Like Taco Bell, "think outside the bun," for your publicity stunts

Bobbie Jo Hill IAPD Public Relations Specialist   Say good-bye to ceremonial ribbon cuttings, dedications, and stand-at-the-podium presentations.

Grand opening. Tree planting. Open house. Anniversary celebration. Yawn.

There must be a million of these events held nationwide each day. And although a new building and an anniversary are very important to you and your organization, they may not be nearly as exciting to your local reporter. So, how can you get yours noticed?

First, remember that zany sometimes is good. Zany certainly will allow you to stand out from the pack. So, say good-bye to ceremonial ribbon cuttings, dedications, and stand-at-the-podium presentations. To gain the attention of the public and the media, you need to not only think out of the box, but also be willing to fill that box with something outlandish enough to get noticed.

Take some of the stunts pulled by Daniel J. Edelman's public relations firm, founded in Chicago in 1952 and now the world's largest independent public relations firm. When Hershey Foods approached Edelman for ideas to celebrate its 100th anniversary, they didn't opt for the traditional birthday celebration with a cake in the shape of " 100." Instead, a 10-foot, 350-pound chocolate Centennial Memory Cake was constructed in the shape of a Nestles Toll House chocolate chip. This cake made news. Another Edelman creation was done in honor of a new menu selection at Kentucky Fried Chicken. It involved 100 Colonel Sanders look-alikes doing the "chicken dance" near Times Square. It got attention and lots of television time.

This bug—Decatur Park District's "Giant Hissing Cockroach"— created a buzz during media day for the Illinois State Fair, and it made the evening news, too.

Marketing Werks, a Chicago-based promotional company specializes in mobile marketing. From 1999 to 2001, the Schick Shave Shack toured the United States and gave people the opportunity to sing in a giant outdoor shower, karaoke-style in order to promote a new razor. Another project was the Hershey Kissmobile, which consisted of three gigantic candies atop a semi-truck flatbed. These projects gained the attention of both people and media wherever they roamed.

More recently, Taco Bell launched its 15-foot floating "Free Taco Here" target into San Francisco Bay's McCovey Cove during the World Series games played in the Giant's stadium. The company promised a free "Crunchy Beef" taco to everyone in America if a home run ball hit the Taco Bell "flotilla." While no ball player hit the flotilla during the series, the company definitely scored a publicity home run.

A very low-budget stunt occurred in England several years ago. Some primary school students were studying earthquakes, and they wanted to see if they could create a small tremor. So, they contacted all the other classes their age in the country and asked them to stand up and jump at exactly the same time on the same day. Watches

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Vandalism Down 25% in Highland Park During the first year of implementation of the Eagle Eye SM Neighborhood. Park Watch Program According to officials from the Park District of Highland Park, residents living near its parks want to keep the parks safe and have been calling in and reporting suspicious activities, resulting in less vandalism than in previous years. "We felt this is due to aspects of the Eagle EyeSM program, such as making the public more aware of watching their neighborhood parks, getting community organizations involved, and displaying extra signage in the parks," says Larry Amidei, safety coordinator for the Park District of Highland Park. For more information about the Eagle EyeSM Neighborhood Park Watch Program, see www.ILparks.org/eagleeye.htm or call the Illinois Association of Park Districts at 217/523-4554.

and clocks were synchronized. The day came, the children jumped, the Richter scale moved, and so did the story: on television and in newspapers all around the world.

But even without Times Square or a big budget to hire a top-notch public relations firm, you can still get your event noticed. A special event, whether it's your typical grand opening or tree planting, can be made front-page news with a simple, creative twist.

Organizers of Park District Conservation Day at the Illinois State Fair researched their entertainers and exhibitors to find something unusual. What did they find? A giant, hissing cockroach from Decatur Park District's Scovill Zoo. The cockroach (along with a chaperone, of course) was invited to the state fair's media day, held a week before the fair. Guess who got camera time on the evening news? It wasn't the corn dogs and it wasn't the butter cow. That's right, the cockroach made headline news right along with comments from the state fair director. Just doing something different, something unexpected, can be the very thing to catch media attention. That's why radio people camp out on billboards.

What kind of bizarre publicity stunts have your agency used to draw attention to special events or activities? Share them with us at bjhill@ILparks.org.

BOBBIE JO HILL
Is the public relations specialist for the Illinois Association of Park Districts.

40 November/December 2002