Image source: NASA
Yesterday’s total solar eclipse offered a rare, awe-inspiring astronomical experience. It also offered a sensational PR and marketing opportunity for businesses across the U.S.
Eclipse-connected promotions and publicity campaigns ranged from the mundane to the technologically advanced. Retailers offered NASA-approved eclipse-viewing glasses. Some created special snacks or meals designed to resemble the sun or moon. Food delivery service DoorDash gave away free half black and half white cookies designed to resemble half moons. Dunkin Donuts sold Moonchkins that seemed identical to its standard Munchkins.
These are some of the promotions and PR stunts brands, non-profits and government agencies offered.
Broadcast coverage. NASA positioned itself as “broadcast-central” of the eclipse with reporting teams live streaming the eclipse along the entire cross-country path. Most of the NASA commentators were well-versed on the science of the eclipse. NASA also broadcast interviews with astronauts on the international space station and offered views of the eclipse from space as the space station crossed the path of the eclipse. Millions tuned in – including me. The space agency now offers a full archive of video and graphics on its website (nasa.gov). NASA’s eclipse activities demonstrated how a government agency can connect to a special event to effectively promote its mission and educate citizens.
Humor. Chiquita took credit for the eclipse, and called it the Banana Sun, part of its ongoing “We are Bananas” campaign. “The banana sun is a rare phenomenon that will occur when we move the moon in between the earth and the sun, thereby creating a yellow crescent that looks like a Chiquita banana,” the company stated on its Banana Sun website created especially for the occasion.
A high-tech device. Volvo designed a custom eclipse viewer for the moon roof of its 2018 XC60 enabling people in the car to watch the eclipse. Volvo shipped the viewers to select retailers along the eclipse’s path, allowing individuals to view the event safely and comfortably in the vehicle. The viewer was made with an ISO-certified 12312-2 material and featured a magnetized frame to attach to the car’s roof. The size of the XC60’s panoramic moon roof allowed viewing from all five seats in the vehicle.
Volvo’s Racing The Sun campaign broadcasted the eclipse in high-resolution, 360-degree video and in immersive virtual reality. Four eclipse enthusiasts offered their own perspectives.
Image source: Volvo
Viewing help. Mitsubishi Motors took advantage of its good fortune of having a model named Eclipse. To promote its Eclipse Cross CUV, Mitsubishi lived streamed the astronomical event from prime locations in the path of totality throughout the U.S. It hosted social influencers from 10 different countries near Salem, Ore., allowing them to share the experience with their followers. It also captured images of the Eclipse Cross in the eclipse for its ongoing global marketing efforts.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross during the total solar eclipse,” said Francine Harsini, Mitsubishi Motors North America senior director, marketing, in a press release.
A celebrity. Royal Caribbean planned a special eclipse cruise. The cruise, departing from Port Canaveral, offered superb viewing opportunities and featured Bonnie Tyler singing her 1980s hit song “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” The Welsh singer told CNN her song had to be edited from its original eight minutes to two-minute-and-40-seconds to match the length of the total eclipse.
A contest and award. Airbnb partnered with National Geographic to hold a contest for a night in a see-through geodesic dome in Bend, Ore., the night before the eclipse. Contestants wrote about what they thought about the eclipse bringing people together and why they wish to be a part of the event. The two winners also met with Dr. Jedidah Isler, an award-winning scholar exploring how astronomical events bring people closer together, and Babak Tafreshi, a nighttime photographer and science journalist. To top off the award, the winners were flown on a private jet with Dr. Isler. They flew two hours out over the Pacific Ocean and then back along the path of totality.
Eclipsing the eclipse. Taylor Swift blacked out all her social media accounts. She deleted all posts from her Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr accounts, and her website was taken down. Fans were bewildered. The blackout coincided perfectly with the eclipse. “Taylor Swift is trying to upstage an eclipse, and it’s working,” declared The Washington Post.
While a total solar eclipse is rare, brands can capitalize on other special events and holidays with similar marketing, PR and public education approaches.
Bottom Line: Yesterday’s eclipse provided several excellent examples of how brands can use an event to promote their brands. Some of the tactics included humor, technologically sophisticated devices, and contests. Creativity is often the best way to connect a product to a special event without the significant costs of financing high-tech endeavors.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
