Cyber scares, out of this world spokespeople, but nothing is beating a Jet2 holiday: The best comms campaigns of 2025

In the year when AI promised to super-charge the creative side of comms (and did so with rather mixed results *ahem* Coca-Cola and McDonald’s), PR teams continued to hit it out of the park with inventive, groundbreaking, shocking, and cute campaigns and content, both with and without AI.

We asked PRs across the industry for their favourite comms campaigns of 2025 – hat tips go to Jet2, Marks & Spencer, Medichecks, and even Peppa Pig…

Want pointers on creating your own top campaigns for the year ahead? Check out these 14 PR and comms trends coming up in 2026.

Buses that were right on time from MAC & Co.

Ronke Lawal, PR Consultant, Ariatu Public Relations

‘It’s always difficult to pick just one. I rave about Bemi Orojuogun aka the Bus Aunty who though doesn’t represent just one PR campaign has been used in integrated campaigns – I really loved the work that Iman Leila Bokolo, Acting Senior Communications & PR Manager at MAC Cosmetics, did on the MAC bus campaign. Seamless execution and perfectly timed.’

Much love for ‘Love, Actually’

Matt Brown, CEO, W Communications

‘I loved campaigns that rejected over-engineered gimmicks and instead tapped directly into culture, whether that was using experiential stunts that earned genuine social momentum, or targeted pitches that made it into the right publications and then surfaced again via GEO. The best work this year proved that if the story is strong, the execution doesn’t need to be complicated.

‘A great example is Stanley Tucci’s recent work for San Pelligrino – a wonderful campaign! And a festive favourite is Google Pixel’s new ‘Love, Actually’ spoof.

Natalie Trice, Author, Media Commentator, PR & Brand Expert, Natalie Trice Publicity

‘I absolutely adore this year’s Waitrose Christmas campaign! We have the nostalgia of ‘Love Actually’, bringing in the supermarket’s scrumptious food as an act of care and bringing caring and connection back to life. There is nothing like a good love story and this is first class nostalgia with modern day elements. Five stars to the chef!’

Big congratulations to Mummy Pig

Dominique Daly, Director, Hope&Glory

‘I could sit here and extol the wonderful campaigns from H&G, because there’s been many (from launching IKEA Oxford Street to surprising and delighting cabbies in The Fare Game for Carlsberg through to the stunning ringing of the Bells at St Paul’s for GOSH) but let’s not do that (like what I did there?!).

‘Across PR Land, a personal favourite that gave me the “ugh, I wish I’d got to work on that” moment was the UnDropped Kit by ASICS. An insight close to my heart with a well-thought-through delivery. Now I just hope there’s a way schools can actually get hold of it.

‘And no wrap-up of the year can be complete without a shout-out to the meticulously phased pregnancy of Mummy Pig. From social to print to online to broadcast, it got everyone chatting. Again and again and again. A fantastic creative idea, beautifully executed.’

Amber Steventon, MD & Founder, Azaria

‘One standout for me was the arrival of a new baby in the Peppa Pig household. In my 30-year career, it’s one of the rare occasions where a children’s TV animation not only captured public imagination but also made it onto mainstream media and even national news channels. It was a brilliant reminder that thoughtful storytelling, even for young audiences, can create huge cultural impact.’

Nothing beat the Jet2 holiday memes

David Sykes, Head of PR, Carrington

‘We all know that “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” – and I loved the social media trend that appeared completely organically, cementing the lines from the unrelentingly cheerful adverts into our minds this summer. It’s hard to describe this as a PR campaign per se, because the actual company had very little to do with it, other than making the original adverts which social media users took the audio from. It may have started with people overlaying the audio and music over the top of horrifying scenes of nightmare holidays, but it became ubiquitous – with Jess Glynne concerts becoming viral moments, Americans being amazed at how joyful British adverts are and the voice actor, Zoe Lister, giving her reaction to it on news platforms around the world.

‘This trend proved that PR and marketing has a weirdly strong influence over our national culture, because it turns out almost everyone in Britain can recite more of the Jet2 adverts than we ever would have thought possible.’

Surf was up in Scotland

Sarah Owen, Founder and CEO, Pumpkin PR

‘My favourite PR campaign of this year caught my eye because I am an old surfer. The Lost Shore Surf Resort in Scotland is a disused quarry which was turned into an inland surfing destination and it launched a fully integrated campaign combining experiential events, influencer activations and media outreach. The result was nearly 300 media features, strong public engagement and tangible bookings. It was a perfect example of how creative, experience-led campaigns can generate both buzz and real business outcomes.

Medichecks made some noise

Charlotte Dovey, Founder, Quince Creative Communications

‘One of my favourite campaigns this year was Medichecks’ Don’t Shh Me initiative, which directly challenged how often women feel dismissed by the healthcare system. It stood out because it wasn’t just about brand awareness – it created a movement that encouraged women to speak up, seek answers and feel validated in their health journeys.

‘I admire campaigns focused on normalising conversations around health and mental wellbeing, particularly those making complex or stigmatised issues more accessible without sensationalising them. These campaigns demonstrate how PR can be used not just to sell, but to support, educate and empower.’

AI scare awareness from Virgin Media

Kerry Parkin, founder, The Remarkables and The Mark

‘One of my standout campaigns this year was Virgin Media’s AI scam-prevention initiative. It struck exactly the right balance of public education, creative storytelling, with technological relevance, too. By using AI to demonstrate how easily scammers can clone voices and manipulate personal data, the campaign made an abstract threat feel immediate and human. It was smart and socially responsible; it landed at a moment when public understanding of AI risk needed a step-change.

‘I also loved that the work showed PR at its best; it blended insight and creativity. Additionally, the purpose is to drive genuine behaviour change. It’s the kind of campaign that reminds our industry of its power when we combine sharp ideas with cultural need.

A strong comeback from crisis

Emma Streets, Associate Director, Tigerbond

‘Not a campaign as such, but one of the strongest pieces of overall communications has got to be Marks & Spencer, which has undergone a transformative year.

‘Despite the impact and discussion of its cyber incident in spring stretching into most of the year, the brand’s trust levels with the public and reputation have remained unaffected, and it’s committed to major growth plans, with its food and retail sales figures hitting their highest performance in a decade.’

Finally, a fuller football kit from Modibodi

Plamedie Poto-Poto, Senior Account Executive, CI Group

‘Modibodi x West Ham Womens FC: The lingerie healthcare brand announced that they are partnering with the women’s football team to become the first period underwear brand to feature on kit. The partnership is vital as it brings a spotlight to athletic women who face different issues performing whilst they’re menstruating but don’t feel comfortable to speak about it and like they just have to continue about their day feeling self-conscious. It’s a reminder that dealing with the different things that make you a woman doesn’t stop during a performance, game or match but with the right support you can still do your best.’

Made-up with make-up comms

Patrizia Galeota, PR Specialist & Podcast Host, PR LIKE A BOSS!

‘e.l.f. Beauty: “Give an e.l.f.” campaign: This 2025 global campaign paired the brand with social causes (LGBTQ+, empowerment, advocacy) and real-life activism. By combining bold visuals, genuine purpose, and inclusive representation, it made beauty brand PR about values and community, not just products.

‘Doja Cat x MAC Cosmetics at the 2025 VMAs: The lipstick-eating stunt (the lipstick was chocolate) was provocative, playful and perfectly timed, not just a “celebrity endorsement,” but an attention-grabbing, conversation-starting moment that commanded media and social coverage. It shows how PR in beauty can still shock and delight when done with creativity.’

An astronomically smart spokesperson choice

Gary Jenkins, MD, No Brainer

‘It feels like there’s been more creativity than ever in 2025 – and whether that’s been helped or hindered by AI is up for debate – however, a couple of campaigns stood out in 2025 and for very different reasons.

‘Firstly, Astronomer’s ‘temporary spokesperson’ moment with Gwyneth Paltrow turned a ‘company misstep’ into a world-class response by leaning into humour and owning the narrative before others did.

‘And WWF Denmark’s coffee-and-habitat investigation showed the power of substance – strong on-the-ground reporting, striking visuals and a clear human impact that pushed a complex supply-chain issue into mainstream coverage and real pressure for change.’

Mauro Battellini, Co-Founder, Black Unicorn PR

‘Coming from the startup tech side, and not household brand names, it’s less about campaigns that the public will know about. But one tech startup did make the rounds. Astronomer faced a disaster when their CEO’s affair was discovered at a Coldplay concert after trying to hide from the ‘kiss cam’. The scene went viral and thousands of memes started spreading. They made it into mainstream media and every person’s WhatsApp groups suddenly had memes of it. Their PR team cleverly used the timeliness and attention to hire Gwyneth Paltrow as spokesperson. In a video, she went through the scandal and used the opportunity to spread some of Astronomer’s key messages. It went viral and showed Astronomer confident in their future, leveraging humour to downplay the scandal. And of course, it went almost as viral as the kiss cam itself. It could have just ended with the scandal, but they did something more with it.’

Patagonia demanded more

Pamela Badham, Founder and CEO, Four Marketing Agency

‘Patagonia’s “Buy Less, Demand More” Movement. This campaign prioritised real human emotion, real-world action, and genuine transparency over high-gloss production or generative content, proving that the human element is the ultimate differentiator in modern PR.’

Llama dance party

Marco Fiori, Managing Director, Bamboo

‘Monday.com’s llama. The company has made project management software fun, funky and fresh.’

The mascot massacre at Duolingo

Claire Crompton, Co-Founder, TAL Agency

‘Who didn’t love this one? This campaign was a brilliant exercise in narrative disruption on digital. By “killing off” its own mascot, then teasing a resurrection tied to community engagement, it turned a routine app update into a viral moment. The layered storytelling – cryptic posts, user speculation, a “Bring Back Duo” interactive landing page – triggered a massive buzz on social media, with millions of views and a huge amount of user‑generated content as both people and brands jumped on board with their own versions.’

Ready for what 2026 will bring? Check out these 14 trends for PR and comms coming next year.