGum, a Single Freshman Gave Out 43,000 Packs of Mentos Gum
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87
Rebranded Condiment Commericals
Rebranded Condiment Commericals
This Heinz Marketing Stunt Rebrands Ketchup as 'Chicago Dog Sauce'
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86
Elevated Lunch Campaigns
Elevated Lunch Campaigns
Kettle Chips Treated Random People to an Spontaneous Lunch Upgrade
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85
Predatory Pizza Specials
Predatory Pizza Specials
The Great White Pizza Celebrates Shark Week
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84
Social Memorabilia Campaigns
Social Memorabilia Campaigns
The NRL's 'Instabilia' Rewarded Fans with Instant Sports Memorabilia
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83
Branded Environmental Awareness Songs
Branded Environmental Awareness Songs
100 Years by Pharrell Williams is Set to Be Released in 2117
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82
Olympic Runner Projections
Olympic Runner Projections
Virgin Media's Virtual Projection in London Depicts Usain Bolt Running
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81
Record-Setting Carnival Rides
Record-Setting Carnival Rides
The World's Fastest Bumper Car Can Hit Up to 107 Mph
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80
Icelandic Karaoke Campaigns
Icelandic Karaoke Campaigns
Iceland is Challenging Tourists to Sing "The Hardest Karaoke Song"
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79
Rideshare Ice Cream Giveaways
Rideshare Ice Cream Giveaways
Uber's 'Free Cone Fridays' Giveaway Lasts Until the End of Summer
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78
Light-Up Snowboarding Stunts
Light-Up Snowboarding Stunts
This Stunt from Sony Shows Off Its XB40 EXTRA BASS Wireless Speakers
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77
Athlete Security Service Stunts
Athlete Security Service Stunts
Heineken's Guardian Fans Protect the Homes of Soccer Players
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76
TV-Watching Races
TV-Watching Races
Sky Staged a Game of Thrones Marathon That Challenged Viewers to Run
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75
Feature Film Burger Ads
Feature Film Burger Ads
Burger King's Movie Theater Ad Played Directly After Steven King's 'It'
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74
Slow-Motion Marathons
Slow-Motion Marathons
This Slow Running Event in Los Angeles Promoted the New Baywatch Film
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73
Kid-Sized Travel Agencies
Kid-Sized Travel Agencies
JetBlue's 'Little Tickets' Has Kids Plan and Pay for Family Getaways
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72
Motorized Coffee Couch Pranks
Motorized Coffee Couch Pranks
The Grand Tour Cafe is Promoting an Original Amazon Series
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71
Supernatural Sausage Events
Supernatural Sausage Events
Bompas & Parr is Launching "The World’s First Sausage Séance"
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70
Commemorative Taxi Carriages
Commemorative Taxi Carriages
Audible is Marking Jane Austen's Death with Taxi Rides in London
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69
Urban Emoji Celebrations
Urban Emoji Celebrations
The Empire State Building Will Glow Yellow for World Emoji Day
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68
Comfortable Branded Public Bathrooms
Comfortable Branded Public Bathrooms
Charmin's Times Square Bathrooms Have Opened for the Holidays
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67
Channel-Takeover Branding Stunts
Channel-Takeover Branding Stunts
Snickers Took Over the British Television Channel 'Dave'
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66
In-Bed Gaming Events
In-Bed Gaming Events
Mattress Brand Casper Partnered with eSports Organization 'Fnatic'
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65
Personalized Stunt Driving Films
Personalized Stunt Driving Films
Ford's 'Go Faster' Puts Fans in a Stunt Driving Trailer
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64
Color-Infused Print Media Campaigns
Color-Infused Print Media Campaigns
Daily Mail Magazine Replaced Its Black Dots with Colorful Ones
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63
All-Cheese Burgers
All-Cheese Burgers
Hungry House Created a Limited-Edition Burger Crafted Entirely from Cheese
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62
Airborne Food Deliveries
Airborne Food Deliveries
In Reykjavik, Flytrex and AHA Teamed Up to Deliver Food via Drone
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61
Celebrity Fast Food Campaigns
Celebrity Fast Food Campaigns
Rapper Ice-T and Sonic are Promoting a New Frozen Drink Menu
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60
At-Home Pop-Up Dealerships
At-Home Pop-Up Dealerships
Honda Turned Loyal Fans' Garages into Pop-Up Dealerships
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59
Shark-Racing Publicity Stunts
Shark-Racing Publicity Stunts
The Newest Michael Phelps Race Will Be Against a Great White
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58
Martian Beer Experiments
Martian Beer Experiments
With 'Bud on Mars,' Budweiser is Sending Barley Experiments to the ISS
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57
Interactive Fireworks Shows
Interactive Fireworks Shows
Microsoft Set Up a Fireworks Display to Challenge One-Way Streaming
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56
Fictional Food Identifiers
Fictional Food Identifiers
The Not Hotdog App Was Created to Promote HBO's 'Silicon Valley'
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55
Travel Incentive Board Games
Travel Incentive Board Games
JetBlue's 'Get Packing!' Board Game Contains a Free Round-Trip Flight
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54
Decadent Poutine Donuts
Decadent Poutine Donuts
Tim Hortons is Offering a Poutine Donut for Canada's 150th Anniversary
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53
Snowing Billboard Ads
Snowing Billboard Ads
Waitrose's #ChristmasTogether Outdoor Ad is Accompanied with Falling Snow
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52
Massive Beach Footprints
Massive Beach Footprints
'Kong: Skull Island' Placed Giant Ape Footprints on an LA Beach
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51
Pub-Promoting Publicity Stunts
Pub-Promoting Publicity Stunts
This No-Effort Ad by Dave Blackhirst Targets Millennial Audiences
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50
Burger Chain Buses
Burger Chain Buses
Burger King Launched a Fast Food Bus to Take People to Its Restaurant
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49
Data-Monetizing Pop-Ups
Data-Monetizing Pop-Ups
'The Data Dollar Store' Accepts User Data Instead of Money
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48
Fantasy Tourism Tapestries
Fantasy Tourism Tapestries
Tourism Ireland Created a 250-Foot Tapestry Reviewing Game of Thrones
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47
Theme Park-Branded Rideshares
Theme Park-Branded Rideshares
The Lyft 'Minnie Van' Will Drive Passengers to Disney Theme Parks
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46
Uplifting Donut Pop-Ups
Uplifting Donut Pop-Ups
E.on's 'Shot of Summer' Pop-Up Provides Cheer in the Dark Days of Fall
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45
Mobile Toilet Services
Mobile Toilet Services
The Charmin Van-GO is the First Ever On-Demand Bathroom Service
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44
Vehicle-Based Vintage Beer Campaigns
Vehicle-Based Vintage Beer Campaigns
Lyft and Budweiser are Promoting the 'Repeal Reserve' Lager
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43
QSR-Themed Ornaments
QSR-Themed Ornaments
For the Holidays, KFC Launched a Set of Festive Fried Chicken Ornaments
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42
Fast Food Churro Donuts
Fast Food Churro Donuts
Tim Hortons' Newest Food Products Are Inspired by Churros
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41
Dishwasher-Inspired Theme Parks
Dishwasher-Inspired Theme Parks
LG's QuadWash Water Park Offers a Unique Way to Beat the Heat
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40
Musical Bridge Installations
Musical Bridge Installations
Samsung Transformed the Samuel Beckett Bridge into a Playable Harp
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39
Personalized Cookie Tastings
Personalized Cookie Tastings
After a Quiz, OREO is Pairing People with Unique OREO Cookie Flavors
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38
Sculputural Floral Bouquets
Sculputural Floral Bouquets
This Floral Designers 'Surprise Bouquets' are Beautifying NYC Streets
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37
Pizza-Ordering Parkas
Pizza-Ordering Parkas
The 'Pizza Parka' Spotlights Innovations in Pizza Hut's New Delivery Pouch
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36
Festive Truck Sleepovers
Festive Truck Sleepovers
LateRooms.com is Offering a Stay Inside a Coca-Cola Christmas Truck
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35
Friendship-Forming Bench Stunts
Friendship-Forming Bench Stunts
Nescafe's 'Hello Bench' Helps Strangers Break the Ice
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34
Double-Filtered Coffees
Double-Filtered Coffees
For #FeedingTheFuture, The Economist Shared Coffee Made with Used Grounds
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33
Smashed Billboard Stunts
Smashed Billboard Stunts
O2 Set Up Fitting Advertisements to Show of Its Free Screen Replacements
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32
Mystery Burger Boxes
Mystery Burger Boxes
In France, Burger King Now Lets Customers Leave Their Order to Chance
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31
Charitable Office-Based Fight Clubs
Charitable Office-Based Fight Clubs
The Breast Cancer Fight Club is Located in an Office Lobby
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30
Jet Ski Meal Deliveries
Jet Ski Meal Deliveries
Delivery from Deliveroo Can Now Be Ordered Directly to Bournemouth Beaches
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29
Novelty QSR Brand Pods
Novelty QSR Brand Pods
KFC is Selling a $10,000 Internet Escape Pod Featuring the Colonel
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28
Record-Breaking Emoji Events
Record-Breaking Emoji Events
Sony Pictures Set Up a Fun Stunt to Promote The Emoji Movie
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27
Chicken-Scented Bath Salts
Chicken-Scented Bath Salts
KFC and Village Vanguard Launched a Uniquely Scented Bath Salt
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26
Diversity Promoting Supermarket Stunts
Diversity Promoting Supermarket Stunts
The German Supermarket Edeka Made a Point About Inclusion
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25
Single-Person Car Dealerships
Single-Person Car Dealerships
This Peugeot Phone Booth Features an Online-only Showroom
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24
Trampoline Bed Installations
Trampoline Bed Installations
Virgin Media Promoted Its Virgin TV Kids App with a Jumping Apparatus
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23
Personally Brewed Beers
Personally Brewed Beers
Heineken Amsterdam is Competing with Microbreweries in This New Stunt
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22
Binge-Watching River Cruises
Binge-Watching River Cruises
Three and Time Out London are Offering Netflix on the River Thames
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21
Tequila Drinking Fountains
Tequila Drinking Fountains
For National Tequila Day, Jose Cuervo Created a 'H2Cuervo' Fountain
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20
Sci-Fi Show Pedicab Stunts
Sci-Fi Show Pedicab Stunts
20 Pedicab Drivers Dressed Up as Stranger Things Character Dustin
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19
Rideshare Drive-In Theaters
Rideshare Drive-In Theaters
Uber Invited Its Drivers to an Uber Pop-Up Drive-In Theater
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18
TV-Inspired Installations
TV-Inspired Installations
This Better Call Saul Pop-Up Was Installed in Saul, Gloucestershire
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17
In-Airport Gaming Stations
In-Airport Gaming Stations
Nintendo Opened a Free Gaming Area in Kansai International Airport
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16
Edible Flavor Clouds
Edible Flavor Clouds
Pringles' Mechanically Generated Cloud Mimics the Scent and Flavor of Chips
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15
Urban Ziplining Experiences
Urban Ziplining Experiences
London's Future Forest Offers a 40-Meter Zipline in a Shopping Center
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14
Mobile Fast Food Drive-Thrus
Mobile Fast Food Drive-Thrus
McDonald's Dia Drive is a Roving "Drive-Thruck" on Wheels
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13
Discolored Water Bottles
Discolored Water Bottles
For World Water Day, One Water Changed Its Packaging to a Dirty Color
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12
Secretive Sneaker Pop-Ups
Secretive Sneaker Pop-Ups
Nike and Foot Locker are Partnering on a Pop-Up "Sneakeasy"
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11
Halitosis Protection Helmets
Halitosis Protection Helmets
Mouthwash Brand CB12 is Using 'Bubbleheads' to Encourage Oral Hygiene
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10
Health-Promoting Sugar Installments
Health-Promoting Sugar Installments
KIND's Sugar Sculptures Warn Parents of Unhealthy Snacks
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9
Naked Packaging Publicity Stunts
Naked Packaging Publicity Stunts
This Lush Cosmetics Packaging Campaign Involves Nude Workers
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8
Branded To-Go Box Controllers
Branded To-Go Box Controllers
Eat KFC and Play Video Games with This To-Go Chicken Box Controller
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7
Facial Hair Galleries
Facial Hair Galleries
Panatonic Launched its 3-in-1 i-Shaper Trimmer with an Unusual Exhibition
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6
Deceptive Coffee Shop Menus
Deceptive Coffee Shop Menus
Tim Hortons Opened a Fake Cafe Called 'Perfectly Uncomplicated Lattes'
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5
Cauliflower Burger Pranks
Cauliflower Burger Pranks
KFC Pokes Fun at Extremely Healthy Eating with Its #CleanEating Burger
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4
TV-Watching Retreats
TV-Watching Retreats
Three Mobile, Samsung and Netflix Launched a 'Bed 'N' Binge' Retreat
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3
Experiential Wine Campaign Launches
Experiential Wine Campaign Launches
This Barefoot Wine Campaign Kicked Off with a Mobile Wine Bar
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2
Hilariously Oversized Beer Cases
Hilariously Oversized Beer Cases
Finland's Nokia Brewery is Now Selling a 1,000 Can Beer Pack
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1
TV-Themed Hotel Packages
TV-Themed Hotel Packages
The Gregory Hotel Offers an 'Ex-stream-ly Cozy Package'
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