In the last two months, we’ve enjoyed (or suffered) plenty more heatwaves, a historic Oasis Reunion, Glastonbury Festival, Pride Month, Trooping the Colour and the King’s Birthday Parade. Plus, plenty of big sporting events from Wimbledon and The Open Championship to the Women’s Euros 2025 and the Grand Prix.
This resulted in plenty of great digital PR campaigns for us to get inspiration from. So, here are some of our favourites. As always, we’ll be exploring what these brands did, why their campaigns were a success, and looking at the coverage they gained as a result.
Ann Summers: Festival-ready outfits
Festival season is here, which means plenty of angles for brands to jump on. Surprisingly, a campaign by Ann Summers caught our eye in June. The lingerie retailer decided to jump on the festival bandwagon and launched their very own festival edit.
The Ann Summers’ Festival Edit offers show-stopping festival and party fashion through sequin-rich, daringly styled pieces and accessories. The collection features everything from sequin-adorned bodysuits to faux leather shorts and tasselly robes. It’s bold, playful and a bit cheeky too. Prices range from £7 up to £60, making it very affordable for those looking for sparkly outfits fit for any headliner.
It’s curated for those looking to shine, blending lingerie and fashion for dynamic, maximalist looks that cater to festival environments, Pride pride, and expressive events.
Standout coverage
- Daily Record (DA 89): Ann Summers’ Glastonbury ready outfits are ‘bold and cheeky’ and really ‘flattering’
- Cosmopolitan (DA 92): 31 jaw-dropping festival outfit ideas you need to recreate, whether you’re going to Glastonbury or All Points East
- BirminghamLive (DA 90): ‘I’m a fashion writer and I’ve found fab festival fits from one unlikely retailer’
- Wales Online (DA 91): Fashion writer’s ‘top picks from Ann Summers’ festival collection ahead of Glastonbury
- MEN (DA 91): High-street retailer launches huge sale on festival outfits ahead of Parklife next weekend
Why it worked
This campaign worked because it was timely, unique and product-focused. Firstly, the retailer launched the collection right at the start of festival season, just before Glastonbury, tapping into a significant cultural moment when many consumers and journalists are looking for bold outfits to not only wear to the festival, but also cover in reviews and outfit guides.
Plus, with plenty of rainbow embellishments and inclusive styling, it naturally aligned with Pride Month celebrations. Not only giving the campaign two main hooks, but also helping the brand engage LGBTQ+ audiences authentically.
It was unique too, with plenty of headlines stating that it was an unexpected drop. People mainly associate lingerie and nightwear with Ann Summers, so the clothing drop definitely piqued the interest of a lot of fashion journalists who weren’t expecting to see a festival edit from the brand. This helped it stand out from other brands offering more “basic” festival wear, reinforcing its brand voice in a crowded market.
Lastly, it’s very on-trend; the edit capitalises on festival culture’s love for glitter, sequins and attention-grabbing outfits. It also leaned into a growing fashion trend of wearing nightwear and lingerie in public spaces and repositioned its core product as festival fashion, helping to push the brand in front of a new audience too.
The combination of regional and national outreach initiatives also boosted brand awareness. By engaging with local audiences through regional awards and a national audience through broader recognition, the campaign successfully positioned the brand in front of a wider and more diverse demographic
Pretty You London: How often you should wash your bedding during a heatwave
It wouldn’t be summer without a PR heatwave campaign, would it? And surprisingly, the UK has basked in three so far, so there have been plenty to choose from.
During the latest one, Pretty You London decided to take on a different approach with their latest campaign. Instead of sharing tips on how to keep cool, the brand provided insights into how often to wash your bedding during a heatwave and why doing it more often during a heatwave matters.
The campaign provided insights from a Doctor and Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Salford to provide authority on why it’s important to wash your bedding more often when temperatures rise, and was finished off with some tips from a member of the team at Pretty You London on how often to wash your bedding in a heatwave.
This also included an angle on why you shouldn’t make your bed right away, which provided another unique angle for the media to pick up on.
Standout coverage
- Daily Express (DA 93): Stop making your bed in summer when waking up in the morning – do this 1 task instead
- Wales Online (DA 91): People who make their bed in the morning urged to reconsider and do 1 task instead
- Daily Mirror (DA 94): People who make their bed in the morning urged to reconsider and do 1 task instead
- Daily Post (DA 81): People in Wales told ‘stop making your bed in the morning’ — do this instead
Why it worked
The campaign achieved success primarily due to its inherent newsworthiness. Whenever there’s a heatwave, journalists are no doubt seeing hundreds of pitches on the same topic; “How to keep cool in a heatwave”. In this case, the brand managed to hook the content to something topical that was already being widely discussed by media outlets, and provided a new angle for journalists to cover.
The brand could have potentially just gone out with some tips on how to wash bedding in a heatwave, but the main hook in the content was the why. And this is what most likely helped land coverage, too.
The brand partnered with an expert – a Doctor and lecturer – which meant that he could provide insights into why you need to wash your bedding more during a heatwave and the importance of doing so. As an expert in their field, this gives the piece authority and credibility, which means more journalists are likely to use the content as they see it comes from a reliable source.
Media outlets are consistently drawn to news that helps generate higher engagement. This includes clicks, likes, and shares on social media platforms, as well as how long people spend on the site. Therefore, they can sometimes use clickbait tactics to draw people in, and this was the perfect campaign to help drum up engagement.
Most titles used a similar headline, taking one part of the advice and turning that into a warning, resulting in increased traffic and interaction as people clicked to find out what it is they should be doing with their bedding during a heatwave.
Urban Outfitters: Pride vinyl collection
Urban Outfitters decided to commemorate 2025 Pride Month in June with the retailer’s first-ever Pride vinyl collection. A curated collection of music featuring influential LGBTQIA+ artists, allies and labels, with a mix of albums released from the 1990s, 2010s and beyond. It also included albums with completely distinct designs.
Some artists featured in the collection include Kesha, Janelle Monae, FKA Twigs, Britney Spears, Aly & AJ and more. A brand new drop from Frankie Grande also featured as part of the collaboration.
The retailer also continued its longstanding relationship with GLSEN, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to creating safe and inclusive school environments for LGBTQIA+ students through fundraising and community-based initiatives. The brand launched a 30-day cashwrap campaign across North America where shoppers could round their purchase up to the nearest dollar, with all proceeds going to the charity.
Standout coverage
- Women Wear Daily (DA:88): Urban Outfitters Debuts First Pride Vinyl Collection Made in Collaboration With Influential LGBTQIA+ Artists, Allies and Labels
- Rolling Stone (DA 92): FROM TOVE LO’S ‘HEAT’ TO KESHA’S ‘RAINBOW,’ URBAN OUTFITTERS LAUNCHES NEW PRIDE VINYL COLLECTION
- The Pink News (DA 83): All of the companies who have released Pride Month 2025 collections despite Trump’s DEI crackdown
- Out Magazine (DA 85): These Pride collections benefit the queer community
- Queerty (DA 81): Jonathan Bailey twists, Trixie Mattel’s bop & after-fun skincare: 10 things we’re obsessed with this week
Why it worked
This campaign succeeded mainly because it combined culture, commerce and cause, and offered a unique product with both an emotional and cultural value. Plus it was launched at the right time, to the perfect audience, in a creative way.
Firstly, launching the campaign during Pride Month tied the brand directly to a major cultural moment, amplifying relevance and visibility. The media were already discussing Pride Month, so this provided the perfect hook. By featuring a variety of LGBTQIA+ artists, such as Elton John, Lady Gaga and Frank Ocean, the campaign celebrated queer voices and aligned with Pride’s core values.
It’s also a fairly unique offering too. A Pride vinyl collection helps stand out among more common Pride-themed merchandise, and means it’s going to be more successful when pitching to journalists covering product guides and round-ups. The unusual format sparked media interest across a variety of outlets too, helping to boost the number of journalists who could potentially cover the campaign. Meaning the brand can target a large media list including lifestyle, music, fashion, and LGBTQ+ press.
The retailers’ core demographic is Gen Z and millennials, and this is a group that values inclusivity, diversity and nostalgia – making a vinyl collection that celebrates LGBTQIA+ artists a perfect fit. Music is deeply personal, and by linking a new collection of records to identity and celebration, the brand created an emotional experience that resonated with their key audience.
The charity element helped the campaign on its way to success too. Rather than pushing vague messaging to jump on the bandwagon, Urban Outfitters offered a real product that benefitted the LGBTQIA+ community, directly. This helped add both authenticity and purpose to the campaign, giving media outlets more of a reason to cover the story.
Lastly, the campaign is social media ready. Visually appealing vinyl records and Pride-themed packaging helped make the collection highly shareable on social media. This means media outlets are more likely to cover it, because it’s the type of story that encourages shares and clicks.
Oasis x Aldi: Glass of Supernova Champagne, anyone?
With July came a historic Oasis Reunion Tour, and there were plenty of PR campaigns celebrating it and trying to capitalise on the vast coverage surrounding the band. In perfect Aldi-style, the supermarket released a limited-edition “Supernova Champagne” to celebrate the Oasis reunion tour and the homecoming gigs at Heaton Park.
The champagne was a special edition of their award-winning Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut, priced at £14.95. It was available in one store – on Aldi’s Bury New Road store in Manchester, near where the band’s story began, and also for a limited time only. Due to high demand, a one-bottle-per-customer limit was enforced.
The Supernova Champagne bottle design was a tribute to the iconic Oasis song, “Champagne Supernova”. These limited-edition bottles were released on July 7th and gave fans heading to Heaton Park a unique and memorable way to raise a glass to this iconic moment in music history.
Aldi also launched a competition for those across the rest of the country to win a bottle of the champagne, requiring participants to like and tag a friend on their Facebook page between June 11th and 30th.
Standout coverage
- Retail Times (DA 55): Aldi unveils limited-edition ‘Supernova Champagne’ for Oasis return
- Metro (DA 93): Aldi has introduced a one-per-customer limit on ‘world’s best’ £15 item
- MEN (DA 91): Aldi reveals new champagne inspired by Oasis with shoppers able to win free bottles from today
- Secret Manchester (DA 42): Aldi Launches Supernova Champagne In Honour Of Oasis Reunion – And It’s Only Available At This Manchester Store
- Daily Mirror (DA 94): Aldi introduces new £14.95 item ahead of Oasis Manchester gigs with strict rule
- The Sun (DA 94): DON’T BE A DRIP Aldi rolls out strict one-bottle limit on £14.95 item ranked best in the WORLD as shoppers strip shelves bare
Why it worked
Aldi’s “Supernova Champagne” campaign worked mainly because it was funny, memorable and it was tied to a massive cultural event. An event being covered by every news outlet in the country. It was also very ‘on-brand’. Aldi is well known for both value and clever humour (hello Cuthbert), and this campaign only amplified their brand voice. It had a very tongue-in-cheek take on luxury branding, positioning Aldi as both fun and affordable.
The title was attention-grabbing too, taking the iconic Oasis song and spinning it in their own way. This was perfect for media outlets to jump on and use in their own headlines. Not only was the title powerful, but the fact that the product was so unique made it highly newsworthy.
The fact that it was limited edition and that only one person could purchase one bottle helped tap into the human desire for exclusivity and rarity. These aspects helped create a sense of urgency and excitement that journalists are naturally drawn to, as it helps boost engagement and generates strong reader interest when it goes live and especially when it’s shared on social media.
Lastly, the national interest in the Oasis Tour meant that the story was covered nationally in big media titles, but the local-aspect, the product only being sold in one store in Manchester, also gave it that regional hook. This made the campaign a media goldmine and made the pool of potential journalists who would cover this story a lot bigger.
