📣 This Week's PR Campaigns & Opportunities [September 22, 2026]


September 22, 2026

🔥 Top PR Campaigns of the Week

This Week’s Standout PR Campaigns


1. Lenny Kravitz Becomes a Kenbassador​
​
As seen in: People​

Barbie turned Lenny Kravitz into a collectible Ken doll, complete with his tattoos, jewellery and signature rock-star style. Released as part of Ken’s 65th anniversary celebrations, it created a neat cultural hook by making Kravitz only the second celebrity to receive the Kenbassador treatment.

Why it worked

It piggybacked on a fixed anniversary news peg and scarcity—only the second-ever Kenbassador—plus drove commerce with immediate buy links.

The lesson

Consider tying a limited “second-ever” honor to a real calendar milestone and include instant purchase links to make editors bite.


2. The Tilly Norwood AI Actor Interview​
​
As seen in: Today​

Particle 6 created Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated virtual actor, and made her available for unmoderated press interviews while promoting her upcoming film, Misaligned. WIRED tested the character with political questions, fabricated celebrity scandals and absurd ethical dilemmas, revealing an entertainingly awkward mix of evasiveness, bias and chatbot malfunction.

Why it worked

Offering unmoderated, on-the-record access to a glitch-prone AI “actor” created a built-in stress test with quotable failures and controversy.

The lesson

Consider pitching an unfiltered, live demo of your product under challenging, journalist-set conditions to surface authentic, newsworthy cracks or surprises.


3. Wendy’s Yellow Packaging Returns​
​
As seen in: USA Today​

Wendy’s is bringing back its original yellow cups and boxes for nuggets, fries and Frostys, after customers repeatedly asked for the nostalgic packaging to return. The brand turned a familiar visual memory — and the belief that food tasted better in yellow packaging — into a timely media story.

Why it worked

It paired a clear, dated rollout (Sept 28–2027) with quantifiable fan demand (“most requested ever”), turning nostalgia into hard news.

The lesson

Consider announcing a specific comeback item tied to a firm timeline and verifiable fan demand receipts (votes, requests, waitlist counts).


Sponsor

Monitor the Trending PR Campaigns in Real Time

Every day, brands launch PR campaigns and the media covers them. We scan lots of different news sources and use AI to spot the campaigns behind the stories, and show you which ones are getting the most traction right now.

A live leaderboard of what's working in PR. Powered by Finchling. For free.

📣 Top PR Opportunities

News Hooks for PR Campaigns


1. Mbappé leaves Nike for On​
​
As seen in: CNBC​

Football star Kylian Mbappé has reportedly left Nike and signed a major new deal with Swiss sportswear brand On.

Why have we flagged this?

The move creates timely angles around athlete influence, brand loyalty, football fandom and the growing challenge to established sportswear giants.

Angles to explore

Resale platforms like Vinted could examine listings, search queries and sell-through rates for Nike vs On footwear and apparel to see if Mbappé’s move is shifting second-hand demand and prices.

Travel booking apps like Trainline could analyse bookings to Paris and Bern from football-fan-heavy UK cities on match weekends to see if there’s a post-announcement uplift linked to On’s Swiss connection or PSG fandom trails.

Fitness platforms like Strava could examine the creation and participation in football-inspired running clubs and challenges, plus spikes in On-shoe gear tags vs Nike tags, to see if the switch nudges everyday runners towards On-branded activity.


2. Oasis announce Live ’27 world tour​
​
As seen in: NME​

Oasis will play 38 shows across the UK, Europe, the US and Ireland in 2027, with Richard Ashcroft supporting. Fans must enter a ballot by 17 September for a chance to buy tickets, which cost up to £266.60.

Why have we flagged this?

The announcement gives brands timely angles around nostalgia, live music, fan culture, travel and the enduring pull of British bands.

Angles to explore

Rail ticket platforms like Trainline could analyse searches and basket adds for routes to cities hosting the gigs to see whether ballot announcements drive early spikes in speculative travel planning before tickets are confirmed.

Challenger banks like Monzo could examine round-up savings pot creations and top-ups tagged for ‘gigs’ or ‘Oasis’ to see whether fans start saving months in advance and whether the high price points shift average saving targets.

Hotel platforms like Booking.com could analyse date- and city-specific wishlist adds and refundable bookings to see whether the ballot system triggers a rise in provisional accommodation holds compared with typical tour on-sales.


3. Oktoberfest returns in Munich
​
As seen in: Billboard​

Munich’s 191st Oktoberfest is under way, bringing 16 days of beer, parades, traditional dress and fairground rides. Millions are expected, with a litre of beer costing up to €15.90.

Why have we flagged this?

The festival offers timely hooks around travel, food and drink, German culture, traditional fashion and rising prices.

Angles to explore

Money transfer apps like Wise could analyse card spend and ATM withdrawals in Munich to see if foreign visitors are loading travel cards earlier and in larger amounts than previous years due to higher beer prices.

Second-hand marketplaces like Vinted could examine listings, searches and sales of dirndls and lederhosen in Germany and neighbouring countries to see if more people are renting or buying pre-owned traditional dress ahead of Oktoberfest.

Alcohol-free beer brands like Lucky Saint could analyse on-trade and DTC order data across Germany during the festival to see if there’s a parallel uplift in alcohol-free purchases in cities outside Munich, suggesting ‘Oktoberfest-at-home’ behaviour among price-sensitive consumers.

🙌 Until Next Week

Do you have any questions? Get in touch


We hope you've liked today's edition of Trending Campaigns.

Do you have any comments, feedback or ideas? Just send an email to newsletter[at]trendingcampaigns.com.

​
​
Aleyda Solis From Trending Campaigns​

C/ Orfila, 5, Esc 1, 4º CyD, Madrid, Madrid 28010
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Trending Campaigns

Trending Campaigns is a free weekly newsletter curating standout PR campaigns and timely news hooks you can use.

Read more from Trending Campaigns

Trending Campaigns October 13, 2026 🔥 Top PR Campaigns of the Week This Week’s Standout PR Campaigns 1. Turnstile’s Washington Monument Benefit ShowAs seen in: Variety Turnstile announced a free concert at the Washington Monument, partnering with Human Concern International to raise donations for humanitarian aid in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon. The striking public setting gives the band’s final tour date a clear purpose beyond the performance. Why it worked A surprise free show at the...

Trending Campaigns October 6, 2026 🔥 Top PR Campaigns of the Week This Week’s Standout PR Campaigns 1. Neon’s Open-Source SCP Horror FilmAs seen in: Variety After criticism of an A24 project inspired by SCP Foundation stories, Neon announced its own anthology horror film, promising to follow the community’s Creative Commons licence and make it an “open-source” project. The proposed film will draw on the collaborative fiction universe and is planned for theatrical release in 2027. Why it...

Trending Campaigns September 29, 2026 🔥 Top PR Campaigns of the Week This Week’s Standout PR Campaigns 1. Dunkin’ x L.L.Bean Fall CollaborationAs seen in: People Dunkin’ and L.L.Bean brought their shared New England identity to life with a limited-edition fall collection, free coffee, a Boston pop-up and a Dunkin’-themed L.L.Bean Bootmobile tour. The collaboration gave a familiar seasonal partnership a physical presence across shops and streets, creating a timely hook around National Coffee...