Stunt Watch: Lovehoney drives data home, La Popote hydrates brand and Snoop Dog gets arty

It’s Stunt Watch time In PR-land, we’re already beginning to see the season changing (two months too early, of course).

Starbucks announced the return of its pumpkin spiced latte, pre- August bank holiday Monday, and the shops have begun the slow-release of what I'll call, Insta-fall. Cosy pumpkins and cutesy ghost mugs are already lining the shelves before I’ve had a chance to put my OOO on for a summer holiday.

So let’s celebrate silly season, whilst we still can.

Lovehoney gets deep with data

Lovehoney had two stories go live this week, and one of them was festive… but given it’s Lovehoney I’ll forgive. It’s a frankly terrifying-looking advent calendar, which you can Google yourself, this isn’t pornhub.

But, it’s the other story I’m most fond of as I love a data story done well, underappreciated PR bread and butter, a real skill to make interesting, time and time again. So to release the list of the towns buying the biggest dildos? Not the most, but the biggest… inspired.

Hereford, I’ll never look at you the same way again. They gave it their all with a double entendre, “thrusting its way to the number one spot,” a map scattered with aubergines, a little dildo-history because every day is a school day. A classic PR staple, done well. This didn’t seem to get the attention it deserved, so here’s a mini-wave of appreciation from us.

H2-no from La Popote

Then came the ridiculous restaurant story, from La Popote. A Michelin-starred French restaurant trying to keep the coffers full, at a time when people aren’t drinking as much or having friends (fewer large tables, apparently). It has launched, via a water sommelier, a fancy menu, prices ranging from £5-19.

However, don’t worry, they are served in wine glasses because then it’s worth £19 for a bit of water, isn’t it? Also, the water has a story and as a person raised exclusively on story-free water, I can’t imagine now what my parents were thinking.

Even as a strictly tap-only girl (not sure McDonalds has a water sommelier. Something to think about, team Red?) I love this story. A clever, simple way to remind people you exist in a rough time for the industry.

Snoop Dog rivals Tracy Emin

Next up, the suddenly loveable for some reason Snoop Dog is kind of turning his hand to art, in a way, if you agree that anything is art if you say it’s art and arty people agree that, yes, this is art.

He raided his ashtray and handed a fistful of roaches to an actual artist who has, it seems, rolled them in glitter and gold and glued them to a canvas. He has signed them himself though, so good for him. I’m impressed with this man's business acumen, you can’t hate him for realising he can squash his rubbish into a frame (even, get someone else to) and sell it for $70,000. And if you think about it, it's eco-friendly, too. Greta will be impressed.

Where is safe to stab?

I also can’t ignore the powerful work on knife crime from StreetDoctors. Knife crime continues to rise, so it needs continued attention, and it has a brilliant insight: young people are Googling “where is safe to stab” in order to feel they can carry a weapon, and even use it, without killing.

This innovative sculpture highlights places you might think are ‘safe’ to stab, linking to content about people who suffered single, fatal stab wounds in that area, showing the stories of the people lost, their broken families. The film itself is excellent, but I do wish they’d made more of the statue itself. Unveiled it in a relevant public place, an area with high instances of stabbings, before finding a long-term home somewhere public (free to visit), commemorating those lost, forever.

Enjoy.