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As the new year approaches, we want to look back on the most memorable PR campaigns of 2024 – some that rang in success and others that dropped the ball.
Here’s our campaign countdown:
The Best of 2024
Via: YouTube
10. Duolingo on Ice
Duolingo, the world’s most downloaded education app, is well-known for its supportive notifications and witty engagement with online users. The company’s ominous owl mascot, Duo, is described as “dependable,” “motivating” and “persistent” in its branding guide. Still, fans relish in poking fun at the relentless bird by making memes about the consequences of losing their language-learning streak. Duolingo leaned into the joke on April Fools’ Day by releasing a trailer for the fictional “Duolingo on Ice” – a four-hour figure skating production featuring songs like “Spanish or Vanish” and “French or the Trench.” The gag received millions of views, likes and comments on social media.
Duo will never actually kidnap you if you miss a lesson, but by playing along and remaining good-humored, he may just steal your heart.
Via: YouTube
9. The Four Seasons Orlando Baby
Who wants to go to the Four Seasons Orlando now that they’ve watched this adorable TikTok? ME!
Last May, Stefanie O’Brien (@sobrizzle) shared a video of her one-year-old niece, Kate Wise, who proclaimed her excitement for an upcoming trip to Four Seasons Resort Orlando. The caption read, “If the @Four Seasons Hotels is looking for a baby ambassador my niece got you.” While Four Seasons hadn’t deliberately set out to find a tiny brand advocate, the communications team sprang into action when the opportunity presented itself. They quickly built a campaign around the family’s vacation, featuring content of Wise relaxing by the pool on a monogrammed towel and eating luxurious meals in a classy suit. Millions of fans tuned in to watch her journey, and many reputable sources, such as People, USA Today and ABC News, covered it. What an excellent reminder to always value authentic connections and seize the moment.
via: YouTube
8. California Pizza Kitchen’s Mac and Cheese
In July, a California Pizza Kitchen customer went viral on Tiktok for sharing her unexpected pasta problem: Since she didn’t specifically request noodles in her mac and cheese, her order from the restaurant contained only cheese. In the era of social media, companies are held to higher standards of accountability than ever. California Pizza Kitchen’s reaction serves as a great example of how to address a mistake and preserve customer satisfaction. Within one day, the brand rose to the occasion and prevented negative sentiment by posting a video of the vice president of culinary innovation – or, more casually, Chef Paul – who showed the brand’s typical cooking process and provided a half-off discount for its mac and cheese. California Pizza Kitchen also sent the customer a beautiful package featuring a certificate for free mac and cheese and pizza for a year.
Selecting the right response strategy during a potential crisis is daunting for any brand, but California Pizza Kitchen makes it look easy peasy, mac and cheesy.
Via: YouTube
7. TIRTIR’s New Shades
South Korean cosmetics brand TIRTIR’s Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation was an instant hit with beauty and lifestyle influencers on social media. Everyone wanted to try the smooth, simple application and see their flawless skin. But in 2023, the foundation only came in three shades: 17C Porcelain, 21N Ivory and 23N Sand. When Darcei (@missdarcei), a makeup enthusiast and TikTok creator, posted a video expressing her support for TIRTIR and calling for darker shades, the company brought her on as its newest brand ambassador. Collaborating with Darcei and other users to make the foundation more inclusive proved to be a tremendous success. By August 2024, TIRTIR had expanded to offer 40 shades.
This product development stands out not only for its extraordinary scale and quick execution but also because TIRTIR truly did its due diligence. Listening to diverse voices is the best way to build an inclusive campaign.
Via: YouTube
6. Charli D’Amelio in “& Juliet”
Stunt casting – when celebrities or influencers are chosen for roles to generate publicity – is often frowned upon by fans of live theater. Remember Cameron Dallas’ brief run as Aaron Samuels in the Broadway production of “Mean Girls”? The man couldn’t catch a break. Audiences quickly realized he was not up to the task when his vocal part was cut from “Someone Gets Hurt,” and Renee Rapp was left to carry the entire number while he displayed the stage presence of a tumbleweed. So when TikTok star Charli D’Amelio (@charlidamelio) announced her casting in the hit Broadway show “& Juliet,” it was relieving to witness the overwhelming support for her debut. What distinguishes D’Amelio from the famous figures who have flopped on the Great White Way is the fact that even if she didn’t have a huge following, she would still knock the production out of the park.
D’Amelio is a genuinely talented artist. It is refreshing to see her shine in “& Juliet” as Charmian, a dance-heavy ensemble part, rather than being immediately thrust into a starring role for the sake of attention. Call it stunt casting, but a rose by any other name still smells as sweet.
The Worst of 2024
Via: YouTube
5. JoJo Siwa’s “Karma”
People say that all press is good press; however, that was not the case for JoJo Siwa this past year. Known for her side ponytail and whimsical hair accessories on the reality show “Dance Moms,” Siwa leaned into that brand while on the show and for some time after. After years of leaning into her bubbly, kid-friendly image, Siwa decided to shake things up ahead of her 21st birthday with a rebrand. Enter “Karma,” a song aimed at calling out an ex-girlfriend’s infidelity.
With over 50 million YouTube views, the video garnered plenty of attention—but not quite the kind Siwa was hoping for. Due to the “cringey-ness” of the concept and aggression of the choreography, her song did not land in the way she had hoped. It was overly sexual and inappropriate for the younger members of her audience and off-putting to the rest of the internet. The vast majority of the attention she has received since her rebrand has been negative, minus her recent dance videos at studios in Los Angeles.
People feel as though she has become inauthentic, and as someone who grew up watching her dance, it’s hard not to feel disappointed watching her and her team fumble through this PR nightmare with no visible damage control.
Via: Instagram
4. Sweetgreen in the Weeds
Sweetgreen, a notable player in the fast-casual “bowl” market akin to Chipotle and Cava, found itself in some hot water, and not the kind used to boil its rice. On Nov. 12, fashion brand Market and its founder, Michael Cherman, took to Instagram to share a collaboration pitch for a kale-inspired camouflage hoodie, the exact piece of merchandise Sweetgreen had announced for sale that morning with no mention of a partnership with Market and a shiny price tag of $120.
Cherman provided screenshots of emails between he and Sweetgreen co-founder Nathaniel Ru as well as the creative deck presented by the Market team in 2023. After a year of allegedly no contact, the now-infamous camo hoodie was made for sale on Sweetgreen’s online store, “The Market.” Ironic, isn’t it?
Sweetgreen has stayed silent amid the accusation of stealing Market’s idea. This disaster is just another example of why your company’s PR and social media teams need a seat at the table to signal for potential crises. Maybe the red flags popping up about the merchandise were camouflaged by Sweetgreen’s kale-colored glasses.
Via: YouTube
3. Boeing's Missing Door
Boeing had a rough start to 2024 that has followed them to the end of it; a cargo door fell off one of their planes mid-flight, sending both the aviation world and social media into a spiral. You’d think an incident this wild would prompt some serious damage control, but Boeing’s response was kind of like their door… completely missing.
Rather than addressing the elephant (or door) in the room, Boeing’s official statement was a generic acknowledgment of the “event” with a brief apology and promises of an investigation. To the employees of Boeing, CEO Dave Calhoun (who has since stepped down), showed accountability and remorse. However, to the public it was just corporate jargon that didn’t exactly land well with an already skeptical audience.
To make matters worse, the memes started flying faster than their planes, and Boeing seemed unprepared to control the narrative. It was a textbook PR fail, showing that silence isn’t always the better option.
Via: CNN
2. Kate Middleton's Photoshop Fail
You would think the royal family’s media team would have PR down to a science, considering they have been dealing with some form of press since the 1700s, but even they aren’t immune to Photoshop fails. A few months ago, observant fans and followers noticed something off about some of Kate Middleton’s most recent official photos. Her features looked too smooth, her smile too perfect and some details made it look as though she was photoshopped into the photo entirely—like the uncanny valley had a tea party at Buckingham Palace.
Naturally, the internet did what it does best: zoomed in, dissected and made memes of the photos. Critics slammed the royal family for trying to curate perfection in a way that felt both out of touch and unnecessary. After all, Middleton is beloved for her natural elegance—why mess with that?
The media team stayed quiet, likely hoping the drama would blow over. Spoiler: It didn’t. Instead, the incident sparked a larger conversation about authenticity and the royals’ ongoing struggle to stay relevant in an increasingly unfiltered world.
Via: Yahoo
1. Bumble’s Buzz Dies Down
Dating app Bumble has always marketed itself as empowering and progressive by having women message first, flipping the gender roles on their heads, but their latest campaign missed the mark—and the audience. The now-infamous “anti-celibacy” ads, stating that celibacy was not the answer, aimed to spark conversation around dating, but instead, it sparked outrage. The ad’s message, which essentially equated celibacy with failure, rubbed people the wrong way, especially those who choose abstinence for personal, cultural or religious reasons.
The backlash came quickly, with social media lighting up with criticism. Many called the campaign tone-deaf, accusing Bumble of alienating a significant portion of its female users for making them feel judged. Instead of fostering inclusivity, the ad felt like an unnecessary judgment on people’s personal choices.
Bumble’s response? A vague statement about “sparking dialogue,” which did little to extinguish the flames. This was a blatant PR failure for a brand that prides itself on understanding its users. Maybe its team should have swiped left on that advertisement.
Not every brand can be like Duolingo, but as we enter 2025, we hope more companies will consider truthful, authentic PR strategies to avoid ending up on our next fail list. Happy New Year!
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