Now that we have well and truly waved goodbye to 2022, we wanted to have a look back over the previous year to celebrate the many successes that have taken place in the very creative PR and social media industry that we are so proud to be a part of.
The year saw some fantastic campaigns across a range of sectors, with one particular theme standing out across the board – emotion. Addressing relevant societal topics that are at the forefront of consumer’s minds, these campaigns are bound to evoke emotion and call for reflection.
Take a look below at our pick of the top five PR and social media campaigns of 2022:
Lounge Underwear #FeelYourBreast campaign
2022 saw an incredible campaign from luxury lingerie brand, Lounge Underwear, that had a profound message behind it. The #FeelYourBreast campaign was all about educating women on the importance of checking their breasts not only regularly, but also correctly. Lounge shared the hashtag on all social media platforms while also creating a specific section of its website to share those all-important details on how to correctly check your breasts.
Lounge also released 65,000 of its bestselling pink sets on sale for a reduced price of just £10 on its website with a £5 donation going to a selection of breast cancer charities. The company then hit the road and officially launched its ‘Boob Box’ pop-up which saw the team visit universities and colleges across the UK to give out its staple pink set for free, creating a buzz online.
The results from the campaign were impressive, to say the least. The hashtag generated over 5,000 posts on Instagram, while hundreds of Lounge customers took to Tiktok to share their experience at the Boob Box pop-up which made for lots of lovely coverage – very impressive, and, importantly, all for an incredible cause!
IKEA ‘The Life’ Collection
In a bid to highlight the need to save and repurpose old, unused furniture, IKEA launched ‘The Life Collection’ to show how death, the rising cost of living and the pandemic all prove the need for more second-hand stores. It started with a TV ad campaign which saw a flick through of images of IKEA furniture captioned with each product’s name and price and the reason why it had been thrown away or was no longer used. The campaign then took to Twitter where the same images were posted on IKEA’s account and generated thousands of shares and likes from users. The messaging of the campaign and collection was to highlight how much IKEA furniture gets thrown away each year and how little it takes to give it a second chance by rehoming it or re-using it. The campaign was used to promote the launch of IKEA’s second-hand stores that now buy back what consumers no longer need.
Lego MRI scan donations
With childhood development and fun at the heart of its brand persona, there’s no surprise that Lego’s main PR strategy is all centred around a bit of fun for the younger generation! The start of 2022 saw the brand donate 600 of their LEGO MRI scanner kits to hospitals across the globe, with the aim to help children get over their fears of getting an MRI scan.
The response from the project has been incredible! Close to 100 hospitals across the world have already benefitted from the kit. In order to create an even bigger impact and better grasp of its potential, the LEGO Foundation is now scaling the project and encouraging hospitals from all over the world to apply for one of the 600 models currently available. LEGO has even gone that step further and launched tutorial videos across their social platforms for children to watch at home before they attend their scan.
The campaign garnered some great coverage from both national and regional titles such as The Daily Mail and Wales Online!
Dove’s #TheSelfieTalk campaign
As the leader in body positivity for women, there’s no doubt that Dove’s campaign would expertly conveyed a powerful message. Its #TheSelfieTalk campaign was directed at young girls and women, with an aim to improve their body image and self-esteem – extremely important today as harmful social media continues to have an impact on lives.
The digital campaign uses imagery to show how far retouching apps can distort the face and alter appearances. Dove took things a step further by launching a kit for parents and teachers to educate youngsters on social media and the importance that many images online are filtered, airbrushed, or edited. Dove then also put forward a #NoDigitalDistortion pledge in an attempt to make social media a more honest and positive place for young people. The campaign received a great response from their target audience, with many taking to Instagram to share their unedited photos using the campaign’s hashtag.
Virgin Atlantic uniform policy campaign
2022 marked the year that Virgin Atlantic showed its solidarity towards self-expression and gender identity. In an attempt to highlight the diversification of the workforce, the airline altered its uniform policy and launched an incredible TV ad unveiling the stunning new Vivienne Westwood-designed uniforms. The TV ad showed cabin crew, pilots and ground staff wearing whatever uniform they feel most comfortable in – no matter their gender identity or expression.
To go a step further, Virgin announced its relaxation around rules regarding visible tattoos. It also implemented mandatory inclusivity training for hotel destinations such as the Caribbean, where customers have faced difficulty surrounding their gender identity.
The campaign has also been endorsed by Ru Paul’s Drag Race Judge, Michelle Visage, who said the initiative is important to her personally. This is a step in the right direction for Virgin as the campaign has enabled many of its employees to feel safe at work and that they can truly express themselves through their uniform.
On the whole, 2022 was an impressive year for the PR world, with many brands addressing societal issues and striving to make a difference for worthwhile causes, from Breast Cancer awareness to upcycling and donating furniture. It’s also important to note that each campaign was highly authentic in its approach to addressing difficult and emotional topics. For these kinds of campaigns to be successful, they need to be unique and not cynical PR stunts as this can do more damage than good.
We found that these five campaigns were flawlessly authentic and powerful in delivering their messages. We are more than excited to see what 2023 brings… especially for our clients! Get in touch to see how we can help create a unique PR campaign for 2023 that is bound to see outstanding results.
