Red Bull is the PR winner this week

 19th June 2014    Good and Bad PR 
 Paarul Chand

Red Bull defies gravity in India with the 1^st #REDBULLFLUGTAG 

Red Bull is well known for its PR stunts. The dive from space by Felix Baumgartner in 2012 was a path breaker in creative PR.

Now, Red Bull, has launched its Red Bull Flug Tag event where gravity defying Indians can dive into the Sankey Tank, in a man-made “human-powered” craft, on September 28^th.

Red Bull has tied up with stand-up group, ‘All India Bakchod’, to create hilarious videos about the event:

A School of Indian Physics has also been set up complete with mission, motto and vision.

Also, you might recognize this famous alumni, “Ragenikant”!


 

Here’s what the description from the year book says: “From splitting bullets to laser-guided soda bottles, he has single-double-and-sometimes-triple-handedly put the School of Indian Physics somewhere around the world map (because conventional world maps do not feature the 17^th dimension). He scored a calculator-breaking 101%, topping the batch of 1984.”

Truly creative, funny and in keeping with the brand’s messaging about setting yourself free with Red Bull.

This one gets a big thumbs up from Good and Bad PR.

Louis Philippe stiches Good PR for Father’s Day

Shweta D’ Silva from Jamnagar, Gujarat, didn’t know what was in store for her when she tweeted about how her dad hates ready to wear shirts and prefers to get them stitched to fit. This tweet caught the attention of shirt maker Louis Philippe – the company was quick to swing into action and planned a surprise for Father’s Day for Shweta’s dad. A Louis Philippe team took Shweta and her father to the store and gifted a shirt to the happy dad.

Watch the video:

A contest was also designed around this customer experience with the #AllAboutDad hashtag.

Advertising firm Cheil India develops school bag that turns into study lamp at night

While for those of us with a privileged life no power means no AC, but for many children it means the difference between being able to get an education. With a view to solving the problem of how to create enough light for children to be able to study after sun down, Cheil India came up with the idea of a school bag with solar panels and LED lights.

It’s a school bag by day, a lamp by night!

The concept of the bag has been created for the Salaam Baalak Trust – an NGO working to improve the rights of street children.

Bad PR

AAP’s attempt to ride on power shortage comes across as insincere and opportunistic

After controversy regarding allegations of a lack of inner party democracy and a spate of resignations, AAP is back with a radio campaign regarding the power situation in NCR. The radio spots, clearly with Delhi elections in mind, says that while AAP was in power for 49 days, electricity bills were half and power was on the full time.

However bills were declared half for only those who supported the Aam Aadmi Party’s ‘bijli-paani andolan’ and refused to pay their electricity bills between October 2012 and May 2013 – in itself a bad precedent.

Moreover, NCR and the entire north India have been reeling under an unprecedented heat-wave as well as the after effects of a massive storm two weeks ago.

Outright twisting of the facts is a turn off and will affect the credibility of AAP, already dented with the recent decision from AAP to fight for Delhi again.

It’s a pity, because India does need a strong credible opposition.

AAP’s latest campaign gets a thumbs down from Good and Bad PR.

Have you seen any good and bad PR?

Write to Paarul Chand at paarul@prmoment.in or tweet @PaarulC or @PRmomentIndia throughout the week and we’ll happily credit you for your trouble.