Earlier this year, Keep Left, and Kathmandu teamed up to launch the world’s first all-weather, all-terrain designer wedding dress.

The dress was the result of a collaboration between Kathmandu, New Zealand fashion designer Tanya Carlson and GORE-TEX fabric, which is used extensively in the Kathmandu clothing range.

But those who were keenly waiting for details on where to purchase the dress (which also packed down in to a backpack – genius!) on April 1 had to be let down gently. The elaborate dress was a one time only, April Fool’s Day Prank, that was to be auctioned off to raise funds for the New Zealand Himalayan Trust.

For Keep Left, the challenge was to break through the media noise on April Fool’s Day and secure earned media coverage across Australia and New Zealand that positioned Kathmandu as an innovative and disruptive global brand alongside some of the world biggest brands.

Our insights showed that although media interest in April Fool’s Day stunts was declining, brands that managed to execute a well thought out idea were rewarded with widespread coverage and consumer engagement.

One way to compete for limited space against big, global brands is with exceptional content. Kathmandu’s owned media was a crucial factor in the success of this campaign, securing lead TV coverage on major AU/NZ networks.

The quality of the imagery also ensured that Kathmandu was featured prominently in wrap-up articles, as well as being picked up by fashion and lifestyle media.

Finally, having a tangible item to auction off made the stunt even more real for consumers, and having the chance to bid for it and support charity added even more authenticity to the announcement giving media a reason to run the story beyond just April Fool’s Day.

In just one day, the campaign achieved 467 pieces of earned media coverage, including 13 unique TV mentions.

With a potential reach of over 31,200,000, there wasn’t a person in Australia or New Zealand who hadn’t heard of the Kathmandu Adapt Wedding Dress (and it raised $4,100 for the New Zealand Himalayan Trust at auction).

Highlights included coverage on news.com.au, Mamamia, Lifehacker, 9Honey, Buzzfeed, SBS News, Daily Mail, NZ Herald, Now To Love, Sunrise, The Morning Show, Channel 9 National News and TVNZ.

Compelling, tangible content is irresistible for media even on one of the noisiest days of the year.