Over the past year there have been many campaigns for Public Relations (RP) which, in different ways, caught our attention.
In today's article, we'll look back at two PR actions carried out in 2019 that had a big impact on the public:
- Nike: The display of a mannequin plus-size by the sportswear brand in its flagship store in London has caused some controversy.
(source: Observer)
There were those who applauded Nike's bet, saying that it was a way of supporting, including and encouraging people of all “sizes” to practice sport, a way of showing that everyone could do sport and that the pluz size can also be athletes.
But there were also those who criticized it, arguing that it encouraged obesity or interpreted it as a criticism of obese people.
Nike justified this action as a way of “celebrating diversity and inclusion in sport”. Sarah Hannah, vice president of Nike's women's line in the European, African and Middle Eastern market, also said that “With the fantastic momentum we are experiencing in women's sport, the redesign of the space is just another demonstration of Nike's commitment to inspiring and serving women athletes”.
- Gillette: With this campaign against “toxic masculinity”, which challenged stereotypes of what it means to be a man, Gillette wanted to show diversity and inclusion by showing a father teaching his transsexual son how to shave, using the hashtag “#MyBestSelf”, my best self.
The campaign went viral and received thousands of reactions and shares on the social networks. The protagonist, Samson Bonkeabantu Brown, also showed his gratitude to Gillette on social media, writing “Thank you so much to Gillette for allowing me to share such an important moment in a man's life with my dad. I look forward to the great things you will continue to do to encourage all of us to be our best selves.‘.