This year’s top PR campaigns blend spectacle with sincerity, harnessing viral moments to generate real-world conversations and impact. They teach us PR in 2025 isn’t about hype—it’s about doing good, being bold, and breaking through without breaking trust.
1. Progresso Soup Drops (Edelman Chicago)
Progresso took PR into the playful realm with “soup-flavored candy,” transforming canned soup into hard candy. This quirky idea earned a Cannes Gold and turned a legacy food brand into a cultural talking point.
Why it worked:
- Delightful surprise—people love weird food experiments.
- Media magnet: visuals, taste test reactions, uncharted PR territory.
2. McDonald’s “Smile‑Free Happy Meal” (Ready10 London)
To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, McDonald’s removed the iconic smiling face from Happy Meal boxes, igniting conversations about emotional authenticity. The initiative exceeded sales goals, generated massive media coverage, and earned a Cannes Bronze.
Why it worked:
- Human-centered story about children’s emotional health.
- Simple visual signal that disrupted established design.
- Driving conversation with sales uplift as proof.
3. Viva Coco’s Valentine’s DIY Popup
Abandoning lavish influencer kits, Vita Coco set up a community DIY Valentine’s Day vending stand in NYC’s Washington Square Park, enabling free treats and genuine engagement. It produced authentic buzz and press coverage.
Why it worked:
- Face-to-face interaction beats influencer messaging.
- Reset PR toward grassroots connection.
- Aligned execution with public values—simplicity, community, honesty.
4. Powerade’s “The Vault” Featuring Simone Biles (Ogilvy)
Championing athlete mental health, Powerade showcased Simone Biles with a campaign recognizing the fine line between physical performance and mental well-being. The campaign elevated the brand and athlete advocacy.
Why it worked:
- Cultural relevance with a high-profile figure.
- Connected sports narrative to social progress.
- Emotive framing beyond product promotion.
5. Dell’s “The I.T. Squad” Comedy Web Series
Dell bypassed traditional tech PR by producing a Reddit-based comedy series featuring relatable IT professionals solving real-world tech dilemmas. The campaign reached 72 million impressions and increased followers 1000% hansajekalavya.com.
Why it worked:
- Platform-native storytelling (Reddit).
- Useful and entertaining content for target audience.
- Massive organic user engagement―a PR success doing double duty as content marketing.
The Five Pillars of 2025’s PR Strategy
- Cultural Intelligence: Ducking clichés, each campaign tapped into emotional or cultural currents (mental health, community, consumer skepticism).
- Audience First: Dove’s activism, Vita Coco’s human interaction, Dell’s niche storytelling—campaigns were built around how people experience them, not just what the brandwants.
- Hybrid Content: A mix of earned media, influencer buzz, earned social content, andtraditional visuals—omnichannel engagement.
- Purpose Without Preachiness: Powerade, McDonald’s, and Dell tied brand actions to authentic concerns without seeming opportunistic.
- Creative Risk: Whether it’s soup-flavored candy or vandalizing Happy Meal boxes, these campaigns embraced risk because provoking conversation is a key to memorable PR.
What’s Next for PR?
The early 2025 campaigns probe at the intersection of brand values and real impact. Here’s what PR teams should focus on:
- Campaign Design with Purpose: Every campaign should answer: “What societal value is this delivering?”
- Channel-Aware Creativity: Design ideas that fit the behavior and mood of each media platform.
- Embrace Risk & Experimentation: Surprise and delight—both risks and unique ideas draw attention.
- Measure Beyond the Buzz: Track real-world outcomes—ticket sales, app installs, behavior change—not just clicks.
- Lead with Emotion Responsibly: Tackle the human angle, but never exploit.
As we move deeper into 2025, the best PR isn’t about visibility—it’s about meaning. Brands that stand for something, act thoughtfully, and embrace creativity will lead. The early front-runners—whether lottery tickets, candy innovations, or community pop-ups—teach us that PR can entertain, engage, and enact change all at once.
For PR practitioners and brands, the message is clear: be meaningful, be brave, be intentionally disruptive—and the rest will follow.
Ronn Torossian founded 5WPR.