Campaigns that Shook the World

Shaken – or stirred?

Danny Rogers has picked nine stories to tell. They are of course all highly successful, mostly British, and feature the public relations people rather than the product. The stories are Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, the Royal Family, The Rolling Stones, David Beckham, London 2012, (RED), Barack Obama, and Dove (soap).

Of the nine, the most powerful and the most relevant to those seeking insight is the Barack Obama story. His was a true comprehensive, multimedia campaign, leveraging a website, mailing list, twitter, facebook, text messaging, and matching what people saw online with print and tv. A million people signed on, and an astounding 25% of them donated money just to get him going. It quickly took on “the look and feel of a movement.” By the end of the primary season, he had two million contributors. So much money came in that Obama became the first major candidate to decline public funding. Tactics like offering to reveal his vice presidential running mate over the internet got two million more to sign up. By the election, there were 13 million, and they answered his call to bring the same message door to door in their own neighborhoods. Ultimately, Obama raised $780 million. That shook the world.

The odd and discomfiting thing about Campaigns That Shook The World is the wearying preponderance of names. It’s not so much about action and innovation as it is the names: the ad agencies, the account executives, the client staff, the operatives, and the consultants. Endless names that mean so much to Rogers, mean very little to anyone looking for inspiration from his book. He tells us where they came from, sometimes how much they made, and where they went afterwards. The campaigns feel secondary. Each chapter features a full page photo – of the PR person. The client gets a tiny shot later.

To me, a campaign that shook the world would be Apple launching the ipod and then the iphone and then the ipad. That physically changed everything for billions. Or the World Economic Forum at Davos convincing us that corporate is better for us than government. David Beckham making millions – not so much.

And of course, Rogers does no service to PR’s image by modestly calling the book Campaigns That Shook The World. It’s that kind of British understatement that gives the industry its poor reputation. Too bad, because the case studies are worthwhile.

David Wineberg