Good PR of the week
 

Fanny-tastic marketing
 

Taking the mick out of Coca-Cola’s ubiquitous named-bottle campaign, IRN-BRU has released its very own range of named drinks cans. However, the personalised range only caters for one name: Fanny

It’s a funny way to make a dig at Coke while also sticking to its own marketing line. Last year IRN-BRU released the following TV ad featuring the word Fanny, prompting a WHOLE 24 complaints:

Staring match
 

In Zurich, Samsung offered members of the public the chance to win a free Galaxy S4 – provided they could keep their stare at a handset set into a branded standing board for precisely 60 minutes.

Samsung tried to distract participants as they attempted to stay focused, with police dogs, men on fire and arguing couples all rolled out to participants to look away from the phone, which, scarily “knows when you’re looking at it“.

The ultimate stunt?
 

The third example of Good PR this week is actually a few weeks old, and requires you to click this link, which will take you through to the magazine Shortlist’s account of an absolutely genius press trip Heineken laid on for journalists covering Barcelona v Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi final second leg.

It all starts out well, but ends even better. So much so, in fact, that Shortlist asks if it’s “the ultimate PR stunt“. Well worth a read. JCPR tweeted to claim it when I mentioned it this week, well done to all involved!

Bad PR of the week
 

Flash-mob failure
 

Puma gave Champions League final losers Borussia Dortmund a “special” surprise at London Stansted airport before they returned back to Germany, with an incredibly ill-advised, poorly timed flash mob.

The players – who’ve just lost a massive game, bear in mind – look less than amused at the “singing” and “dancing“, with some even turning their backs on the whole cringe-worthy effort.

The song lyrics include mocking lines such as “moving on up now, out of this darkness” and ends with a condescending banner, unfurled to let the players know that although they lost, Puma was still proud of them.

To be fair to Puma, the social media team has responded to say that it understood what the public was saying (well, it posted it in the second paragraph of the YouTube video’s description) and is encouraging people to vote for when, if at all, a flash mob is appropriate. Here’s what it said:

“Okay, you're right, a flash mob isn't always the answer. Especially when it's poorly timed. We'd like to make up our #epicfail, #dancingdisaster, #terriblesendoff to BVB players and fans. This time, YOU pick the moment. Click the link to vote:http://go.puma.com/poll”

If you still want to watch it after all of the above, fill your boots:

Thanks to Frank PR’s Greg Double for tweeting me with this.

Have you seen any good or bad PR?
 

Contact PR Rich Leigh with it by tweeting him @GoodandBadPR or by emailing rich@10yetis.co.uk throughout the week and he’ll happily credit you for your trouble.

Good and Bad PR is a feature on the blog of 10 Yetis PR Agency