Flaming June has come to a close and there’s an awful lot to be proud about at Mischief HQ. From launching the VIQ (Very Important Queens & Kings) service for Just Eat to helping Ocado Retail show off the freshness of its produce with a living van and kicking off the EURO 2024 viewing bonanza for Amazon Fire TV.
We also announced two new creative directors, picked up a couple of CIPR awards and bought a touch of Mischief to the rooftops of the City at our summer party.
But it’s also a winning month for PR, with a truly earned-first idea claiming the top in Cannes. Our Head of Strategy shares his thoughts on the campaigns that got everyone excited below.
Just Eat Keeps Drag Performers ‘Tucking In’ During Pride Month
This month, Just Eat joined the Pride Party with drag royalty Dr Cheddar Gorgeous, launching the Very Important Queens (VIQ’s) initiative to keep fabulous performers fed, energised and appreciated! We discovered that the UK’s drag community are estimated to perform over 350 shows and deliver 14.4 million lip syncs this June.
Did you know drag stars can sizzle through 2,500 calories daily during Pride? That’s a full day’s worth in high heels and high spirits. So, to keep our Queens and Kings strutting their stuff, Just Eat are dishing out free vouchers to keep the drag community fuelled and fierce.
With Cheddar Gorgeous and LGBT+ fitness guru Matt Boyles crunching the numbers, it’s clear our 40,000 UK Drag performers are the ultimate endurance artists. And with Just Eat, they’ll be ordering anything their hearts desire – from hairspray for those towering wigs to a carb-loaded feast ahead of a big performance.
Our campaign sashayed into the spotlight, securing fabulous broadcast coverage on BBC Radio London, and featured in a range of key national and consumer titles, including Indy 100, Hello and Verge Magazine. We’re at a whopping 34 pieces of coverage and still counting…
To read more about Just Eat’s VIQs initiative check out the article here.
Unbe-Leaf-Able: Ocado Create a Living Farmers Field On Wheels…
This month, Ocado transformed its iconic purple van to a vibrant green ‘farmer’s field on wheels’, fully adorned with fresh fruit & veg, in tribute to all things freshness. The Freshness Van was brought to life in light of Ocado’s recent study, which revealed two-thirds of Brits are grappling with ‘FOGO’ – the Fear of Going Off. What’s more, one in three Brits are cancelling plans to prioritise using up groceries at home before their use-by-date. This is costing households a whopping average of £240-£480 in wasted food annually.
We set out on a mission to help Brits overcome the tyranny of the sell-by date – and to stop the nation being held hostage by their fridges. Ocado teamed up with viral instagram chef, Alfie Cooks, to hand out fresh produce to the public and help alleviate Brits from FOGO, and give tips on how to get the most out of their fresh produce.
Our campaign has caused a stir, grabbing the attention of national media, with features in the Metro, Express, and Daily Star, alongside regional outlets.
Read more about Ocado’s fresh mission here.
Amazon Fire Stick Find Euro 2024 Is Sparking A Summer Of ‘Sickies’
To celebrate the EURO 2024 kick-off, we worked with Amazon Fire TV to raise brand awareness and get the lowdown on how Brits geared up for the beloved tournament.
Amazon’s research found that It’s a summer of ‘sickies’, as 1 in 3 football fans are planning to call in sick to catch England in action this summer. It seems we’re a nation of dreamers too, with 23% of Brits convinced that this could be the year England finally lifts the trophy.
And as for Gareth Southgate, he’s already secured his spot in the nation’s heart as the top England manager of all time, followed closely by Alf Ramsey, who led England to their one and only World Cup title in 1966, and Sir Bobby Robson coming in at number three according to Brits.
Our research story kicked off, securing 19 pieces of earned media coverage in 9 national titles including, The Sun, Daily Express, Daily Star, The Telegraph, Evening Standard, iNews, Indy 100, Mail Online and This is Money. Also scoring more great coverage across a range of consumer and regional titles!
Read more about Brit’s beliefs around the 2024 Euros here.
Looking at what won and why, there are two things that have me energised for the year ahead.
Firstly, the fact that PR agencies generally made such a strong showing. I speak with brands day in day out that want to be talked about and a part of culture. My friends still working in advertising tell me the brands they work with want to be talked about and a part of culture. Our skills aren’t just for making news, they’re for building brands. After years of obsession with digital, bottom of the funnel tactics, fame making, desire creating, culture shaping work is going to be back on the menu.
Secondly, I was impressed by the impactful effectiveness on display. A number of campaigns focussed on using comms to trigger behavioural outcomes: Specsavers “Misheard Lyrics” boosted hearing test bookings by 1,220%. Deutsche Telekom’s AI child got 55% of parents to reconsider “sharenting” their children’s data away. Heineken’s decision to make “working in a bar” a corporate career kick-starter generated 5,000 bar job applications in the Netherlands.
You can’t click-to-buy fame. You can only come up with disruptive ideas that worm into your audience’s imaginations.
Welcome to A Month of Mischief, a monthly take on the hottest passions gripping the nation, along with the latest Mischief news.... Read more
Welcome to A Month of Mischief, a monthly take on the hottest passions gripping the nation, along with the latest Mischief news.... Read more