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The best PR campaigns of 2024
Four senior public relations professionals choose their favourites from this year’s inclusive, taboo-busting and meaningful campaigns
PR campaign: The Misheard Version
Chosen by: Niki Wheeler, director, Team Lewis
Who did it: Specsavers (PR agency: Golin)
Why I love it: This campaign – which raised awareness of hearing loss via misheard song lyrics – really captured my heart [The Misheard Version saw Specsavers team up with Rick Astley, who re-recorded his hit Never Gonna Give You Up with lyrics people have misheard for years, such as “Never gonna run around with dessert spoons”].
The Misheard Version was one of many industry campaigns this year which aligned with critical issues such as McDonald’s Happy Meal Without Smiles [see below], Winnie-the-Pooh: The Deforested Edition by eco toilet paper producer Who Gives A Crap (which reimagined the original 1926 book in a world of climate change) and Trainline/Missing People’s collaboration which used geo-targeted technology to reunite families and bring missing loved ones home.
These were all fun, original campaigns which delivered a serious message. They also delivered a measurable impact at a time when nearly a quarter of people (22%) said ROI and standing out competitors is a major concern, according to Team Lewis’s recent Global CMO Report.
In these times of intense competition and economic uncertainty, driving an innovative and aggressive strategy is key. So, whether you’re working with small budgets, large ones or entering awards (or not), remember: standout thinking will always win and be worthy of a prize. Mediocrity is so last year.
PR campaign: McDonald’s Happy Meal Without Smiles
Chosen by: Tani Fatuga, senior communications consultant at Hard Numbers
Who did it: McDonald’s with the BBC’s Children in Need (PR agency: Ready10)
Why I love it: In this campaign, McDonald’s thoughtfully addressed the important topic of children’s mental health. By removing the iconic smiles from its Happy Meal boxes and renaming the kids’ menu item as ‘The Meal’ (removing the word “happy”), McDonald’s made a bold statement during Mental Health Awareness Week, encouraging families to have honest conversations about emotions. Partnering with the BBC’s Children in Need also added credibility and expanded the campaign’s reach through a dedicated online hub offering resources for these vital conversations.
The hero video, featuring expressive children and the familiar voice of national treasure Rio Ferdinand, struck an emotional chord and reinforced the message.
It’s rare for brands such as McDonald’s to step away from its upbeat image, which made this campaign even more impactful. By reshaping its brand identity, even temporarily, McDonald’s demonstrated the potential for brands to champion important societal issues in innovative ways.
It’s a reminder that symbolic gestures, when executed tastefully, can have far-reaching effects. And for me, this campaign highlighted how bold initiatives can address sensitive topics with care, fostering dialogue with meaningful impact and showing that a brand’s impact isn’t always tied to immediate sales.
PR campaign: #HaveTheTalk
Chosen by: Dipika Patel, senior communications lead, Health Education England
Who did it: Taking Care
Why I Love It: The #HaveTheTalk campaign from personal alarm company Taking Care encouraged families to have open discussions about elderly care.
Using personal stories, expert advice, and endorsements from prominent figures such as Olympian athlete Michelle Griffith-Robinson, this thoughtful and impactful campaign wasn’t just about raising awareness – it stood out because it helped foster genuine connections, plus provided some practical tools and emotional support for navigating difficult conversations. #HaveTheTalk also prioritised compassion and authenticity, helping to break taboos around a critical life stage.
I also loved the Sore Boobs? Menopause Awareness Campaign, created by creative agency Improper, in collaboration with organisations such as The Menopause Charity, Black Women in Menopause, and Menopause Cafe. Launched in October 2024 to coincide with World Menopause Day, it aimed to address common but under-discussed symptoms of menopause, including breast pain. By using relatable, light-hearted visuals, diverse experiences and straightforward language in posters and billboards across the UK, it opened the door to conversations about menopause, aiming to educate the public, while normalising dialogue around it. This approach not only raised awareness but empowered women to seek support and better understand their symptoms.
Tinder’s 2024 global campaign, A Swipe Towards Love Stories, also stood out for its inclusivity, featuring real-life couples of diverse orientations, genders, and cultural backgrounds, at various relationship milestones. By shifting its storytelling focus from short-term connections to celebrating long-term relationships, this approach helped change perceptions of the app from a casual dating platform to a space for meaningful connections and long-term relationships.
PR campaign: Custard by Giggs
Chosen by: Avril Lee, head of health & wellness Europe at Zeno Group
Who did it: Oatly (agency: Word on the Curb)
Why I love it: This all started when Oatly received a DM from UK rapper Giggs, who asked why the plant-based milk producer didn’t make dairy-free custard. It then turned into Custard by Giggs, a creative, disruptive collab which reached diverse audiences who all shared a love of alternative custard!
Audience engagement agency Word on the Curb were asked by Oatly to research lactose intolerance and its impact on audiences across the UK. They found that 7.5m people in the UK say they are lactose-intolerant, that two-thirds of people miss out on their favourite desserts and that people of Black heritage are twice as likely as their white counterparts to say they are lactose-intolerant.
Based on these real-world, culturally driven insights (plus their audience’s need for puddings!), Oatly partnered with Giggs to create a limited edition Oatly Custard by Giggs, as well as a pop-up Giggs shop activation in his Peckham hometown, plus some fantastic content on social media including the YouTube video of Giggs testing cake and custard [above]. It was a campaign which really delivered authenticity, creativity and a fresh approach to engagement by a food brand with a diverse community.
The CIPR Excellence Awards
For more campaign inspiration, read the winning case studies from the 2024 CIPR Excellence Awards – the PR industry's leading international awards scheme (which opens again for entries in January 2025).