Five standout kindness PR campaigns

Kindness can be found in many guises through marketing campaigns. From surprise discounts and thoughtful packaging to campaigns highlighting the people who care for us, kindness can be a powerful way to build an emotional connection with an audience. 

And with Kindness Day coming up on 13 November, we’re looking at five campaigns that put generosity, compassion and doing something nice for others at the heart of their message.

1. Lidl’s Kindness coupons, 2025

Like a discount supermarket version of Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, in February last year Lidl decided to give 500,000 shoppers a ‘kindness coupon’ offering £5 off their shop or a free bakery treat. And because the coupons were awarded via the Lidl Plus app, the campaign also gave the retailer’s sign-up numbers a healthy boost.

The campaign was actually created to mark February’s Random Acts of Kindness Day. But it's still a strong example of a brand putting kindness at the heart of its marketing.

2. Fairy Non-Bio x Paddington, #LoadsOfKindness, 2024

“If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right.” Wise words indeed from marmalade-loving Paddington Bear, and the inspiration behind Fairy Non-Bio's #LoadsOfKindness campaign.

Launched to coincide with the release of the Paddington in Peru film, which began with an immersive London event where people made real-time pledges of kindness. The pledges were displayed on a giant screen, while influencers and social media users then picked up the baton, sharing their own acts of kindness using the #LoadsOfKindness hashtag.

3. Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Kindness campaign, 2021

If there’s anyone we need to be kinder to, it’s NHS frontline staff who regularly face abuse and aggression despite trying to save lives and care for us. In 2021, Chelsea & Westminster’s poster campaign encouraged patients to treat healthcare workers with the respect they deserve, while sharing some of the harrowing experiences staff had faced at work. 

At the time, 16,113 NHS staff in London had experienced physical violence at work at least once in the previous year, with many more incidents going unreported. The campaign made a big impact, being shortlisted for a CIPR Excellence award. Sadly, the problem hasn’t gone away, with the trust’s latest campaign, ‘I Am Human’, addressing the same issue.

4. Asda’s Delivering Christmas Kindness, 2020

Christmas 2020 was a festive season unlike any other, with many of us unable to celebrate with our families because of Covid-19 restrictions. The Christmas campaigns that year reflected the uncertain climate, with warm, personal, family-focused storytelling coming to the fore. Asda’s Delivering Christmas Kindness campaign focused on the personal connections between its delivery drivers and customers. 

Rather than simply dropping off groceries to people isolating at home, drivers were encouraged to stay for a chat, offering some much-needed human contact during a difficult Christmas. The campaign’s warm and empathetic approach was recognised with two CIPR Excellence Awards in 2021.

5. Cadbury’s ‘Made to Share’ campaign, 2025-ongoing

Cadbury tapped into the idea that small gestures can make a big difference with its Made to Share campaign. Its limited-edition packaging celebrated everyday acts of generosity, from the person who remembered everyone’s work trip to the partner who got up in the middle of the night to feed the baby. 

Each gesture was paired with a larger piece of chocolate, reinforcing the campaign's central message of sharing. The campaign generated plenty of attention online and was brought back earlier this year, showing the staying power of a simple idea built around everyday kindness.

Kindness Day takes place on Friday 13 November.

Christian Koch is an award-winning journalist, editor, content strategist, and brand consultant.

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