{"id":148599,"date":"2024-12-19T14:41:41","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T13:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/?p=148599"},"modified":"2024-12-19T14:43:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T13:43:57","slug":"elmos-check-in-dominos-take-off-and-calms-calls-to-action-the-best-pr-and-comms-campaigns-of-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/elmos-check-in-dominos-take-off-and-calms-calls-to-action-the-best-pr-and-comms-campaigns-of-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Elmo\u2019s check in, Domino\u2019s take off, and CALM\u2019s calls to action: The best PR and comms campaigns of 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/25-pr-and-communications-trends-for-2025\/?swcfpc=1\">busy and high-pressure year for PR<\/a>, the industry stepped up with creative comms for brand and awareness campaigns alike. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We asked PR experts to share their favourite PR and comms campaigns of 2024 &#8211; here are shout outs for great work from McDonald\u2019s, Led By Donkeys, the UK Black Comms Network, and Sesame Street (to name just a few)&#8230;<\/p>\n<h3>Much love for Elmo<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Estelle Boon, group managing director \u2013 brand, social &amp; influence, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ketchum.com\/\">Ketchum <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018For me it\u2019s a person. Elmo. Yes, Elmo. Yes, he\u2019s a person.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elmo\/status\/1751995117366296904?lang=en-GB\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-148607 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elmo.jpg\" alt=\"Elmo X post\" width=\"760\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elmo.jpg 760w, https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elmo-300x63.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elmo-705x148.jpg 705w, https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elmo-500x105.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2018In January, he (okay, Sesame Street\u2019s social team) posted on X, asking how everybody was doing. As of December that post has had more than 360k active engagements. While we know the virality of a social media post cannot be predicted, the simplicity of this human-first approach that stayed true to \u201cbrand Elmo\u201d and his fandom, gave it a running start.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Andrew Garfield and Elmo Explain Grief | Sesame Workshop\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EVlXbiP4x2E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h3>The Migration Museum\u2019s take on the England football team<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Gorki Duhra, press manager, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnib.org.uk\/\">Royal National Institute of Blind People RNIB<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018With immigration a General Election issue, and the widespread abuse suffered by black players at Euro 2020 fresh in the mind, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedrum.com\/news\/2024\/07\/10\/ad-the-day-england-team-reimagined-without-immigration\">a poster for the Migration Museum<\/a> that pondered what the England team would look like without immigration was simple and powerful. Only Pickford, Stones and Foden remain in the starting 11, while the names of stars such as Bellingham, Saka, Walker and Kane are all struck out.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Leading comms from Led By Donkeys<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Stephen and Sarah Waddington, directors of <a href=\"https:\/\/wadds.co.uk\/\">Wadds Inc.<\/a> and founders of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sociallymobile.org.uk\/\">Socially Mobile<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Led by Donkeys is well-known for its political activist campaigns. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalcovidmemorialwall.org\/\">National Covid Memorial Wall<\/a> of hearts is a lasting legacy for the people who died during the pandemic. In February, it laid out more than 11,000 sets of children&#8217;s clothing on Bournemouth beach in protest at the war in Gaza. The clothing stretched for five kilometres and was a powerful visual representation of the children killed on both sides of the conflict since 7 October 2023.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>UK Black Comms Networks pushing industry inclusion further forward<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Ronke Lawal, PR and communications consultant, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ariatupublicrelations.com\/\">Ariatu Communications<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018As Chair of The Women&#8217;s Group for UK Black Comms Network I am biased, but the \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/blackcommsnetwork.co.uk\/research\">One Step Forward Two Steps Black<\/a>\u2019 report in collaboration with Opinium was a powerful and meaningful campaign that the industry at large should continue to pay attention to. We cannot continue to allow such huge disparities to prevail if we wish to nurture talent from across diverse communities.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>McDonald\u2019s raised smiles (and important issues)<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Jonathan Curtis, chief commercial officer, <a href=\"https:\/\/grayling.com\/\">Grayling Global<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018For me the standout was the McDonald\u2019s \u2018The Meal\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"McDonald&#039;s | The Meal\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X5x14gOJAPk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u2018The campaign removed the iconic Happy Meal smile to help children understand it\u2019s okay not to be happy. As a Dad of two kids going through the trials and tribulations of schools and friendships this was particularly pertinent and was executed with a simple but brilliant bit of creative thinking that only McDonalds could do.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>A cheeky collab for Budgy Smugglers and Transport for London<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Gareth Hoyle, managing director, <a href=\"https:\/\/coveragely.com\/\">Coveragely<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Back in July, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.img.com\/culture\/our-news\/the-smugglers-go-underground-budgy-smuggler-partners-with-transport-for-london-for-tube-themed-swimwear\">Budgy Smugglers and Transport for London<\/a> partnered for a fun, but cheeky, campaign (pardon the pun). The swimwear brand got together with the country\u2019s most talked about travel network and launched a new collection of swimming trunks featuring some of London transport\u2019s most iconic moquette seat designs. And it worked. Unsurprisingly, the media and social media lapped up this news and the brands were able to secure plenty of coverage in a variety of titles, such as the Evening Standard, Retail Times, TrendHunter and Famous Campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It was able to generate a buzz on social media, the quirky campaign came with some interesting pictures of models looking freezing on the tube and in front of various famous London locations and it had a great regional angle.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Gaming for good, from the British Heart Foundation<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Rachel Humphreys, PR lead, Digital Hub, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorpoint.co.uk\/\">Motorpoint<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018One of my favourite campaigns of the year was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhf.org.uk\/what-we-do\/news-from-the-bhf\/news-archive\/2024\/july\/bhf-urges-streamers-to-join-lifesaving-cpr-campaign\">British Heart Foundation\u2019s \u2018Streams of (un)consciousness\u2019<\/a>. The campaign targeted Gen Zers through gaming and streaming platforms to educate them on CPR, as there was a significant lack of CPR knowledge specifically in this age group. This is a great example of how digital campaigns can have a real-world impact, raise awareness and educate.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Purpose-driven comms from The Woodland Trust and Clean Creatives were very welcome<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Alice Regester, CEO and co-founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.33seconds.co\/\">33Seconds<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018There have been some great purpose driven campaigns so far this year, encouraging consumers to live more sustainably, spend time in nature and appreciate our planet. The Woodland Trust and Adam Buxton <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thewoodlandtrust\/videos\/adam-buxton-x-woodland-trust-plantmoretrees\/1412317606319843\/\">partnering up<\/a> to encourage us to plant more trees and The National Trust\u2019s \u2018Space to Feel\u2019 campaign are a couple that spring to mind.<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mediashotz: National Trust &#039;Space to Feel&#039; ad, by Quiet Storm\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ipbtgPUBMcY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u2018As well as this, there have been some great industry-led campaigns to encourage communications professionals to be more ethical. This has included the <a href=\"https:\/\/cleancreatives.org\/\">Clean Creatives pledge<\/a> against working with fossil fuel companies &#8211; over 1,000 agencies and practitioners have signed up so far already.\u2018<\/p>\n<h3>A call to action from CALM<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/rachel-irvine-07b2489\">Rachel Irvine<\/a>, founder and CEO, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weareirvinepartners.com\/\">Irvine Partners<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018A notable mention is CALM\u2019s &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecalmzone.net\/missed-birthdays\">Missed Birthdays<\/a>&#8216; campaign, which aimed to raise awareness for youth suicide in the UK.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The initiative included call to actions, kits, and resources to help those in need, and personal stories through screens and audio in the exhibit and online. It took something celebratory (a balloon) and spun it on its head to show the opposite, which resulted in a creative, poignant and memorable campaign.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Ryanair flying high<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Pippa Brindley, managing director, <a href=\"https:\/\/thecommscollective.space\/\">The Comms Collective<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Ryanair is just so good at keeping everyone talking. Their no-filter, daring approach to marketing makes them impossible to ignore. Their online presence shows that they know exactly how to grab attention without taking themselves too seriously. They\u2019ve built a hilarious, self-aware personality that works because it feels authentic. Even if you don\u2019t fly Ryanair, you\u2019re probably following their socials because they\u2019re just that entertaining.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Domino\u2019s took flight, too<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Jane Hunt, co-founder and CEO, <a href=\"https:\/\/jbh.co.uk\/\">JBH The Digital PR Agency <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Over the summer, Domino\u2019s capitalised on their iconic garlic and herb sauce by bottling it in a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefoodpeople.co.uk\/blog\/dominos-unveils-travel-friendly-garlic-herb-dip\">travel-sized format<\/a>. This playful product innovation captured consumers\u2019 imaginations, creating buzz and reinforcing brand loyalty. It was a brilliant mix of product PR and a light-hearted nod to customer demand.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>St John Ambulance kept it simple and effective<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Kelly Pepworth, managing director, <a href=\"https:\/\/speedcommunications.com\/\">Speed Communications<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018My favourite was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sja.org.uk\/get-advice\/how-to\/how-to-do-cpr-and-use-a-defibrillator-on-a-person-with-breasts\/?srsltid=AfmBOorXzJ7cbPL_fSQ6L1F9yG3lJH53CdsIXa9ctlc4AB5LRwMOV4-S\">CPR Bra for St John Ambulance<\/a>. The campaign was based on a simple gender disparity insight that one in three people are afraid to give CPR to a woman.<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CPR bra render - St John Ambulance\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V6gbszEq7M0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u2018Great execution with the creation of an educational bra, sharing insight on what action to take when dealing with a cardiac emergency. It was worn and endorsed by key female influencers from the world of football, music and broadcast creating great visuals as well as reach. Simple but very effective.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Premier Inn checks out<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Ed Sheldon, account director, <a href=\"https:\/\/tank.co.uk\/\">Tank<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018The PR campaign that got the Tank team talking the most this year is a recent one. Premier Inn\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.premierinn.com\/gb\/en\/news\/2024\/whats-occur-inn.html\">What\u2019s Occur Inn<\/a> campaign to rename its Barry Island hotel ahead of the Gavin and Stacey finale was inspired. It\u2019s a great example of a reactive campaign that puts a brand at the heart of wider cultural conversations.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Thank you to O2\u2019s AI Granny<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Jo Preston, group board director, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teamspirit.co.uk\/\">Teamspirit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018O2\u2019s AI Granny was a genuine phenomenon this year &#8211; created to keep scammers on the phone and waste their time, it really tapped into the zeitgeist.<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AI Scambaiters: O2 creates AI Granny to waste scammers\u2019 time\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RV_SdCfZ-0s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u2018You know you\u2019ve done something right when you\u2019re mentioned on \u2018Have I got News for You\u2019 and Chrissy Teigen\u2019s Instagram!\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Specsavers stood out<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Nick Owens, founder, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.magnifypr.co.uk\/\">Magnify PR <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Specsavers\u2019 campaign in Edinburgh stands out. The creators made it look like one of their vehicles had smashed into a bollard with their now iconic \u201cShould Have Gone to Specsavers&#8221; slogan alongside it. Funny, simple and clever &#8211; three of the things campaigns often fail to be.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Dove keeping it real<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Riley Gardiner, founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nostringspublicrelations.com\/\">No Strings Public Relations<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018In 2024, Dove&#8217;s extension of its \u201cReal Beauty\u201d ethos stood out. Featuring women from diverse backgrounds, including Michaela Coel&#8217;s powerful portrayal of unfiltered skin, it challenged beauty norms.<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dove vs. AI Beauty Standards: Keeping It Real With The Code\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/reIQAmmpbO8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u2018This wasn\u2019t just an ad\u2014it became a movement, driven by its commitment to inclusivity and sincerity, tapping into deeper social currents.\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>Gold for Channel 4\u2019s Paralympics coverage<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Fiona Scott, managing director, <a href=\"https:\/\/scottmedia.uk\/\">Scott Media<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018I loved the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/winning-comms-who-made-the-paralympics-pr-podium\/\">Paralympics<\/a> (I do declare an interest, as I work with Paralympian), Channel 4 did a great job of making it exciting, funny, engaging and didn&#8217;t focus on disability, but focussed on elite athletes.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Considering What? | Paris 2024 Paralympic Games\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bUs_mNTNwvE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h3>Inclusivity wasn\u2019t impossible for Adidas<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/josephhagan_\/?hl=en\">Joseph Hagan<\/a>, founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.streamlinepr.co.uk\/talent\">Streamline PR <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Another highlight was Adidas\u2019 \u201cImpossible is Nothing\u201d campaign, which told inspiring stories while embracing inclusivity.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Adidas: Impossible is Nothing\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WNnTORL_VuM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h3>Horror film campaigns had real substance<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Damon Culbert, digital PR manager, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.addpeople.co.uk\/\">Add People <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019m a horror movie fan and there has been some real success stories in terms of marketing and PR through 2024. \u2018The Substance\u2019 has put a lot of effort into promotion on social media and taken advantage of user-generated content to keep conversations around the film going long after its release.<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THE SUBSTANCE | Official Trailer | In Theaters &amp; On MUBI Now\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LNlrGhBpYjc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u2018The best campaign I saw, however, was for \u2018Longlegs\u2019. Its promotion was definitely behind its box office success and releasing news about lead actress Maika Monroe\u2019s heart rate when she saw the antagonist for the first time was an interesting and unique use of a tried and tested format.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><em>Want to make a start on your own winning PR and comms campaigns for the year ahead? Check out these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/25-pr-and-communications-trends-for-2025\">25 PR and communications trends for 2025<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We asked PR experts to share their favourite PR and comms campaigns of 2024 &#8211; here are shout outs for great work from McDonald\u2019s, Led By Donkeys, the UK Black Comms Network, and Sesame Street.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":148609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7365,7272,3531,3725,3729],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/423"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148599"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148612,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148599\/revisions\/148612"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}