Stunt Watch: Big chickens, big Sam and big pause for thought

For many, "stunt" has become a byword for disposable creative. The (paraphrased) Cambridge dictionary definition is better – something that is done to grab attention for the people or brand responsible for it. 

Both definitions can be true, but neither tells the full story. 

Disposable is fine if it ladders up to something bigger, and grabbing attention is fine if it is about earning reputation in a more meaningful way. Longevity, however, isn’t a necessity if the connection is culture first – and that’s what these three ideas do with aplomb.

Pret A Menagerie

Sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger was truly clucked over by an arresting visual stunt by the animal welfare charity Anima. The non-profit organisation, and member of the Anima International coalition, dumped a giant, grotesque chicken carcass wrap outside Pret’s Oxford Street store. 

The stunt served as the flagship installation for a £1 million public accountability blitz targeting Pret's animal welfare standards, with the charity calling out the company for delaying its pledge to stop sourcing fast-growing broiler chickens. Eagle-eyed (chicken-eyed?) Londoners will have also seen the activation supported by advertising all over the underground and commuter publications.

The campaign achieved blanket coverage, and while it undoubtedly made for an uncomfortable day in the Pret press office (N.B. please say they call themselves the "Pret Office"), their response was impressive. 

While not quite as eye-catching, Pret’s comeback was to point out their status as one of the few high-street brands still actively signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, whereas other competitors have quietly withdrawn from the pledge entirely earlier in the year. 

While this response is unlikely to placate hardened activists, this vegetarian thought it was strong, front-footed crisis comms that proved Pret’s PR team are no chickens.

Free childhood

As a child of the 90s, I’m always going to be susceptible to video-store based creative, but Smartphone Free Childhood’s campaign hit me as a parent too. 

The 60-second satirical film features a father and his two young children visiting a Blockbuster-style store to pick out a movie. However, instead of offering family films, the store employee begins suggesting "titles" that mimic modern smartphone and social media algorithms. The clerk pitches terrifying concepts to the kids, including extreme violence, online bullying, digital addiction, and algorithms designed to harvest their personal data.

I don’t mind admitting that I normally find myself on the side of "education" and "regulation" rather than blanket bans when it comes to tech in young people’s lives, but the core message of this creative struck a chord with me. 

Issues of age verification were undoubtedly easier back in my day. Age-appropriate content was easier to group, and the chances of renting Texas Chainsaw Massacre out depended exclusively on the attentiveness of the Blockbuster staff. 

However, that is not the case on the internet – both in terms of access, and content. Manosphere content doesn’t come with an age warning or an advisory staff member. It is there and it is served. Any campaign that makes you think differently, especially when it comes to something you thought your opinions were pretty inflexible on, is content worth celebrating.

Al-di right stuff

Lastly, the stuntiest of the stunts… Aldi unveiling Sam Aldi-dyce (Sam Allardyce) as their new store manager ahead of England’s opening game of the World Cup. 

It is an absolute tour de force in all things creative snobs love to hate. Hammy pun, a bunch of lookalikes and a questionable job title, but because it’s Aldi – it is absolutely allowed, and it is absolutely spot-on.