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When we think of stunts, our minds often jump to high-octane, blockbuster films filled with car chases and daring escapes from explosions. But stunts go beyond Tom Cruise scaling a skyscraper. At their core, they’re about the unexpected—bold, out-of-the-ordinary moments that capture attention. In today’s world of shrinking attention spans and constant distractions, that element of surprise makes stunts a powerful marketing tool to engage and captivate audiences.
Scientists suggest that humans have shorter attention spans than goldfish, that the average office worker checks their emails 30 times an hour and most users leave web pages within 10 to 20 seconds.
Brands can use stunts to liven up their on- and off-line presence and give audiences a virtual poke from their distracted stupor. Here’s a closer look at five of the best brand marketing stunts in recent history to get your creative juices flowing.
Duolingo: The Death of Duo Owl
Duolingo recently staged the death of its iconic green owl mascot – Duo – in a stunt that ignited a frenzy across the internet and media. In a bold move, the brand used Duo’s death to encourage users to complete their language lessons in the hope the small green owl may be revived.
Why It’s Best-In-Class
Killing off its famous mascot stunned Duolingo’s audiences and triggered a wider narrative across the brand’s social media channels, including Instagram and TikTok. The marketing stunt quickly spiraled as avid fans and followers speculated about what could have happened to Duo.
As the story unfolded, Duolingo cleverly linked the narrative to its product, encouraging users to complete their language lessons to revive Duo. This helped users feel involved and part of the story, building a closer personal connection to the brand.
Beyond the shock element, the simplicity of the campaign stands out. By staging the death of its much loved (sometimes hated) mascot, Duolingo’s online presence was given a rocket boost, capturing the attention of fans and newcomers alike by delivering something unexpected and original.
Yes, Duolingo made a campaign so bonkers that it made it into the winner’s circle for both our ‘best in comedy’ category and our ‘best marketing stunts’ category. Talk about a campaign with big impact and staying power.
studioID Takeaway
Leverage storytelling and audience participation to drive engagement. Duolingo’s bold decision to “kill off” its beloved mascot wasn’t just shocking—it invited users to actively engage with the brand by completing lessons to bring Duo back. Think beyond traditional messaging and create narratives that make audiences feel like part of the story, sparking conversation and deepening brand connection.
Pepsi: Undercover Cups
Who doesn’t love tucking into a decadent cheeseburger and fries, with a bubbly soda on the side? Yet for so long, fast-food chains have limited the options to Coca-Cola or Pepsi, rarely do you see both. Pepsi boldly challenged this status quo with its “Undercover Cups” campaign, which saw it re-design its rival’s branding to incorporate the Pepsi logo and messaging.
Why It’s Best-In-Class
Launched on National Fast Food Day, Pepsi’s “Undercover Cups” campaign cleverly infiltrated fast food chains including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King that traditionally serve up Coca-Cola.
Disguising its branding on soda fountain cups, Pepsi gave unsuspecting burger lovers a surprise pairing, demonstrating that the iconic burger-Pepsi pairing is what they’ve been missing.
Taking a playful, yet focused approach, the campaign reinforced the message that “Burgers Deserve Pepsi”. Running across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, the multi-channel activation successfully positioned Pepsi as the ultimate burger companion.
studioID Takeaway
Don’t be afraid to create buzz by playfully disrupting the status quo. Pepsi flipped the script by entering fast-food chains that traditionally serve Coca-Cola, highlighting the power of an unexpected twist. Consider how you can shirk common industry assumptions in your storytelling, branding, or campaign execution to grab attention and spark conversation.
👽 Related Reading: Delightfully Weird: 7 Best Absurdist Marketing Campaigns
GoDaddy: Act Like You Know
To showcase the value of its new GoDaddy Airo, an AI-powered tool for small businesses, GoDaddy collaborated with actor Walton Goggins to launch and market his new business using Airo. The year-long, multi-channel campaign played out across social media and online, culminating in the brand’s first Super Bowl ad in eight years.
Why It’s Best-In-Class
GoDaddy didn’t just use a fictional business to promote its new Airo tool. Instead, the brand went the extra mile, collaborating with Goggins to bring his entrepreneurial ideas to life, with the launch of Walton Goggin Goggle Glasses.
Using GoDaddy Airo, they built and marketed the brand’s online presence, demonstrating the real-world impact of the tool in a way that was both engaging and relatable to small business owners.
The brand cleverly chose an actor well-known for his versatility and ability to immerse himself in just about any role, making audiences believe he knows what he’s doing, even when he doesn’t. This perfectly aligned with GoDaddy’s messaging — business owners don’t have unlimited pots of cash, 36-hour days, and MBAs. Instead, many are “faking it, ‘till we make it”.
Following the creation of a website and social media launch, GoDaddy filmed a series of ads showcasing all the ways GoDaddy Airo supported Walton’s business. The narrative came to a crescendo at the Super Bowl, with a two-minute ad and limited time Airo offer. What GoDaddy did so well was “showing” audiences the real-world value of Airo, using the launch of a real business to demonstrate the full breadth of its capabilities.
🤖 Related Reading: The Human Element: 3 Brand Campaigns Demystifying AI + Advanced Tech
studioID Takeaway
Demonstrate your brand’s value through compelling, real-world applications. Rather than just listing features, GoDaddy showcased Airo by actually launching a business with it. Yake this approach to showcase customer success stories, create behind-the-scenes demos, or develop narrative-driven campaigns that allow audiences to see your product in action rather than just hearing about it.
IHOP: 20K for Pancake Day
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For National Pancake Day, IHOP (International House of Pancakes) broke the Guinness World Record for the most pancakes served in a single eight-hour period. The ‘20K for Pancake Day’ free event took place at the Santa Monica Pier, intending to serve 20,000 pancakes in eight hours.
Why It’s Best-In-Class
Who could resist a free pancake on Pancake Day? IHOP’s pancake stack giveaway was a brilliantly simple yet highly effective way to draw in a massive crowd of both loyal customers and first-time visitors to sample their delicious baked goods.
By tying the event to a charitable cause, and donating $1 for every pancake served to Feeding America, IHOP transformed a fun marketing stunt into a more meaningful brand message.
The event exceeded its goal and set the world record, serving 25,689 pancakes in just eight hours and raising $20,000 for hunger relief. This campaign effectively combined brand engagement with social impact.
🌎 Related Reading: 3 Brands Getting Purpose-Driven Marketing Right
studioID Takeaway
Make your content an experience people want to participate in and share. IHOP’s record-breaking pancake giveaway was more than just a stunt—it was a moment people wanted to be part of. When planning campaigns, think about how you can create interactive, real-world or digital experiences that encourage participation, media coverage, and social sharing.
Cirkul: Adam Devine’s Accident
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This year the customizable water bottle brand, Cirkul, teamed up with Adam Devine to deliver its first Super Bowl commercial. The ad not only played out digitally but in real life, with 100,000 free Cirkul starter kits being delivered to random homes across America, delighting unsuspecting audiences.
Why It’s Best-In-Class
Cirkul’s Super Bowl marketing stunt features Devine accidentally ordering 100,000 Cirkul Starter Kits through his phone’s AI assistant.
The brand then seamlessly bridges the digital and physical worlds, by turning this fictional error into reality and delivering 100,000 limited-edition starter kits to random doorsteps across the US during the game.
By combining the huge digital exposure of the Super Bowl, with a tangible, real-world experience that both delighted and excited viewers, Cirkul created a frenzy and firmly planted its name on the lips of Super Bowl viewers nationwide.
😆 Related Reading: Comedic Gold: 2025’s Funniest Marketing Campaigns So Far
studioID Takeaway
Integrate online storytelling with real-life activations for maximum impact. Cirkul’s strategy brought its product to life, through the TV screen and to the steps of potential customers. Consider how to extend digital content into the real world—through physical giveaways, experiential marketing, or interactive elements that bring the story to life.
