Getting Comms Right

As we enter the New Year, the Templemere team are reflecting on their favourite PR moments of 2018. There were some really innovative and inspiring campaigns last year - we are looking forward to seeing what 2019 has in store for PR. Here’s our top five.

1. IKEA: The Last Straw

Stella Wright, PR assistant and apprentice: In October, IKEA displayed a plastic straw in the Design Museum in London, to mark the end of single-use plastic straws in all stores across the UK and Ireland. Campaigns like these are proving really effective in encouraging others to consider their impact on the environment – my New Year’s resolution is to cut down on single-use plastics as much as possible.

2. David Attenborough

Clare Williams, managing director and founder of Templemere PR: My favourite initiative also came from the issue of single-use plastic - the massive shift in attitudes brought about by David Attenborough.

3. Nike’s 30th anniversary ‘Just Do It’ campaign

Steve Lambert, content manager: For its 30th anniversary ‘Just Do It’ campaign, Nike enlisted notable athletes including Serena Williams and LeBron James to star in a series of inspirational ads. But it was the inclusion of former American football player Colin Kaepernick – who had famously taken a knee at games during the US national anthem in protest against racism in the country – that sealed the campaign’s place in PR history, sparking a national debate and even leading US President Donald Trump to publicly comment on the move.

4. Lacoste: Save our Species

Anais Belloul, account executive and social media co-ordinator: Lacoste replaced their iconic crocodile logo on their signature polo shirts with 10 endangered species, with limited quantities of each logo to represent each animals’ brink of extinction. It is a great way to raise awareness to the impact our choices are making on the environment while offering limited edition and exclusive products to consumers. Wearing the polo tells a story and the message will be spread in a channel more conventional than reading about endangered animals in the news.

5. Gareth Southgate

Daisy Fannin, client services director: Not a campaign but a PR success none the less - the way Gareth Southgate changed perceptions of the England football team by quietly and consistently behaving with decorum and professionalism, and focussing on hard work and sportsmanship. The key to great PR is being able to truly walk the talk.

We at Templemere PR would like to wish all of our clients and media colleagues a prosperous and happy New Year, and we are looking forward to working with you throughout 2019.