Most people associate publicity stunts with incidents like Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, Speidi‘s (Heidi + Spencer = ridiculous nickname) countless exploits or other celebrity-centric controversies, but hardly anyone thinks of the icon that started it all. Edward Bernays is reputed, and self-proclaimed, as the ”father of public relations,“ but he is also the first publicity stuntman as well. In 1929, the New York City Easter Parade included a group of young women marching to liberate all women with their cigarettes held high billed as ”torches of freedom.“ The event caused a stir, as it was taboo for women to smoke in public at the time. These marchers were symbols of women’s rights and equality as stories appeared in newspapers across the nation.

Little did the public know, it was a well-crafted publicity stunt. Bernays hired the women, mostly young models, to light up Lucky Strike cigarettes at his command in front of the awaiting press. Bernays capitalized on the lingering spark of women’s suffrage to ignite a movement. His client, the American Tobacco Company’s Lucky Strike, had a new crop of impassioned consumers.

To learn more about Bernays and public relations’ beginnings, I recommend watching the BBC’s documentary, ‘Century of the Self.’

Public relations, marketing and advertising have certainly changed since Bernays’ heyday and the changes seem to only accelerate with time and technology. Unconventional stunts or marketing aim to break through the estimated daily 600 – 625 promotional messages Americans experience. They have to be creative, interactive and unexpected to have us talking, thinking and wanting more.

Below are a few infamous stunts that I particularly enjoy and I think, in keeping with their purpose, you will too.

A Publicity Wiener –

In 1936, Oscar Mayer drove into the history books and America’s heart with the debut of its legendary Wienermobile, which still travels around the country and rides out its almost-guaranteed media coverage.

Famous but a Fugitive –

Sprung from one United Press article on the FBI’ most wanted and the positive publicity that resulted, the bureau established its Most Wanted List in 1950 in conjunction with the nation’s news media. It has aided the apprehensions of 152 fugitives as a result of citizen recognition.

You Have to Hand it to Them –

More than seven million people joined hands for 15 minutes for Hands Across America raising $20 million to fight hunger and homelessness on May 25, 1986.

A few stunts closer to home…

¡Yo quiero Taco Liberty Bell! –

As a prank on April Fool’s Day in 1996, a full-page ad appeared in six major American newspapers announcing that Taco Bell had purchased Philadelphia’s historical Liberty Bell to help reduce the country’s debt and it would be renamed the Taco Liberty Bell. By noon, the company owned up to the hoax.

Pin Down a Hit –

In 2008 a Guinness World Record-breaking piñata, which was six-stories tall, filled with 8,000 pounds of candy and located in South Philly, generated a lot of media stories and excitement.  The creator, Carnival Cruise Lines, held an event that was full of giveaways, music and food.

Killer Publicity but no Love –

Showtime’s ‘Dexter’ put on a show in 2007 when the fountain in Love Park was turned a deep red. Many Philadelphians saw red after spotting the gruesome promotion.

Here are some great sites where you can check out more celebrated stunts and marketing…

PR Week’s ’10 PR Stunts that Would Make PT Barnum Proud’

WebUrbanist.com’s ‘15 Dramatic Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns’

Taylor Herring’s ‘Top 50 Publicity Stunts‘

CreativeGuerrillaMarketing.com’s ‘The Best 80 Guerrilla Marketing Ideas I’ve Ever Seen’

My Favorite: Nikon's billboard in subway station

Please share your favorite publicity or marketing stunts below in the comments!

It is, however, a bit disappointing to see so many companies jump on board without first doing their homework, and as a result now face a failed (or failing) social media strategy.  Here are a few questions that your company should address before deciding to start any social media strategy, whether it’s a blog, facebook page or twitter: 

Do you have a dedicated person whose job responsibility it is to maintain your blog (or other social media outlet)?
The #1 reason for a failed social media strategy is lack of maintenance.  Most companies go gangbusters in the beginning, posting as much as possible, but after time, sometimes just a few weeks, posts begin to slow, until finally the last update was six months ago.  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, not maintaining a blog is worse than never starting one in the first place.  Not only does it show a lack of dedication but it also reflects poorly on the company as a whole.  A sort of black eye.  To prevent this from happening, a person or persons should be assigned to the maintenance of the decided upon social media outlet, posting and updating regularly.  This is a task that needs to be built into a job description, not added as an aside during a meeting. Maintenance of social media takes time, a surprising amount of time, and needs to be taken into consideration from the beginning. 

Do you have a plan in place to promote your chosen social media?
So your company has a blog that’s the most informative in the industry.  The only problem is no one is reading it.  There is more information on the web now than ever before (and will be even more in 30 seconds), so how do you direct target audiences to your information?  A plan should decided on and in place from the beginning.  Maybe your company has a twitter or facebook account and every time a blog post goes up it’s automatically posted and tweeted out.  Creating a dedicated email blast to appropriate audiences giving them a tease of the post and directing them to where they can read more is a great way to increase visibility.  Another tactic to give legs to a blog is to let other, similar blogs know about it, and ask that they link to it. This is especially effective for blogs that already have a high readership.  You can also link back to and refer to older posts in more current posts, which is particularly beneficial for those who are newer to the blog.

Do you have a company policy in place about who can post and what they can and can’t say?
If your company’s social media outlet is updated by more than one person, intended content should be made clear from the beginning as well as what is considered inappropriate.  Although some of the most interesting blogs stir a little controversy, you need to ensure that it’s controversy that you and your company are comfortable with. Some companies go as far as creating a social media handbook.

How will you keep your information relevant?
Your company may have decided to start a blog because someone had a great idea that was relevant at the time. However, that trend/topic, etc. is old news now, and the blog is getting stale. Or, there’s just a lack of ideas or inspiration to keep up weekly or daily posts.  There should be a plan in place to gather new and interesting content.  This may include creating RSS feeds on certain topics that might be relevant for commentary, or setting aside 20-30 minutes a day reading other blogs on similar topics that might spark ideas. Again, time is a necessary component in keeping a blog relevant.   

A comprehensive social media strategy can be a great thing for a company, but answering these questions first is essential for long-term success.

BusinessWeek – May 19, 2009

The FTC is trying to establish clear regulations for bloggers who are wooed by incentives or gifts to endorse a company or product. If a blogger if given a product and it feels like a bribe than it probably is, but I will not blame bloggers for having or enjoying the perks.

I agree with Thomas Cohn, an attorney with Venable, a law firm that represents various industry agencies weighing in on the debate and who is quoted in this article. Blogs should be self-regulated. Google can devalue links to sponsors’ sites and the FTC can regulate blogs like other traditional forms of media, but there will always be loop holes and ways to hide a paid blog entry.  The great thing is that good bloggers don’t want to hide anything about how they came about a product or company. Blogging was born from and is sustained by the importance of an individual’s honest thoughts/beliefs. Good bloggers will be upfront with its followers, but the fear of being “outted” for a paid post is a powerful self-regulator when integrity fails.

I would now like to say that Harry Winston is truly and undoubtedly the most beloved jeweler, which has provided rare, exceptional and utterly timeless pieces for more than 100 years. Additionally, Hawaii is the most beautiful place in the whole world with its floral air, tranquil waters and breathtaking beauty. I also think I would like to acknowledge that I have not received any incentives from these companies, but am completely open to them.

Read Ad Age’s Josh Bernoff’s take on when to buy a blogger in “When and How to Pay a Blogger“, and like any good blog should have, there are some interesting comments.