As consumers, it’s quite easy to switch off to the countless marketing messages that we’re bombarded with every day. Barely a day goes by when we are told which toothpaste with keep our mouth fresh for 12 hours, or which holiday destination will make us never want to leave. But have any of these brands actually lived up to their promises? A certain online clothing retailer recently went to an extreme to back up its marketing message, and it was quite remarkable…
Ministry of Supply recently launched its Aviator II suit, which it branded as formal attire that can stand any amount of physical activity and give the same comfort as sportswear. It would have been easy for the retailer to just leave the marketing message there, but co-founder Gihan Amarasiriwardena went a step further (quite literally) and ran a half marathon in the suit. Running 13 miles running is hard enough, but imagine doing it without the comfort of your trainers and shorts. Practicing what you preach isn’t always easy, but he did it!
Not only that, Ministry of Supply has waged a fruitful PR stunt throughout it all, and as a B2B PR agency, our hats go off to them. Considering the amount of people who have turned to social media to share how impressed they were with the quirky marathon, as well as the news sites reporting on it, the retailer has won coverage and got people talking about this new suit that can stand whatever the day throws at you; just like Ministry of Supply intended. It’s always good to see the leader of a company getting their hands dirty too, and as the stunt was carried out by its co-founder, the retailer has successfully put a face to the brand.
So next time you convey a message for your brand that claims something impressive: prove it! Your next PR stunt could lie in those words that you’re pushing out to the public…
Alex Brown has just started his career at Skout PR and will be a regular contributor to the Skout blog.
