People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are masters of the publicity stunt, and when I say that, I'm not using "stunt" as a perjorative. It's not a bad word.
PETA does publicity stunts right. We can all learn from how they pull it off.
In the previous post, I looked at the audiences PETA is trying to reach: everyday consumers, businesses and lawmakers. They're not just trying to change things in America, but around the world.
It's hard to think of how they could be more ambitious.
Even if you handed me a billion-dollar advertising budget, it'd be awfully tough to buy radio, TV and print ads that would reach six billion people.
PETA reaches those six billion people for free with publicity stunts.
Though each new event has a twist, there are common elements:
- beautiful people making PETA's point while wearing practically nothing
- beautiful celebrities carrying PETA's message while wearing practically nothing,
- cute animals and
- short, punchy words that sum up the message.
PETA is completely creative about variations on this theme.
They do it with print ads, using models, rock stars like Dave Navarro and movie stars like Pamela Anderson.
They do it with young activists who aren't famous, staging stunts that always bring television stations and print reporters, and they do it around the world.
These things aren't cerebral. You see these images and your reptile brain is moved. You don't have to weigh both sides. You are programmed to respond positively to beautiful people and cute baby animals.
But they aren't shallow, either. These ads make you think. They make you reconsider what you eat and wear and buy.
It's an incredibly successful publicity campaign -- never boring, constantly generating buzz and always targeting something specific.