10 PR Campaigns to Inspire Your Strategy in 2025
Insight Curator:
DeepDive Team
Read time:
5
min
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September 10, 2025
Syed Mohammad Sharfuzzaman Nayeem
These top PR campaigns redefined the standards for authenticity and creativity. They blended digital innovation by leveraging data and technology, while ensuring they stayed culturally relevant.
These PR campaigns were successful in connecting with their audiences. The top PR campaigns had it all, from viral moments to purpose-driven initiatives. And the common element was their phenomenal storytelling and quick thinking.
You cannot start your list without this one. All of us know about the recent scandal involving Astronomer’s CEO, HR, and a Coldplay concert, which proved to people cheating on their partners that they aren’t safe anywhere.
Strategy: Most companies would try to sidestep this scandal and move on as if nothing ever happened. Astromer hired Gwyneth Paltrow, ironically, the ex of Chris Martin, for its PR and jumped right into the fiasco. Paltrow embraced the situation with her honest answers, with a hint that they will now be returning to doing what they do best. Which brings us to the next point.
Impact: Within 60 seconds, Astromer’s CEO went viral. The internet is flooding with memes and jokes. But if you look closely, the jokes are about the CEO, who has resigned, and not about Astronomer’s product. In fact, with their PR campaign, the company ensured that people know that the products that drive the company are flawless.
Result? Astromer practically walked out of it unscathed, but Andy Bryon didn’t.
Learning: Sometimes, embracing the situation is the best solution because ducking it might paint a target on you when in reality the scandal wasn’t even about you.
Strategy: Burger King launched the "Million Dollar Whopper Contest" on February 5, 2024, inviting users to design their own Whopper using a generative AI platform via its app and microsite. Participants could add up to eight ingredients, see an AI-rendered burger, and hear a personalized jingle. Three finalists would have their creations featured in stores, with the winner earning $1 million.
Impact: The campaign merged AI and user-generated content to generate massive buzz and participation.
Learning: This was one of the best PR campaigns for engaging audiences in product development while keeping the brand fun and innovative.
Flaws: Some AI-generated results looked unappealing, sparking mixed reactions.
Strategy: A viral TikTok showing a Stanley tumbler surviving a car fire with ice intact drew over 84 million views. Stanley’s president responded within 48 hours, gifting the creator a new tumbler and car.
Impact: The brand transitioned from a niche outdoors item to a mainstream phenomenon.
Learning: Authentic, fast responses can turn organic viral moments into successful PR campaigns.
Strategy: Duolingo leveraged Charli XCX’s “brat” trend with humorous, language-related TikTok content.
Impact: It resonated with Gen Z and encouraged user participation.
Learning: Trend-driven, playful content can make recent PR campaigns stand out on social platforms.
Strategy: Hims & Hers partnered with Kristen Bell to promote its Hers mental health offerings, alongside a weight-loss program showing promising user results.
Impact: The partnership increased credibility and positioned the brand as a wellness leader.
Learning: Celebrity partnerships can add trust and relatability, especially for sensitive products.
Strategy: Facebook sourced the iconic red couch from Calvin Klein’s Jeremy Allen White campaign and listed it on Marketplace with a cheeky post.
Impact: The post earned 2.7 billion media impressions and a 5.3% daily active user lift, with zero media spend.
Learning: Low-cost, high-creativity executions can drive massive cultural impact.
Strategy: A viral TikTok claimed a CPK order lacked pasta. Instead of ignoring it, CPK responded with humor, offered a month-long discount, and gifted a year’s worth of free pizza and mac n’ cheese.
Impact: Over 10 million views and national media coverage followed.
Learning: Social listening and empathy can turn a crisis into a top PR campaign.
Strategy: Featuring Madison Tevlin, a woman with Down syndrome, the campaign promoted inclusion without resorting to “inspiration porn.”
Impact: It sparked important conversations on representation in advertising.
Learning: Authentic, respectful storytelling can challenge stereotypes and foster real inclusion.
Flaws: Long-term impact remains to be seen.
Strategy: A collaboration combining SKIMS’ shaping wear with The North Face’s outdoor appeal, offering inclusive sizing from XXS to 3X.
Impact: Sold out in five minutes and generated $5.4 million in media impact value.
Learning: Bold, unexpected partnerships can deliver high returns.
Flaws: Mixed opinions about pricing circulated online.
10. O2 – Daisy the AI Granny
Strategy: O2 created an AI voice named Daisy to educate older audiences about scams.
Impact: Made a serious issue accessible and humanized.
Learning: Technology-driven campaigns with a human element resonate deeply.
Flaws: None identified.
These top PR campaigns demonstrate that brands are focused on innovation, cultural awareness, and human connection to establish long-lasting trust. They used AI to their advantage, responded quickly to viral trends, and emphasized inclusion and authenticity.
Take these best PR campaigns as case studies and see how agility and creativity can help brands thrive in this era. Especially if you can generate empathy through your campaign.
Keep it authentic. Audience wants to see the real you more than any glamorous, fake persona you can generate. The reason why the recent PR campaigns have been so successful is that the more authentic you are, the easier it is for the audience to connect with you.
Real stories, transparent messaging, and actions that reflect genuine values. These three things will lead you to successful PR campaigns.
Another key driver behind these top PR campaigns is real-time engagement and responsiveness. If you are actively monitoring conversations, you are more responsive to a crisis, one of the biggest challenges of PR management.
The top PR strategy examples will tell you that when brands are agile enough to turn a crisis into an opportunity, they become an online hit.
Thirdly, leverage cultural trends and strategic partnerships. Because these can help you expand your reach while staying relevant. Collaborations with macro or micro-influencers, celebrities can create hype for your brand. If these partnerships align with the brand’s standing, even better.
Try to use AI-powered tools that can collect and interpret data for you. Social listening will help you track brand sentiment on various online platforms. The more you know about what the audience is talking about your brand, the more you can modify your PR strategy.
Successful PR strategy examples demonstrate the use of data analytics and data-driven insights in finding the right channels to reach your audience.
Finally, metrics help you track your performance, but they are not set in stone. So, start looking beyond vanity metrics and focus instead on engagement or sentiment shifts. Brands that made the best PR campaigns you see out there did the same.
Stay tuned for more updates!
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