The Most Expensive PR Stunts of All Time

Year: 2008
Location: Paris, France
Estimated Cost: $50,000+* 

Charities aren’t exactly known for going down the cute and kitsch route when it comes to getting their message out there. Usually, organizations choose to go for a hard-hitting message that hammers their point across. However, back in 2008, the World Wildlife Fund decided to buck the trend. 

Pandas in Paris @ettoday / Pinterest.com

They commissioned 1,600 paper-mache pandas to be placed at the front of the Eiffel Tower. The sight of all the pandas was a hit with tourists and locals alike, but a stark reminder of the dwindling number of pandas left in the world. Photos of the spectacle soon popped up on sites like Facebook.

Passers-by were quick to pick up one of the cute paper pandas and pose with it, which certainly helped WWF push the message that they are a dying breed. The images are so striking that it remains one of the most talked-about PR stunts of all time.

Year: 2018
Location: United States
Estimated Cost: $11,000*

Competitions can prove to be interesting PR stunts for companies, too. Most of us wouldn’t usually consider naming our newborn child after a fast-food restaurant, but maybe that would change if $11,000 came knocking. 

KFC's Baby Name Competition @ComicSauce / Facebook.com

In 2018, KFC made fans a proposition. If they had a baby on Colonel Sander’s birthday and named the child Harland after the Colonel himself, they could be in with a chance of winning $11,000 to put towards college. Participants were entered into a draw, with North Carolina baby Harland Rose pronounced the winner. 

Surprisingly, the competition had far more entrants than you might think. The only downside is there are thousands of baby Harland’s out there that didn’t win $11,000 to put towards their college education! Still, there are worse names to be called.

Year: 1924-present day
Location: New York, United States
Estimated Cost: $11 million* 

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is such a beloved tradition that we often forget what it actually is. The parade was first created back in 1924 as a huge PR stunt designed to buoy sales. Back then, the parade looked much different from how it looks today. The first-ever event featured staff and zoo animals. 

1924's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade @abcinflatables1 / Pinterest.com

Since then, Macy’s parade has turned into a hugely lucrative sponsored event that costs over $11 million a year to produce. Kids and adults may love watching it, but there’s no doubt about it – this parade is designed to make money. 

Each float in itself is a mini PR stunt, with companies striving to make the biggest, most eye-catching design every year. It might be fun for us to watch, but this is advertising in its purest form. Brands aren’t afraid to spend money to participate.

Year: 2018
Location: London, England
Estimated Cost: $100,000*

Actor Jeff Goldblum has established himself as a worthy Hollywood icon over the years, but he’s perhaps best remembered for the role of Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park. Sky’s subscription service NowTV decided to capitalize on Jeff’s popularity in 2018 by erecting a giant Goldblum statue alongside the River Thames. 

NowTV's Jeff Goldblum Statue @digitalspyuk / Facebook.com

Fans were enthralled by the shirtless Dr. Malcolm and welcomed it with open arms as part of the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the movie. The statue itself was no easy task, taking over six weeks and 250 hours to make. Some say it was money well spent.

After all, fans could pull up a deck chair and pose next to Dr. Malcolm, with some even sitting their dogs next to the giant statue for a cute snap. The possibilities were endless. As for what Goldblum himself thought of it – the jury is still out on that one.

Year: 2018
Location: United States (and Social Media)
Estimated Cost: $75,000*

It’s not often that companies are willing to mess with their iconic logos in order to make a point. After all, logos are such an established part of companies like McDonald’s that it almost seems counterintuitive to alter them, even temporarily. That being said, if you’re going to do it, do it like Mickey D’s. 

McDonald's Upside Down Arches @CBS Los Angeles / Youtube.com

In 2018, McDonald’s turned its famous golden arches upside down at select locations to celebrate International Women’s Day. The arches were also upturned on social media, while over 100 restaurants were presented with temporary uniforms in honor of the new “W.”

It was a smart move from the company considering how women’s rights have been a hot topic ever since the Time’s Up movement emerged. This way, McDonald’s was showing that they stood in solidarity with women across the world as a business that readily offered support.

Year: 2012
Location: Outer Space
Estimated Cost: $1,000+*

Sushi is a popular dish for many, but whether aliens would like it as much as we do is a different story. In 2012, Washington-based eatery Sticky Rice decided to find out by sending their Godzilla Roll into space. They attached a plate containing the roll to a special balloon and sent that baby up there alongside a camera to document the process. 

Sushi in Space @arancillero / Pinterest.com

The project itself took an astonishing six months to plan as they wanted to ensure the roll wouldn’t disintegrate in the freezing cold stratosphere. You don’t see this type of advertisement every day, but perhaps Yum Brands could take note.

We’re all used to seeing different types of food on billboards and at bus stops, but seeing it thrown into space is something else entirely. Sticky Rice isn’t a huge brand, but it got a lot of attention for this out-of-this-world experiment.

Year: 2021
Location: Worldwide
Estimated Cost: $50,000*

Weetabix may not be one of the leading breakfast cereals in the US, but it’s a staple in British culture. In February of 2021, fans were shocked when the brand teamed up with Heinz to suggest that Weetabix is the perfect base for a good slathering of baked beans. 

Weetabix and Heinz @weetabix / Twitter.com

Heinz fans were mortified at the campaign, which even included Amazon’s Alexa suggesting users give the strange combination a try. The stunt caused such a stir that Weetabix soon hailed it as a PR win, while disjointed customers were still trying to wrap their heads around the idea. 

Those that were brave enough to try it largely agree that it’s best to stick to the traditional way of eating them, but there’s no denying that this campaign was a PR success. It’s difficult to make something like Weetabix exciting after so many years, but this certainly helped.

Year: 2015
Location: London, England
Estimated Cost: $100,000*

eBay has become a true giant in the internet world, allowing users the ability to buy someone else’s junk while getting rid of their own. The novel idea turned into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, so it’s only natural that the company wanted to celebrate its 20th birthday in style back in 2015. 

eBay's Thames Birthday Cake @ella777111 / Pinterest.com

eBay charged Livetts with creating a giant birthday cake and floating it down the length of the River Thames. Its final destination was a party being held for eBay employees. Needless to say, the floating cake caught media attention straight away. 

It’s not every day that you see a giant cake floating down the River Thames. With that being said, the Thames has been home to many PR stunts over the years as it’s one of London’s most iconic and best-known locations.

Year: 2006
Location: Rachel, Nevada, United States
Estimated Cost: $30,000*

KFC is no stranger to fried chicken, but it’s also no stranger to finger-licking good stunts, either. All the way back in 2006, the Colonel and co. shelled out a pretty penny to create a giant logo viewable from space. They chose Rachel, Nevada as the destined spot. 

KFC's Giant Logo @johnglumpler / Pinterest.com

At the time, the Yum Brands eatery hailed it as an official introduction to a “global re-image campaign.” Made from over 65,000 square tiles, the huge creation is definitely viewable from martian territory. Most brands go for a giant billboard.

Clearly, that just wasn’t enough for Colonel Sanders. KFC is busy making its presence in the universe known, just in case we get any intergalactic visitors that happen to be hungry on their way through the universe. Everyone needs to eat!

Year: 2009
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Estimated Cost: Unknown

In this modern world, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd – or in this case, the swarm. In 2009, publisher Eichborn turned up to Frankfurt’s book fair with a very unique idea in tow. To promote its stand, the company attached Eichborn banners to 200 flies using natural wax and turned them loose. 

Book Fair Flies @adoholik / Pinterest.com

Rather than being irritated by the little winged creatures with their strange luggage, visitors were enthralled. The wax fell off eventually, leaving the flies unharmed and book lovers wondering what on earth they just witnessed. Other companies like News Corp have yet to follow suit.

When it comes to PR stunts, this is certainly one of the more fiddly and elaborate of them all. Not many companies think tagging insects and letting them loose is the way to go, but in this case, they’re like mini advertising blimps. People usually hate flies, but in this case, they were whimsical.

Year: 2016
Location: Waterloo Station, London, England
Estimated Cost: $200,000+*

When fans heard a Ghostbusters reboot was in the works in 2016, many were a little bit skeptical. The hype around the all-female movie was very real, with Columbia sparing no expense when it came to promo. They even erected a huge Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in the middle of Waterloo Station in London. 

Ghostbusters Marshmallow Man @toyshopbrasil / FAcebook.com

Travelers were delighted with the arrival of the evil-looking being as it appeared to break through the floor. What’s more, commuters were also treated to columns of slime falling from the ceiling, making this a stunt worthy of the Instagram age. 

Everyone was stopping to take photos, and social media was abuzz with talk of the surprise stunt. It’s a clever way to promote a movie, even if it’s not the cheapest way to go about it. It’s free entertainment for the masses in the hope that they will buy a cinema ticket.

Year: 2018
Location: Milan, Italy
Estimated Cost: $200,000*

Spider-Man has proved to be a profitable franchise for Sony, but the entertainment titan knows better than anyone that you have to spend money to make money. Back in 2018, the Japanese-born company decided the best way to celebrate the release of Spider-Man on PS4 was to throw a bus into an Italian lake. 

Sony's SpiderMan Bus Crash @cinfikirli / Pinterest.com

The yellow bus was plunged face-first into Darsena Lake, a popular location in the middle of Milan. Sony’s marketing team made it look like Spidey’s webs were stopping the bus from disappearing to the murky depths entirely. A stroke of genius, or just a watery waste of capital? 

The entire scene did look like it was pulled from a Marvel movie, with Peter Parker set to swing in any second. Perhaps the idea would have been even more well-received in Parker’s native New York City.

Year: 2018
Location: Russia
Estimated Cost: 100 free pizzas a year* 

The best PR stunts don’t have to be expensive shows or elaborate pranks. In fact, the smartest ones may not cost all that much at all. In 2018, the Russian branch of Domino’s Pizza shocked the world by promising fans free pizza for an entire lifetime. All they had to do was get the Domino’s logo permanently tattooed on a visible spot on their body. 

Domino's Russia Tattoo Challenge @JohnEllrod / Pinterest.com

Amazingly, avid pizza fans lapped this up, with hundreds of people heading straight to the nearest tattoo shop to get their ink. In return, Domino’s gave each ink-happy customer 100 free pizzas a year. The company essentially paid for a huge marketing campaign in cheese and pepperoni. 

When you take into consideration the low cost of the prize and the longevity of the campaign, it’s nothing short of marketing genius. These tattoos will last forever, promoting Domino’s until the end of the time – or at least, for another 50 years.

Year: 2012
Location: New Mexico, United States
Estimated Cost: $30 million* 

Red Bull isn’t exactly known for doing things by halves. The company prides itself on going full-throttle and pushing the envelope, but in 2012 it did something truly out of this world. The energy drink brand sent Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner into the stratosphere at an estimated cost of $30 million. 

Red Bull Space Jump @teamdb / Pinterest.com

Once the helium balloon reached a certain height, Felix leaped from the structure and plummeted to the ground below in a jump that went on for ten minutes. The project, dubbed Red Bull Stratos, was a huge achievement for the company that supposedly generated over $500 million in sales.

It certainly gave new meaning to “Red Bull gives you wings.” Baumgartner hailed it as a truly thrilling experience, while the rest of the world thought he was a mad man for trying such a dangerous stunt. It was the perfect piece of advertising.