Best U2 publicity stunt

[U2Kitten]

What was your favorite?

 

[Mark Freedman]

Although I loved the NY one (missed it, dammit), I think the surprise of and legally questionable Streets rooftop one was more spontaneous.

The NY one may be more effective though, judging on the projected first week sales.

 

[mikal]

i voted other.


my favorite was the "stolen cd" story, because it was so brilliant that many people actually thought that the cd had actually been stolen.

the best publicity stunts are ones that the public actually believes.

 

[Miroslava]

If going by actual legend, the streets stunt is the best. However, we are not done with the Brooklyn one. We have to see the final output for that. In any case, I voted Brooklyn just cause I was there to witness it first hand

 

[U2utah2U]

Although I have to vote for the "Streets" concert I have to quote George Harrison commenting on the Be Sharps' rooftop concert, "It's been done."

I agree that the stolen CD was great.

But nothing will beat the Paul is Dead hoax, unless of course Tupac decided he wasn't really dead.

 

[Sicy]

You forgot the concert in SF in 87

 

[U2Kitten]

Rock and Roll stops the traffic, yeah! You can add it if you want to!

 

[RobVox]

You forgot the concert in SF in 87

THe SF show was not a Promo deal for a new album, they were already on tour during the JT and got bored and decided to set up and do some tunes, it then made it into the R&H video. So if you are talking strictly album promo gigs:

I went with NY 'cause though Streets is epic in its history I think what they did this week topped it and as history moves on it will be just as epic.

 

[cheju_natural]

Although not entirely engineered as a publicity stunt, the best publicity U2 ever received was the Live Aid Bad performance.

MTV requested Bad not be played, but the boys didn't listen. MTV didn't cut away. U2 did what U2 do, and the world took notice.

U2 do not get all those magazine covers or "band of the 80s" titles without the Live Aid Bad.

The decision to play that song (it U2's ability to perform) were the best pub ever. The center of popular music's universe was Live Aid, and U2 was clearly the class...

 

[Pero]

I'm sorry, but i'm a new fan, what happened with announcing elevation tour, announcing popmart and Rock'n'Roll stops traffic?
And were those songs really stolen or not???
Please, help me

 

[RobVox]

Sounds like Pero has some homework to do..?

I won't ruin your personal discovery of the other stuff, but it is only a conspiracy theory that Edge's CD was not stolen for The Bomb. I for one don't think a lie would be orchestrated by Edge or the band, at least not like that.

 

[username]

The 'leak' was a publicity stunt. Me liked that one very much!

But 'rock and roll stops traffic' was pretty damn cool.

 

[grbounds]

custom iPods

 

[brownda7]

Adam getting s..tfaced and not being able to perform the first sydney concert in 93 which I was at. Lots of publicity...and as the saying goes theres no such thing as bad publicity!

Cool concert too...I wish there was a good bootleg available.

 

[U2Kitten]

Didn't he get in trouble for spraypainting and have to pay?

 

[mikal]

Didn't he get in trouble for spraypainting and have to pay?

yeah. he was threatened to serve jail time for it, and Bono's father said that he felt that Bono should serve the time, lol.

 

[youtwohearts]

Well where I have to say I was at the NYC one and it was truly amazing but nothing beets Streets being performed on that rooftop with all those people outside listening. It is one of the reasons I love Streets and it is still my favorite video.

 

[youtwohearts]

i voted other.


my favorite was the "stolen cd" story, because it was so brilliant that many people actually thought that the cd had actually been stolen.

the best publicity stunts are ones that the public actually believes.

 

[anitram]

i
my favorite was the "stolen cd" story, because it was so brilliant that many people actually thought that the cd had actually been stolen.

 

[jick]

It has got to be "other" but many come to mind that you should have included among their stunts:

-Lost Achtung Tapes (due to the experimental nature of the album, leaking the tapes early was able to give them initial fan reaction to see whether they would push forward with the new sound)

-Lost Laptop With Lyrics (got everyone's attention that U2 were working on an album)

-Leaked version of Electrical Storm to force them to move the release of Electrical Storm earlier due to "public demand" (hype generated for the song which never picked up)

-Their "only" cd copy of HTDAAB was allegedly lost in France thus having them announce that if the album surfaces anywhere they would release it early in iTunes. (An early plug for iTunes)

...but my favorite publicity stunt is Bono's Save-The-World front which gives U2 publicity for the right reasons (as compared to Eminem for example) and it helps album sales.

Cheers,

J

 

[Aardvark747]

Forgot about all them Jick!

 

[reggiethedawg]

It has got to be "other" but many come to mind that you should have included among their stunts:

-Lost Achtung Tapes (due to the experimental nature of the album, leaking the tapes early was able to give them initial fan reaction to see whether they would push forward with the new sound)

-Lost Laptop With Lyrics (got everyone's attention that U2 were working on an album)

-Leaked version of Electrical Storm to force them to move the release of Electrical Storm earlier due to "public demand" (hype generated for the song which never picked up)

-Their "only" cd copy of HTDAAB was allegedly lost in France thus having them announce that if the album surfaces anywhere they would release it early in iTunes. (An early plug for iTunes)

...but my favorite publicity stunt is Bono's Save-The-World front which gives U2 publicity for the right reasons (as compared to Eminem for example) and it helps album sales.

Cheers,

J

Hehe well theres a lot of conspiracy theories there Jick

Working in advertising and marketing, I'm definitely not naive enough to think that none of them can be publicity stunts. However, I personally think one or two of them most certainly aren't publicity stunts as I think they are a bit too elaborate and don't serve enough genuine purpose, although I'll put my hands up and say its not impossible.

- Achtung Tapes...
I remember reading a report that the FBI were involved in investigating this when the 2 double-LP sets 'The New U2' surfaced circa Jan 1991. There was a report in NME saying as much which I have a cutting of somewhere. I remember it quite well as I was a little bit worried as I'd be listening to the tapes for a few weeks previous Several UK record dealers were arrested during record fair swoops involving the BPI and had the vinyls confiscated from memory. Your suggestion is mildly plausible, but personally I think they'd leak something a little bit more polished and without the umpteen Rickenbacker 12 string overdubs of Salome - as good as they are!

-HTDAAB CD
It's not unbelievable that this was a stunt to scare people off illegally downloading any leaks etc, and/or plugging iTunes but for me its too elaborate, and I personally don't believe the band members would do anything like this or sanction anything of this kind dreamed up by marketing executives. Also the police were supposily heavily involved with this incident.


Some other publicity stunts (or at least partially)...

> ATYCLB Airship
There was going to be an ATYCLB airship flying over the UK during the week of the albums release. I'm pretty sure I remember hearing a Radio 1 competition to fly in it. I think it might have been cancelled due to bad weather. Anyone else remember or have I lost the plot

> Zoo Clothing Store, Carnaby Street, Soho, London
A gig in a shop window to promote the release of Achtung Baby - footage of which ended up in the EBTTRT video.

> The Fly Promo video
The internal studio shots were all done in Dublin. However the rest of the video was shot during a mad few days in London. There's a great review of this in the issue of Propaganda that followed which reported on Bono's mischevious activities, stealing apples, directing traffic, playing with buses etc. Although it was a videoshoot for The Fly, it sort of was a publicity stunt as the new look Bono (who many people may have not even twigged who it was) was handing out Zoo TV leaflets to passers-by.

I think my favourite is probably the LA rooftop Streets videoshoot, this is legendary even amongst non-U2 fans.

 

[isabelle_guns]

awesome poll

 

[isabelle_guns]

The 'leak' was a publicity stunt. Me liked that one very much!

But 'rock and roll stops traffic' was pretty damn cool.

agreed