What makes a PR moment go viral? Is it pure luck, an alignment of stars—or is there some deeper brand masterminding at work? As we’ll find out in this post, viral moments rarely come down to chance: you need the right PR tactics to make them happen.
So, how can you give your brand’s campaigns the best shot at going viral? Even if you invest big in top-tier PR agencies or buzzworthy influencer partnerships, there’s no guarantee you’ll take the internet by storm.
The good news is that if we analyze some of the key campaigns across Fashion, Lifestyle and Beauty (FLB), patterns begin to emerge. And from these, we can gain insights into the PR tactics your brand needs to employ to create campaigns that go viral, deliver ROI and create long-lasting impact.
Ready to take a look? Let’s dive in.
Why PR Tactics Decide Viral Success
You’ve probably felt the frustration of pouring your PR and marketing budget into costly campaigns only to get unpredictable (and often lackluster) results. You’re far from alone: this is a common problem for brands, because it’s difficult to understand exactly what drives viral moments. One brilliantly conceived campaign that you’re sure will be a raging success falls flat—while a minor PR moment that seems completely random somehow takes off like wildfire.
It’s this unpredictable nature of social media that makes viral success feel like luck. But the reality is that behind every breakout moment are PR tactics that tilt the odds in a brand’s favor.
Firstly, if we analyze social media successes, we see that viral moments are nearly always built on one or more of these factors:
- Content that generates strong emotions (like joy or anger) from an audience.
- High-profile brand ambassadorships.
- Images or videos that evoke nostalgia (like all those TikTok throwbacks to the ‘90s and early 2000s that resonate so well with Millennials).
- Cultural crossovers where fashion, music, sport or film collide in unexpected ways.
- Authenticity—think campaigns that feel real and raw, not overly polished or scripted.
- Scarcity or exclusivity that fuels FOMO and an urgency to act or share.
- Memeability—i.e., content that’s easy for audiences to remix, joke about or make their own.
- Cause-led alignment with social or environmental issues. Moments that give people a chance to express their identity, connect with others or gain social currency.
- Buzzworthy unexpected collaborations that get people talking (think Crocs x Balenciaga).
- Smart timing with cultural moments, from award shows to trending hashtags.
Once again, none of these factors alone will guarantee viral spread. Instead, they form the foundation that your viral PR tactics can build on to maximize a campaign’s potential.
We can make this clearer with some examples. Let’s say you tap a superstar Influencer as a brand ambassador. This might guarantee you a degree of reach, but it won’t result in engagement if the audience’s values don’t align with your brand’s. Or you might create a whip-smart meme, but it fails to catch on because you didn’t choose the right post format or platform.
So, how can you ensure you’re making all the right decisions when it comes to crafting your campaigns? The answer lies in PR metrics. But, data alone isn’t enough—what truly matters is how you measure, interpret and act on it.
PR Metrics: Measuring What Makes Campaigns Go Viral
When you have the right PR metrics guiding your decisions, it becomes much easier to create viral campaigns. This is because PR metrics don’t just help you measure success after the fact: they’re powerful tools at every stage of a campaign.
Firstly, you can use metrics to shape smarter strategies from the get-go. By analyzing past coverage or competitor campaigns, you can identify key factors like which Voices deliver the most impact, which Channels resonate best and which cultural moments generate the most buzz based on a particular audience or region.
Once your campaign is up and running, it’s crucial to monitor its performance in real-time using a media monitoring tool like Launchmetrics Discover. After all, you don’t want to miss the chance to pivot quickly or reinforce your direction based on how the campaign is going.
For example, if a particular Influencer, publication or format is outperforming the rest, you can double down on what’s working while the campaign is still live. This agility is often what separates a good campaign from one that takes off like a Maison Margiela gown at the Met Gala.
Once your campaign wraps, metrics become just as important—if not more so. Post-campaign analysis is where you move beyond vanity numbers to understand what really drove impact. Metrics like Media Impact Value® (MIV®), number of placements, potential reach, engagement rate and average MIV can reveal exactly which tactics translated into measurable ROI.
Equally important is identifying the Voices and Channels that contributed most to your campaign’s success. Did a certain Influencer outperform expectations? Did the Media Voice drive more engagement in a particular region? Using Launchmetrics Discover to quickly and easily track post-campaign metrics, you can answer these questions and use the insights to inform future strategy.
PR Tactics Examples from Viral Campaigns
Now let’s look at some real-world public relations strategy examples so you can see how major brands use these PR tactics to create bankable viral moments.
1. The Power of Ambassadorship
When the Calvin Klein x Bad Bunny campaign dropped, it quickly exploded across media and socials. In just 48 hours, the partnership generated $8.4M in MIV, with the single top placement alone valued at $1.9M. After a full week, the total MIV had risen to $23.1M, proof of how powerful it can be when a bold creative concept meets a globally recognized star.
The Harris Dickinson x Rhode campaign took a different but equally strategic ambassadorship approach. To launch its Glazing Mist product, Rhode tapped rising actor Harris Dickinson—an unexpected choice for a beauty brand ambassador. But that surprise worked in the brand’s favor: within the first 48 hours, the campaign generated $1.1M in MIV. Interestingly, more than 60% of the MIV was driven by the Media Voice, with major outlets like Elle treating the campaign as a big cultural moment.
In moving beyond Hailey Bieber as the face and founder, the brand reached new audiences, sparked online conversation and showed how thinking outside the box with ambassadorships can really pay off.
2. Culture Crossovers & Nostalgia
It’s been almost two decades since The Devil Wears Prada had everyone wearing eye-sweeping bangs and crested blazers, but the Andy Sachs fashion obsession has never really gone away. With The Devil Wears Prada 2 now in production, a slew of fashion houses have again jumped at the chance to get involved—and the early numbers show why. According to Launchmetrics data, behind-the-scenes production moments alone have already generated $38.5M in total MIV. That’s before a single trailer has even dropped, proving the magic that happens when nostalgia and fashion collide.
The standout placement came from Gabriela Hearst, whose paparazzi-shot look drove $1.35M in MIV. That’s 60% more than the brand’s entire FW25 Paris Fashion Week show! Chanel also saw success, racking up $1.24M in MIV thanks to its rare 2022 Dad Slingbacks, while Jean Paul Gaultier benefited from Anne Hathaway’s vintage pinstripe look, generating $1.06M in MIV.
And speaking of nostalgia, what about Lindsay Lohan’s recent (and rather unexpected) comeback?
The Mean Girls and Freaky Friday star—who was everywhere in the early 2000s—launched a partnership with Old Navy that pulled in $1.5M in MIV in just one week, turning a simple retail collab into a cultural talking point.
Not long after, her appearance in Ludovic de Saint Sernin delivered even bigger results: $3.9M in MIV, with $1.1M generated directly by Lohan herself across only five placements. The takeaway? Nostalgia, when paired with the right moment and the right face, can be the driving force behind some extremely shareable PR moments.
3. Spectacle & Shareability at Key Events
During the Grammys, Abodi broke into the top five brands in its category. The reason? Jaden Smith’s surreal doll’s-house headpiece, designed by the brand, which instantly became a viral talking point online. The stunt generated $591K in MIV, placing Abodi 5th in Accessories despite its relatively modest profile.
In the same event, Adidas secured its own viral win—this time with sneakers, a category you rarely see on the Grammys red carpet. Singer Benson Boone’s on-stage backflip, performed in Adidas, turned heads and headlines alike. The brand ended up ranking 4th in Accessories, with $780K in MIV. It’s not every day sneakers beat couture on the Grammys red carpet—but one well-timed backflip was all it took.
Viral Campaign Examples: What Are the Strategic Takeaways?
So, what can brands actually take away from these viral PR moments? While each campaign looks different on the surface, there are underlying patterns that reveal some clear lessons.
1. The right Voices matter.
When we think about PR tactics that create waves, Celebrities and All-Star Influencers are often the first to come to mind. Their massive reach can certainly translate to viral potential. But while they may light the initial spark of interest, the moment fades quickly without strong media amplification and broader influencer resonance. The campaigns that go the distance are the ones that connect with the right mix of Voices—those who truly speak to the brand’s target audience.
2. Timing is everything.
Whether it’s tapping into cultural nostalgia (The Devil Wears Prada 2), a celebrity comeback (Lindsay Lohan), or the spectacle of a live event (the Grammys), viral success often hinges on being in the right place at the right time. Seasonality, cultural calendars and even surprise factor all play into whether a public relations strategy pays off.
3. Benchmarking reveals patterns.
It’s tempting to celebrate a single high-performing activation, but looking at campaigns in isolation is misleading. By benchmarking across multiple activations (whether that’s an ambassador partnership, an event or something else) you start to see repeatable patterns. This process is what separates a one-off viral moment from a sustainable PR playbook.
4. Shareability comes from strategy, not luck.
Nostalgia, cultural crossovers, memeability, exclusivity… these are building blocks that consistently show up in viral campaigns. The takeaway? Virality isn’t random. It’s about stacking the odds in your favor by weaving these elements into campaigns from the start.
Conclusion
At first glance, viral PR moments may look like pure luck. But the truth is that behind these moments are smart PR tactics, thoughtful timing and the right mix of Voices to amplify impact.
That’s why the right PR metrics are crucial. They’re the foundation for turning your PR tactics into measurable viral moments.
With PR monitoring tools like Launchmetrics Discover, you can easily track placements, measure Media Impact Value and benchmark performance across campaigns, channels and markets. This not only helps you understand what worked, but also gives you the insights you need to repeat your success—time and time again.
Want to learn more about how to make your PR tactics measurable? Download our guide to 10 Essential KPIs for PR and Marketing Success and start building smarter, more impactful campaigns.
Discover the 10 Essential KPIs for PR Performance
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By Pawandeep Kaur
