When Brands Highjack the News

I really do appreciate it when a brand jumps at the opportunity to be a part of a breaking news story. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it is usually has  fantastic results for brand awareness at a fraction of the cost. However in order for it to be successful it requires quick-turnaround and lightning creativity. 

Think about the decision to sponsor the Chilean miners with Oakley sunglasses as they made their ascent into the face of the world's media. It is estimated that  Oakley garnered $41 million in television alone from this opportunistic stunt.

Nandos together with its agency Black River FC is notoriously known for being right on queue when it comes to commenting on controversial current affairs and ruffling a few feathers in the process as their ads almost always go viral. You can check out examples of their genius on 2oceansvibe.

So when a fishing trawler recently ran aground on the prime property of Clifton beach in South Africa and my Facebook news feed filled up with the attention-grabbing image, there was one company preparing to get a slice of the action, Butlers pizza. The delivery-only franchise thought it would show the Japanese visitors some hospitality by sending a delivery team, dressed in their characteristic butler uniforms, to deliver pizzas right up to the ship's starboard. And the media were there too to capture it. Brilliant. Source: 2oceansvibe.