In the month we enjoyed another bank holiday and plenty more sun, we also saw International Dog Day, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Reading and Leeds Festival, Creamfields Festival, students receiving GCSE and A Level results and the US Open. Plus Freakier Friday made us feel all nostalgic and Taylor Swift not only announced her much anticipated twelfth album, she also announced her engagement to American football star, Travis Kelce.
All of this, and more, resulted in plenty of digital PR campaigns to take inspiration from, and 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.
Estate Diamond Jewellery: The cost of Taylor Swift’s engagement ring
Unsurprisingly, it was a Taylor takeover last month as her engagement was covered in over 13,600 news articles and she announced her much-anticipated twelfth album, The Life of a Showgirl. Swiftie-themed summer camps, wedding dress predictions, and honeymoon hot takes all dominated the headlines.
Our favourite reactive campaign? A jewellery expert doing some reactive PR on her engagement ring. Benjamin Khordipour, from New York City–based Estate Diamond Jewelry, issued expert commentary on what the ring was, how it compares to other celebrity rings, a breakdown of the design and how much it may have set Travis Kelce back. This resulted in plenty of news coverage for the jewellery brand.
Standout coverage
- Daily Mail (DA 94): Taylor Swift’s cushion-cut diamond engagement ring from Travis Kelce is fast becoming Hollywood’s must-have sparkler – after it was also spotted on Zendaya, Millie Bobby Brown, and Lauren Sánchez
- Fortune (DA 92): Taylor Swift’s ‘amazing’ 8-carat engagement ring set Travis Kelce back $550,000, jewelry expert estimates
- NDTV (DA 93): Cost Of Taylor Swift’s 8-Carat Diamond Engagement Ring From Travis Kelce Revealed
- The New York Times (DA 95): Taylor Swift’s Engagement Ring Marks a Return to Vintage Elegance
- The National (DA 88): Taylor Swift’s engagement: What to know about the vintage-inspired ring, valued up to $1 million
Why it worked
Trendjacking viral news can help drive significant reach, but only when it’s authentic, aligns with business goals and is relevant to your brand. It can’t just be done for likes and shares, otherwise consumers will see through it and ultimately lose trust in your brand.
This campaign worked because it was highly relevant and reactive. As with any reactive PR, the key is to be quick and relevant, and that’s what this brand did really well. They released an immediate statement answering what every news outlet wanted to know; how much the ring cost, along with plenty of detail and unique insight into the type of ring she had and how it suited the star.
As a jewellery brand, they were able to join in the conversation authentically, rather than just commenting on the engagement or creating a funny meme, they added value by offering something different and something that the media didn’t have already. Helping them not only stand out from other brands attempting to trendjack by offering actual unique insights into the ring, but also reinforcing its brand voice in a crowded market.
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
Heinz: Tomato Ketchup Smoothie
Summer was full of weird food trends, with M&S releasing a strawberries and cream sarnie and Tesco launching a birthday cake butty. If those didn’t send you over the edge, Heinz teamed up with Smoothie King and released a ketchup smoothie last month.
The Heinz Ketchup Smoothie landed in selected Smoothie King stores across five US cities on August 6th. The smoothie mixes strawberries, raspberries, acai sorbet and apple juice with, yep – you guessed it – ketchup.
This isn’t the brand’s first unconventional food collaboration either. Heinz teamed up with Absolut to launch a vodka pasta sauce inspired by a social media trend.
This weird collab resulted in plenty of coverage for both brands.
Standout coverage
- Taste of Home: I Tried the New Heinz Ketchup Smoothie from Smoothie King, and I Think I Love It
- MSN: Heinz Made A Ketchup Smoothie & Fans Are Both Intrigued And Disturbed
- The Sun: SMOOTHIE CRIMINAL Heinz’s new ketchup smoothie slammed as ‘nasty’ with fans outraged by unusual flavour combo
- LBB Online: Heinz’s Tomato Ketchup Smoothie Settles Fruit Debate
- Nerdist: HEINZ AND SMOOTHIE KING TEAM UP FOR A SWEET AND TANGY KETCHUP DRINK
- People: Heinz and Smoothie King Are Collaborating on a Ketchup Smoothie — and We Had a First Taste (Exclusive)
Why it worked
This campaign was unique, relevant and funny, which all helped it become a success. It also helps that Heinz is a big, trusted brand and that they partnered with another already established brand. The idea of turning ketchup, which is usually a savoury condiment, into a sweet fruit smoothie is unusual and unique, and ultimately grabs attention. The media also likes clickable content, not only does this story get people clicking, it also gets people sharing. Plus, the limited edition angle made it more desirable, and therefore created a buzz.
It’s also funny. The campaign used the tagline ‘if tomatoes are fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?’, which lends itself perfectly to social media debates and taps into cultural debates and food norms. People enjoy sharing this type of content and joining in with the debate.
The ‘love it or hate it’ aspect of the actual product also provokes not only social media commentary, but it gets the media talking too. By framing the campaign as a debate (‘if tomatoes are fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?’), it becomes more than a random product and slips into social commentary.
Aldi: Free crisps? Aldi launches search for ‘crisp tester’
After a successful 2024 campaign, Aldi launched another nationwide search last month for the supermarket’s new Official Crisp Taster 2025 (where can we sign up?).
The successful applicant will receive a selection of Aldi’s most popular crisps to sample at home for free. Samples include Aldi’s Specially Selected Lightly Sea Salted Hand Cooked Crisps, Specially Selected Mature Cheddar & Red Onion Hand Cooked Crisps, the Snackrite Delta Strips and Snackrite Cheese Flavour Cheezios. All in return for a set of exclusive reviews rating the crisps’ crunch, texture, and appearance to help guide Aldi’s Buying Team on potential future flavours.
All that was needed for this dream job application was your full name, age and location, social media handles, and a short video to explain why you should get the job.
Unsurprisingly, this secured the supermarket plenty of links in numerous titles, including national, regional and trade publications.
Standout coverage
- Daily Mirror (DA 94): Aldi hunting for ‘crisp connoisseurs’ in unique role at top UK supermarket
- Daily Record (DA 89): Aldi’s ‘dream job’ that gives free crisps for reviews reopens for applications
- Secret London (DA 64): This Budget Supermarket Is On The Hunt For An ‘Official Crisp Taster’ For 2025 – There’s Only Days Left Until Crunch Time
- Retail Times (DA 55): Aldi launches dream job in its search for the new Official Crisp Taster
- The Manc (DA 47): Aldi is back looking for another taste tester to send FREE crisps to
- Employee Benefits (DA 60): Aldi searches for official crisp taster
Why it worked
The campaign was relatable, nostalgic and had that ‘dream job’ angle that the media loves. Crisps are a beloved and very British snack, and plenty of people have strong opinions on what the best flavours are, which made this a perfect campaign for Aldi. The idea of being paid to do something most people normally do (eat crisps), feels fun and like something that anybody could do, making it not only relatable but accessible too.
The media love a ‘dream job’ campaign because it’s unique, a bit weird, and provides a lot of engaging content. The scarcity and novelty of the campaign also helped it become a success too – with there only being a limited time to apply, it gave an urgency and hook to the campaign. The media only had a certain amount of time to publish the story before the application deadline ended.
From a business perspective, campaigns such as this are relatively low cost but can come with high rewards. All they need is to provide free crisps, this not only results in plenty of links, traffic to the website and user engagement, but it also generates a buzz on social media.
