Two PR moments that seriously made me pause the scroll on TikTok over the last week:
@sailing_with_phoenix WHAT JUST HAPPENED @e.l.f. Cosmetics #sailing #sailinglife #fyp #dream ♬ original sound – sailing_with_phoenix
E.L.F. Cosmetics
ELF Cosmetics airdropping a surprise package with SPF, snacks, and cat treats to a solo sailor Oliver Widger (and his cat Phoenix). Yeah it was a PR stunt, but it was a great one, made sense for the brand and led to some great content.
Pause-Worthy Score: 8.5/10
Originality: Sending SPF and snacks via airdrop to a solo sailor mid-ocean? Original and super unexpected from a beauty brand.
Execution: OK, so using a plane to drop a PR package isn’t great environmentally, but they nailed the reactive TikTok moment with smart product placement with a creator who was already experiencing a viral moment.
Emotional Impact: They included cat treats! That’s a win in my book. It’s wholesome too but some of the comments do highlight how Oliver set sail to escape corporate America, and corporate America followed him to the ocean.
Watchouts: There’s a fine line between genuine kindness and PR stunt.
Verdict: I’m slightly jealous of the kind of marketing budgets and bravery it takes to reactively do this kind of reactive moment.
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@tcrfff 🎙️S6 EP6: @stevemadden !#stevemadden #fashionpodcast #thecuttingroomfloor #onlyonpatreon #patreon ♬ original sound – The Cutting Room Floor
Steve Madden
Steve Madden’s raw and refreshingly honest interview with The Cutting Room Floor. Hats off to the brilliant podcast host Recho Omondi, for her brilliant interview with Steve Madden. Hearing him discuss everything from his stint in jail to his brand being known as ‘a knockoff brand’ (“There’s been the odd little shoe that I’ve nicked here and there”).
He was candid about his past, his regrets, and how he rebuilt from the ground up. The response? Huge spikes in positive sentiment, tons of engagement, and yes, an increase in sales.
Pause-Worthy Score: 9/10
Originality: Candid founder interviews are relatively common, but it feels as if few have been quite as interesting or charismatic. The host’s style of interviewing is friendly, yet sharp enough to ask the things people really want to know.
Execution: I came across this on TikTok, as it had gone viral! The clips selected to promo the interview were brilliantly chosen and edited, so I’d say it was executed perfectly to pause the scroll.
Emotional Impact: From Madden calling his customers “my girls”, to his unashamed “There’s been the odd little shoe that I’ve nicked here and there”, it was very much giving ‘man of the people’. Judging by many of the comments on the clips, this interview definitely had a huge emotional impact on existing and potential customers.
Watchouts: Will The Cutting Room Floor and Steve Madden be able to maintain the momentum?
Verdict: For Madden: Brand storytelling with raw honesty. For The Cutting Room Floor podcast: A great standout interview demonstrating Omondi’s interview skills to a broader audience.
