Public relations examples show how an organization earns attention it did not buy. The ALS Association reported $115 million from its 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge, Unilever said Dove Real Beauty Sketches passed 114 million views, and Spotify reported 200 million engaged Wrapped users in 24 hours. Each worked for a different reason, and each carries a lesson a smaller team can copy.
Last updated October 15, 2026.
What did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge teach about fundraising PR?
The 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge generated $115 million for the national office of the ALS Association, according to the ALS Association's own financial summary. Participants poured ice water over their heads and challenged others to do the same or donate, so every video carried its own call to action.
The association reports that it almost tripled its research spending afterward and that the number of people served by its chapters rose 28%, from 15,731 in fiscal year 2015 to 20,101 in fiscal year 2018. The same page states the limit of the result: bringing a single drug to market takes an average of over $2 billion, 17 times what the Challenge raised.
The lesson is mechanical. A participation step that includes the ask spreads without paid media, but the organization does not control when it starts or when it fades, so a one-time spike needs a plan for what the money builds.
How did Dove's Real Beauty Sketches earn 114 million views?
Unilever said in May 2013 that Dove Real Beauty Sketches had been seen more than 114 million times in more than 110 countries, which made it the most-watched online video ad to that date, as reported by Agence France-Presse. The three-minute film shows San Francisco forensic artist Gil Zamora drawing women first from their own descriptions and then from strangers' descriptions.
The Dove logo appears only at the end of the film, so the story carried the product. Agence France-Presse also reports that Unilever had launched the Campaign for Real Beauty nine years earlier, which means the film landed on a brand idea that was already established.
The risk sits in the metric. A view count measures reach, and Unilever's statement does not report sales, so a team copying this example should set its own success measure before launch, using a method such as this guide to PR measurement.
Why does Spotify Wrapped work as a yearly PR campaign?
Spotify Wrapped works because each user receives a personal result that is easy to share, and Spotify reported more than 200 million engaged users and more than 500 million shares in the first 24 hours of the 2025 edition, according to TechCrunch. Spotify counts an engaged user as someone who viewed at least one story in the experience.
The 2025 result was 19% above 2024, when Wrapped took 62 hours to reach 200 million engaged users. TechCrunch also reports that the 2024 edition had a rough reception because users wanted more detailed stats, and Spotify answered by adding nearly a dozen features for 2025.
The lesson is that a company's own data can become an earned, shared story when each customer gets a result worth posting. The risk is that a repeat campaign is judged against its last edition, so a weak year is visible within days. The difference between earned, shared and owned media is covered in the earned, shared and owned media guide.
How do these three PR examples compare?
The three examples differ in goal, mechanism and risk, and the table shows which part a smaller team can reuse.
| Example | Goal | Mechanism | What to copy | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (2014) | Funds and awareness | Public challenge with a built-in donation ask | Put the ask inside the act people share | No control over timing; the spike fades |
| Dove Real Beauty Sketches (2013) | Brand relevance | Story-led film, logo at the end | Attach each new piece to one long-running idea | Views do not prove sales |
| Spotify Wrapped (2025) | Engagement and sharing | Personal data result each user can post | Turn first-party data into a shareable result | A weak edition is judged against the last one |
How do you choose which PR example to copy?
Choose the PR example whose goal matches the outcome the organization needs, then copy the mechanism and not the budget. Three steps keep the choice honest:
- Name the outcome first, such as donations, brand recall or repeat engagement.
- Pick the mechanism that produces it: a shareable action, a story-led film or a personal data result.
- Set the measure before launch, because reach, sales and sharing answer different questions.
Illustrative scenario: a regional food bank that needs donations would study the Ice Bucket Challenge, not Spotify Wrapped, because its outcome is an ask that people can pass to friends. A staged event is a separate tool, covered in the post on the publicity stunt. Teams new to the field can start with what public relations is and the work of media relations.
Frequently asked questions
What is an example of public relations?
The ALS Association's 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge is a public relations example: a public participation campaign that the association says generated $115 million.
What makes a PR campaign successful?
A PR campaign is successful when it reaches the outcome set before launch, such as donations, awareness or engagement, and not only a high view count.
Can a small organization use these PR examples?
Yes. A small organization can copy the mechanism, such as a shareable action or a personal result, without the budget behind the original campaign.
Conclusion: Which Example Fits Your Next Campaign?
Each example built one audience action into the idea: nominate a friend, watch a story, share a result. Pick the action first, then design the campaign around it.
For help planning a program, see 5W's public relations agency services or browse PR case studies.
