Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Lesson 303. Today we're going to look
at the difference between publicity stunt and photo op. Yeah. Sometimes
students will like ask me the difference between these two when it
comes up. All right. Let's take a look at the note first. A publicity stunt is when
a person or organization does something usually out of the ordinary and
outrageous. Yeah, The stranger the better or the crazier the better.For the sole
purpose .... well this is their biggest main reason for doing it. For the sole
purpose of trying to attract as much attention as possible. So that's what a
that's what a publicity stunt does. That's its goal. Get as much attention as,
as possible. All right. Let's look at a photo op. Photo
op or photo opportunity you know, the OP of course is short for opportunity, is an
arranged event to attract attention but the focus is more on improving one's
public image. So the main reason to have the photo op is to make that person seem
better or more attractive or more likeable for whatever reason. Whatever
they're setting up. Okay. So let's continue. Publicity stunts are done to
get the best bang for the buck. Meaning that you know they want, they
they don't want to put a lot of money into. They don't want to do a lot of
regular advertising, but they still want a lot of attention. So often ,
publicity stunts wants to get the media attention. Because if you could get it reported
on the media.. Well, that's , that's free publicity. You're not paying for the
publicity. The news will report it. So if you do something crazy enough for the
news to think it's worthy to be reported. That's probably the best because it's
getting a lot more free advertising, especially the news to report it in
order to promote a product. It could be that. It could be a company doing it to promote a
product. Bring attention to an organization or cause you know, so like an
environmental cause or something like that. Some, some purpose. Okay. Let's
continue. One of the best examples of an organization
that performs publicity stunts is PETA. Which really is people for Ethical
Treatment of Animals. Yeah. They often like to do things. They're even willing
to do things that are illegal. They don't care if they get arrested. They pay a
fine. They don't mind. They don't care but they do want it to get reported on the
news. So they can get as much attention as possible. Okay. So some of their
publicity stunts and these were in the early days they often used to do this
one. Include throwing red paint on customers who are exiting shops in which
they bought a fur coat. Yeah. So when somebody came out of the store with
a new fur coat on, they'd run up to them and throw red paint on them. Now, of
course this is illegal. You know, they probably will get arrested, but the
organization will pay the fine , but if it gets reported on the news. It's worth it.
It's much better than all the advertising they could hope to get. So
that was one of the first things they did. So you could ask yourself. if you or
one of these activists would you be willing to do that. And if you, if you
think you are let me know in the comments. Or the second one that they do
another famous stunt is having activists or celebrities strip naked. Meaning take
off all your clothes like for the cameras. Strip naked for the media and
using the line " I would rather be naked than wear fur. Okay. Yeah. So this is
another one. You know, if this was your ... I f this was your daughter, or your
girlfriend or somebody like that. They're, they're, willing to take off all
their clothes in public, and they say they're doing it for the animals. S o
Again here. It's for a cause. It's the organization PETA. So they love to do
this and that definitely would attract attention. Greenpeace also pulled a
publicity stunt by having activists climb the " Christ the Redeemer' , statue in
Brazil. You know, the big statue with Christ you know, standing there like that.
Yeah. To bring attention to environmental causes. So again, it's it's very often to
get the bang for your buck. Bring as much attention as is possible.
Okay. Okay' not necessarily to improve PETA's image itself, not that they have a
good image or a bad image, but it's really more for the media attention, And
you know and to the cause of you know, of protecting animals and things like that.
Okay. Let's look at photo ops again. Photo ops might be done by celebrities or
especially politicians. If they prearranged for a politician to hold and
kiss a baby and that was always a famous one. And they should prearranged it.
Because, you know, they don't want any mistakes. It could backfire and if they tried to kiss
a baby, and maybe the woman was maybe she liked the other political party and she
grabs her baby back that would not look good in the media. So they usually prearranged
it. They usually get the permission probably before from that lady. It's
probably not natural but that would be a perfect example of a photo-op. It makes
the politician look more like a family man. He's a good man, holding the baby
Yeah. You should vote for him. Or yeah. So politicians kissing a baby. If they
prearranged for a politician. Yeah. A baby that is definitely a photo-op. If a
politician goes to a labor worksite, this is another one. And very often
they'll have them wear like a hard hat. Like they're really doing the work. Put a
shovel in the hand for like I don't know, five seconds or ten seconds as they take
the photo. And then, then probably that's about it. But anyway, it's a worksite for
a day and pretend he is working with the common people. That is also a photo-op to
improve his image. So again photo-op is to improve your image To make you more
likeable to the public or bring more attention to you , to the public.
Celebrities might do it too. If they appear with somebody or they appear at a
cause. Just for the photos or sometimes a celebrity and a politician
together could be a photo-op for both of them. If the politician is popular. And
yeah so these are these are perfect examples of what we mean. So I hope you
can clearly see the difference now between
well publicity stunts. Really just get best bang for your buck. The most
attention possible. And a photo op, the real goal is to improve somebody's image
and to prearrange for a situation that you can take a photo like this. Okay.
I hope you got it . I hope it's clear. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.