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Are The Days of Real-Life PR Stunts Gone?

Krystin's house T.P.'d by Chester Cheeto
My house T.P.’d by Chester Cheeto.

With the growth of digital platforms and the interconnectivity it brings to our lives, is the day of a real-life PR stunt that makes you go “WOW” gone?

Take the age-old tradition of T.P.’ing – covering a house or structure with an artful display of toilet paper – it’s gone digital. I came across a campaign from Cheetos yesterday called Chester’s Project T.P., A Digital Toilet Paper Takeover of the World.

Although amusing that I T.P.’d my home with the help of Chester, the short interaction got me thinking about the impression a digital campaign leaves on a valued customer. It took me about three minutes to type in my address, identify my house, T.P. it and share my work through Facebook, but did I really converse with the company or build a relationship with the brand? If I stumbled upon a real-life T.P. project on the streets of San Diego, would I have a chance to interact on a more personal level with brand ambassadors and take part in an activity that would leave a more lasting impression on me?

A shocking stunt in real-life or an interactive digital experience can be effective in reaching certain goals, but marketers should remember to place emphasis on building relationships with participants.

Have you seen a recent PR stunt or digital campaign that you thought was executed well? Share it with us here or on our Facebook page.

If you haven’t T.P.’d a friend’s house yet, give them a little treat this Friday: https://www.project-tp.com/.

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