19th August 2010
“It’s not every day you run through London in your pants…” is what one participant said. Something I thought was a bit of an understatement. But then again, the other week we were launching a 55%ABV beer served from dead squirrels, so right now filming a flashmob (with the emphasis on the ‘flash’) running around Piccadilly Circus in their underwear seemed like a normal day for the Manifest PR team.
I guess there needs to be some sort of explanation for our foray into semi-nude photography, so I’ll give you some background on the client we were working for, Arkº.
Arkº stands for ‘acts of random kindness’ – which is a non-profit organisation looking to put kindness back in fashion (quite literally). Arkº produces clothing that is not only cool, but also comes with a commitment – every time you wear the brand, you perform at least one act of random kindness. This could be something as small as giving your mum a call, through to spontaneously donating the clothes on your back (except for your Arkº underwear – for the sake of decency) to Oxfam. The half-naked ‘runners’ then embarked on an epic journey of kindness that took them through Piccadilly Circus, Carnaby Street and Oxford Street – helping out builders, removal men and even having a quick waltz with commuters. It seems that even London commuters smile when faced with random kindness.
Cameron, founder of Arkº conducted a live radio interview with Alexandra Burke while running through Piccadilly in his pants.
Unsurprisingly, the brand has become an immense online movement with thousands of fans on various social networks – but Tuesday marked its official launch in the UK, which is where Manifest came in. We provided Arkº with PR support to organise and promote ‘The Great Arkº Underwear Run’ and help them make a splash in London.
Boris' bikes went down well when the runners got tired!
This involved everything from drafting press materials to running around chasing semi-naked flashmobbers with a video camera (you can see the highlights below). The media was all over it – Arkº founder Cameron Stewart even had a live interview with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke as she hosted Heart FM’s breakfast show.
High five! We made a few builders' day!
Safe to say a lot of fun was had. Now go get yourselves some Arkº clothing and start spreading the kindness.
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